1/48 Scale Harriers

I've joined a Facebook group that is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hawker Harrier by sponsoring a group build of any variant of the type.

www.facebook.com/groups/1771683553140306...nk/1790743301234331/

I've always had the intention of building a static model of all the aircraft I've flown, so the Harrier seemed a good place to start. I'm doing two, the first is a Hasegowa GR5 in the colours of the jet I got two world records in in 1989 - and they still stand, BTW!

The model in the box:



Current progress (some filling required around the wing join!)



and the full-size:



The second build is a Kinetic T4 that'll be finished as the Nightbird research aircraft I flew on night V/STOL and FLIR/NVG research at Farnborough in 1987/8.

The model in the box:



and the current state:



and finally, the full size version in flight:



I built plastic models as a kid, but this is my first serious build for some 45 years ..... there's a lot changed in the meantime!

I'll post here from time to time, but the main build will be on the Facebook site.

Tried the link Andy but it's not available, only to an audience I'm not in ?

THE BLACKBIRD wrote: Tried the link Andy but it's not available, only to an audience I'm not in ?

Apols BB, I suspect you have to be a Facebook member to access it. I'll post a bit more here then!

Out of curiosity, what are the world records?

Ditto for me too,

Here's another stab at the link to the Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/groups/1771683553140306/?fref=nf

The records are for time to climb in V/STOL aircraft. From a VTO, acceleration and pull-up, I got to 3000m (about 10,000ft) in 36.38 secs and to 3000m (about 30,000ft) in 81 secs. The event was reported in flight:

www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1989/1989%20-%202615.html

My own story of the world record flights forms a chapter in the book Harrier Boys Volume Two. Proceeds from the sales go to a good cause...

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y3HFTMB/ref=dp-ki...encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The link works andy, but you have to have a Facebook account or join to view, you say your documenting it on Facebook, is that for any particular reason?apart from the aniversary I don't use Facebook so won't be able to see it.

Look forward to seeing more ....

Enjoyed the link to Flight Global. Great shot of of you next to the GR5 ...I assume you will modifying the pilot to have a similar grin

Boz - I joined the Facebook group build purely to support the initiative. The group build was started to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harrier's first flight on 28th December 1967. I've always had a soft spot for the aircraft and I have some 20 odd plastic kits of the various marks and models in my stash. It was a good catalyst to get some of them built. Assuming there's interest here, I'll fully document the build on the Forum as well as on Facebook.

Squirrelnet - thanks for the kind words, but the world records were only half the story behind the grin. I'd left the RAF only a few months earlier and as well as the Harrier success, within the previous month, I'd gained a Commercial pilot's license, qualified on the BAC 1-11, had a substantial pay rise and flown a Spitfire (the Rolls-Royce Mk 14) for the first time. I enjoyed my time with R-R, but the job kinda went downhill from there...

Hi Andy ! I joined the group and ordered the book. I look forward to the build. From a former Pilot and T/P for the aircraft we should see great things. Go man Go as they used to say