1:48 Sea Harrier FRS.1

What the set is for

The photo-etched parts fill out the model of the Sea Harrier FRS.1 in 1:48 scale with details that cannot be done in plastic. Etching produces thin metal faces with crisp edges and fine relief, so they suit everywhere a part is meant to be genuinely thin to scale. What the set covers and which kit it is cut for is given in the manufacturer's instructions; check that against the kit you are building, because the parts are shaped to fit particular parts.

The real subject

The Sea Harrier FRS.1 was a carrier-based combat aircraft of the Royal Navy, derived from the machine with vertical takeoff and landing. With nozzles swiveled in flight it did without a long runway and could operate from small aircraft carriers. It made its name in the Falklands War of 1982, and its squat shape with the tall canopy is recognizable at a glance.

How to work with the parts

Separate the part with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by breaking it off; thin metal twists under torsion and is then hard to straighten. Make the bends over a sharp edge or in a bending tool in one movement. Glue with super glue, as modeling cement for plastic will not join metal, and lay it on in the smallest amount with the tip of a wire.

• Pick the parts up with tweezers, not with your fingers.
• Before painting, wash the metal, degrease it and pull a primer over it.
• Sand away the raised detail under the part as needed, so that the face seats.
• Split the work up; photo-etch is glued on step by step and not all at once.

Terms of supply

A kit, paints and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.