| KIT #: | 9079 |
| PRICE: | $ |
| DECALS: | Three options |
| REVIEWER: | Scott Van Aken |
| NOTES: | Includes sprue of figures |
| HISTORY |
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British military aircraft. It was the first of the Harrier series of aircraft and was developed in the 1960s as the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities and the only truly successful V/STOL design of that era. The Harrier was developed directly from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel prototype aircraft, following the cancellation of a more advanced supersonic aircraft, the Hawker Siddeley P.1154. In the late 1960s, the Harrier GR.1 and GR.3 variants were ordered by the British government for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was exported to the United States as the AV-8A, for use by the US Marine Corps (USMC), in the 1970s.
During the Harrier's service the RAF positioned the bulk of the aircraft in West Germany to defend against a potential invasion of Western Europe by the Warsaw Pact forces; the unique abilities of the Harrier allowed the RAF to disperse their forces away from vulnerable airbases. The USMC used their Harriers primarily for close air support, operating from amphibious assault ships, and, if needed, forward operating bases. Harrier squadrons saw several deployments overseas. The Harrier's ability to operate with minimal ground facilities and very short runways allowed it to be used at locations unavailable to other fixed-wing aircraft. The Harrier received criticism for having a high accident rate and for a time-consuming maintenance process.
| THE KIT |
When ESCI was a going concern, they produced some of the best 1/72 kits available at the time. These were kits with nicely engraved panel lines and they were generally accurate. Like this kit, they had fairly Spartan cockpits with somewhat generic seats and used decals for the instrument panels and side consoles. This Harrier GR.3 boxing has many of the same sprues as their other first generation Harrier kits. The difference is a new forward fuselage, tail, air refuelling probe and British bombs. The kit is also molded in dark green, ostensibly to assist with painting.
The kits also had fairly shallow intakes and exhausts, though that doesn't really apply to the Harrier kit. Holes for the wing pylons are already opened up for you and the nose gear has the wheel molded in place. Same for the outrigger struts. Intakes have all the blow-by doors closed, which is standard for the lower ones, but the uppers should be drooping down when the aircraft is at rest with the engine off.
You are provided with a pair of 25mm guns for the lower fuselage. Conversely, you can install the strakes that were there when the guns were not mounted. Most the the time the guns were not installed. Other options are for the exhaust to be posed down or back, and you have the option of having the speed brake lowered. Finally, a separate windscreen and canopy are provided so the canopy can be posed open. Included with this boxing are a sprue of figures. There are 12 figures in five poses. These are made of a flexible vinyl so will be a bit of a challenge to paint.
Instructions are well done with generic and FS 595 paint
references. Three options are provided, all in dark grey/dark green over medium
grey. They are with 2, 3, and 4 Squadron RAF. One option as shown on the box
cover has a colorful fin. You are provided the yellow part with the other two
shades needing to be painted. One of the other options has a winter camo painted
over the standard shades. Decals are nicely printed, but their viability is in
question due to their age. Fortunately, there are aftermarket if you choose not
to use the kit versions.
| CONCLUSION |
| REFERENCES |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier
December 2022
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