Italeri 1/72 BAe/McD.D. AV-8B/GR.5 Harrier II

ITALERI 1:72 BAE/MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AV-8B/GR.5 HARRIER II
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: John Lacey (rec.models.scale)

Kit Details

72^nd Scale Italeri Harrier II – AV-8B USMC & GR Mk 5 RAF

History

Given my previous review (Esci 1/72 AV-8B), I will not give an aircraft history at this time.

The Kit

Another kit provided by Steve from the UK, Italeri’s kit makes an interesting comparison to my previously reviewed Esci kit. Whilst the instructions not it as both available as a USMC machine and an RAF type, closer inspection reveals that it is an AV-8B first and foremost, albeit with some odd anomalies. Like the Esci kit, it is of an earlier vintage and is predominantly covered in raised panel detail. The cockpit area swaps decals for raised detail for the instrument panel, but without any detail for the much thinner side consoles and the ejection seat is a single piece affair. The engine details are almost identical to the Esci example and once again, gluing the rotating nozzles is recommended. The landing gear is much like the Esci kit, although the undercarriage doors previously moulded onto the gear are separate pieces and both centerline undercarriage bays are shallow wells that are ‘boxed in’. Once again, some work will be required if the modeler chooses to build this kit in a ‘flying’ mode. Neither forward air dam nor rear airbrake are provided as separate parts, being merely raised details on the lower surface of the fuselage. Once again, clear parts consist of two part canopy, nose window and HUD pane. Even though the model is labeled as both a USMC and RAF machine, the nose profile of the GR.5, quite distinct from the American machine isn’t provided as an alternate part.

Options

One legitimate option is the choice of either a production clear ARBS dome or the long probe as fitted to the prototype. Stores are really where the kit fails against the Esci model. The kit is an odd mixture of RAF and USMC components, but fails to replicated either in their entirety. The gun pods look more like those fitted to the earlier GR.1 & 3 rather than those fitted to the GR.5 and look nothing at all like the linked pods fitted to the AV-8B. The deep ventral strakes used as an alternative to the gun pods are provided, however, which is a welcome addition. The supplied drop tanks are of the much smaller pattern once again, fitted to the earlier marques rather than the later machines and, whilst the AAM rails are separate items, the AIM-9s provided are very basic. Noted in the instructions, further options are a choice of SNEB type FFAR pods for the RAF machine and TERs with Mk 82SEs for the USMC version. The TERs are very basic shapes, whilst the Snakeyes, although in two parts per bomb are mere representations of the bomb.

Colour Schemes

Once again, although both services are noted, the instructions only show the USMC machine, more particularly the prototype, so I can only assume that the rear of the box could have possibly portrayed the other machines, the box not present in my example. Once again, vague colours are noted rather than the specifics relating to the USMC scheme.

Decals

Decals weren’t provided in my example, but I note from the instructions that the low voltage ‘slime lights’ are supplied in decal form along with stencils, etc.

Instructions

Again, a long trifold sheet is provided with multi-lingual aircraft history, prototype colour scheme and three construction steps, whilst parts map and five construction steps are provided on the reverse. Photos of the US prototype machine is provided on three occasions throughout the instructions.

Impressions

Given the problems associated with the attempts to provide for both services variants, I tend to think that as the prototype machine, the kit stacks up well, but to attempt a USMC machine will fail due to the stores provided whilst the RAF machine is more obviously unable to be modeled due to the type’s distinctive nose.

Conclusions

Although similar in many ways to the Esci kit, this model fails in many significant areas to provide the modeler with the option to build the aircraft as noted. With this in mind, I recommend it to those who wish to build the prototype or, like me, who have other ‘what if’ projects in mind.

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