1:48 McDonnell-Douglas AV-8A Harrier early

The real subject

The AV-8A Harrier is the American version of the Harrier, an aircraft able to take off and land vertically, which served with the United States Marine Corps. Being able to do without a long concrete runway made it a machine for forward sites and for the decks of amphibious ships. The word early in the designation points to the aircraft's earlier form, as it looked before the later changes made during service. For the modeler the Harrier is rewarding for how densely it is packed: large air intakes, swiveling nozzles on the sides of the fuselage and outrigger wheels at the wingtips give the silhouette an unmistakable shape.

What the photo-etched set adds

Photo-etch is a thin metal fret with a relief etched into it. The parts are released from it, folded to shape and glued onto the model, so that features in scale thickness appear on it that cannot be made from plastic: grilles, covers, instrument panels, seat belts, grab handles and small fittings. Which scope this set covers and which kit it is cut for is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting tips

Separate the parts by cutting with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by breaking them out between your fingers, or the thin metal twists and is hard to straighten. Make the fold over the edge of a bending tool or between two blades, so that it is sharp along its whole length. They are glued with cyanoacrylate applied on the tip of a toothpick; polystyrene cement will not join metal. Whether the parts come printed in color or are waiting to be sprayed is given in the instructions; in the second case degrease the metal first and use a primer, otherwise the finish will rub off during further handling.

Terms of supply

An etched fret is supplied. The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.