Tamiya | No. 61026 | 1:48 | BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1 (WIP)
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/4/9/4/1151494-49836-80-720.jpg)
Not particularly impressed with this old Tamiya kit and I haven't even got to the dreaded exhaust nozzles yet! I fell into the trap others seem to have also. Which is it's a Tamiya kit, therefore it must be good... It isn't.
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/4/9/5/1151495-49836-81-720.jpg)
Testing fit. It's a bit sh@t!
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/4/9/6/1151496-49836-54-720.jpg)
There's a lot of work gone on here just to get them this good (which isn't great!) Whoever came up with this idea of joining them as two halves? I assume it was cheap?
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/4/9/8/1151498-49836-61-720.jpg)
Keeping the engine relatively clean looking. Highlighted a few details.
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/4/9/7/1151497-49836-31-720.jpg)
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/4/9/9/1151499-49836-16-720.jpg)
It's loosely based on the instructions for colour, but with some added copper and red highlights.
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/5/0/0/1151500-49836-77-720.jpg)
You won't see any of this, but just in case.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/5/0/1/1151501-49836-21-720.jpg)
Joined. This bit was ok.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/4/5/2/1496452-49836-44-720.jpg)
They're getting better - it's been a lot of work to get them even this good. Seen here with some Vallejo gloss primer.
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/4/5/3/1496453-49836-87-720.jpg)
All stuck together - engine went in pretty sweet.
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/4/5/4/1496454-49836-74-720.jpg)
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/4/5/5/1496455-49836-69-720.jpg)
Ready for priming.
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/4/5/6/1496456-49836-44-720.jpg)
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/4/5/7/1496457-49836-46-720.jpg)
Primed and being wet & dry smoothed...
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/4/5/8/1496458-49836-57-720.jpg)
Testing fit for pylons. And more general rub downs!
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/8/8/3/1610883-49836-43-720.jpg)
Adding back in some destroyed raised panel line detail. Really not happy with the air intakes, it's like they're from a completely different scale and kit.
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/8/8/4/1610884-49836-41-720.jpg)
OK, so in the end I decided that I couldn't stand the ridiculously poor fitting air intakes, nor the exhaust nozzles. So back to the beginning, I'm rubbing everything down!
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/8/8/5/1610885-49836-49-720.jpg)
I've started on a path of filler/sand, filler/sand and finally a touch more filler/sanding, before some final sanding to get a shape more akin to something smooth.
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/8/8/6/1610886-49836-12-720.jpg)
Tried Revell (two part mix) filler. But it's too thick/heavy for this. I'm gonna go back to the Vallejo acrylic stuff and a lot of heavy primer paint passes in layers over time to build it up.
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/8/8/7/1610887-49836-24-720.jpg)
Getting better, it's long since stopped being accurate but at least it's looking nicer!
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/8/8/8/1610888-49836-68-720.jpg)
So now we have a better shape, I've got to add some of the detail (which is all raised panel line) back in.
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/7/2/2/1663722-49836-76-720.jpg)
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/7/2/3/1663723-49836-86-720.jpg)
This looks a lot worse under a macro lens than it does to the naked eye!
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/7/2/4/1663724-49836-28-720.jpg)
WORK IN PROGRESS. UPDATED: 14/2/23...
Коментарі
34 17 January 2022, 12:08
![](/profiles/img/79561-760-s.jpg)
Blimey Neil, how many projects you got on the go ?, defo watching this one bud !
17 January 2022, 19:06
![](/profiles/img/49836-796-s.jpg)
Hello mate. Er, yeah you're right!... I may have gone a bit build crazy the end of last year 😜
18 January 2022, 13:01
![](/profiles/img/49836-796-s.jpg)
I'm nearing the end of/or have finished multiple projects. So I thought I'd revisit this dodgy old Tamiya kit that I'd started a couple of years ago (and shelved) to see if I could progress it into something halfway decent? Those exhaust nozzles... I mean really what were they thinking!? haha!
22 June 2023, 10:55
![](/profiles/img/110025-775-s.png)
Oh Man! I remember this kit, probably the worst Tamiya kit going. I gave up, still in the box half built. But, looking at your perseverance on the build it's looking good. Sterling work on the engine, cockpit and thrusters. 👍🥸🤟
22 June 2023, 12:45
![](/profiles/img/48987-587-s.jpg)
Yeah I remember as well... I had restarted modelling and everyone was like "get Tamiya, they're amazing, build themself, hardly need glue..." And one day I saw this kit and thought "Oh, tamiya! I'm not really interested in Harriers but for that price I'll treat myself to a self-building-precision-engineered superkit!" - I was in for a disappointment😄 (Now I check with this site before I buy 👍)
Great work with this Neil, you're the true master of vintage models 🙂🤘🏻
22 June 2023, 16:43
![](/profiles/img/49836-796-s.jpg)
Hiya mates 🙂 Thanks both for dropping by. You're both very kind to say such nice things 🙂 I'll try my best to wrestle it into some sorta Harrieresque shape 👍
I 100% agree with you both... I purchased it back in 2019 when I though I'd get back into modelling and (stupidly) assumed that this Tamiya kit would be an easy build - oh dear is all I can politely say! I too have 'parked it' in-between other builds many times, but rest assured in the longer-term It won't beat me! @Daniel - yeah good plan, I was foolish not to.
25 July 2023, 14:18
![](/profiles/img/129970-991-s.jpg)
Great progress! Taking a chair.
Went in exactly the same trap as you, Back into modeling after 30years. Through I did a bargain buying a Tamiya kit for a fraction of the price comparing with the Kinetic kit. The kit is really a lemon but good for practicing your building skills.
Finalized one myself some months ago. The hatch behind the cockpit is a real challenge fixing into position.
21 October 2023, 18:56
![](/profiles/img/49836-796-s.jpg)
Hi J35J 🙂 Thanks mate! And thanks for the tip. Yeah I'm getting there, slowly! I've added some more imagery it's a long hard slog on this one for sure.
5 December 2023, 09:44
![](/profiles/img/49836-796-s.jpg)
Hello Jos 🙂👋 welcome. I apologise in advance as this won't be one of my best! But it will hopefully end up looking more (shaped) like a Sea Harrier than this kit did when it left the factory 👍
5 December 2023, 15:42
![](/profiles/img/129970-991-s.jpg)
The SHAR is coming together in a great way Neil. You will prevail!👍🏻
How did you get the raised panel line back in?
5 December 2023, 19:08
![](/profiles/img/121752-978-s.jpg)
I admire your tenacity! With all the work you did on the intakes and nozzles - this kit is definitely a labor of love. 😀. Can't wait to see you finish it!
J35J, you can restore panel lines using a pair of slightly thicker masking tapes, fill in the middle with puttly and sand it smooth before removing it. I think finescale had a YouTube video on how to do that.
19 December 2023, 06:51