Harrier GR.3

by Piero De Santis

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Here is my latest Harrier. This time it is an RAF Harrier GR.Mk.3 (serial XZ133 code 10) during the Falklands War in 1982.

For that war, the RAF's original intention was to use the Harriers GR.3s as "fighters", armed with air-to-air missiles, anticipating a high ratio of Sea Harrier losses.

Fortunately for the British forces, this did not happen, so the GR.3s went back to their primary role: Close Air Support (CAS).

This particular Harrier GR.3 "XZ133" flew the last LGB mission during the day of the Argentine forces surrender. When the "white flag" was seen waving over Port Stanley, the aircraft was called back to the HMS Hermes carrier, a few minutes before the release of the bombs over an Argentine HQ.

As with the 1/48 scale Harrier GR.3 in my previous article, I used a Monogram’s AV-8A for the fuselage, wings, undercarriage, nozzles, airbrake, cannons pods and pylons. I used the the tail fin, RWR cone, intakes, drop tanks and the front section of the fuselage with the clear parts from an Airfix GR.3 kit.

Furthermore, I decided to use the LRMTS resin nose included in the Missing Link’s conversion set because this piece has a better shape than Airfix’s, and included the transponder bulge.

Some of the GR.3s used during the war were fitted with the “Blue Eric” ECM package in place of the starboard Aden gun pod and the chaff dispensers aft the ventral airbrake. The "XZ133" was one of those.

I loaded the model with a pair of CPU-123B 1000lb laser guided bomb: this came from the Amraam Line resin weapons set.

The cockpit I used is the resin set from Neomega, designed for the Sea Harrier FRS.1: I replace the instrument panel and modified the ejection seat in a Martin Baker Mk.9.

Instrument panel, wing fences, antennas and other small details came from Airvawes’s etched sheet for Harrier GR.3.

The inboard access ladder has been scratch build and added under the starboard intake, because the canopy is placed in the open position.

I rescribed all the panels and engraved some rivets on the model.

All the GR.3s carried the standard RAF matt Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey wrap-around scheme. The squadron markings on the nose were over painted.

I used enamels Humbrol 164 Dark Sea Grey and 163 Dark Green for the entire model. Pre-shading with black enamel was applied and black-ink for the panelling.

There are not so many clear colours pictures for the Harrier GR.3s during the Falklands War, but few of those pictures shows that the main access panels on the aircraft were "roughly" painted with a sealant. This was reproduced on my model using a satin-gloss darker shade of the camouflage colours.

Some FOD blankets were scratch build with plasticard, painted red, and placed inside the engine intakes and on the tail intake with "RBF" tags.

I used the Aztec "All Harriers" decal sheet dedicated to the "metal wing" Harriers, including also the RAF Harrier GR.3s used in the Falklands War. This is a beautiful decal sheet with all the stencils you need.

To be noted is the code in red colour on the tail and in yellow on the outrigger wheels.

Important note: there were many debates about "what's happen to the roundels" over the GR.3's wings during the conflict... Rumours, also from RAF sources, and some books tell the story that those roundels were over painted with Dark Green paint for low-viz reason.

In the end, this is not "officially" proved or confirmed, and the colour pictures shows the roundels still in place. In my opinion, this is not the "absolute truth", because those pictures were taken at the begin of the deployment, and many said that this paint job was done later... but with nothing "clear" on the other side... the six roundels are all in place.

A special thanks goes to all the fellows of the Harrier & JSF SIG, for all the precious information and references provide that can be found on their website: http://harrier.hyperlinx.cz/  .

Happy Modelling!
Piero
 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2004 by Piero De Santis
Page Created 18 February, 2004
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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