This is the old Monogram kit, enhanced with Edward photo etch set, kit decals used, painted with MM Acrylics.

The kit it self is not a shake and bake super kit; it requires lots of cutting, filling, sanding, and attention to detail to complete. But it results in a very nice little model at the end. The Edward PE set as usual was superb and really brought out details that otherwise were lost in the plastic. This kit has raised panel lines which I dare not re-scribe, thus for weathering I tried a new technique which worked very well. I mixed a drop or 2 of Future with a very fine dust which I got at the local model shop, then brushed it on the areas I wanted to weather. When dry I used a rag with some Windex sprayed on it and removed the excess Future mix. Result is a nice dirty look, which is not exaggerated but looks the part.

The paint scheme is more of a what-if, since VMA 331 flew their AV-8B’s with a wrap around grey-green scheme as per references I got. But I used the more modern air superiority 3 tone grey, used by the Marines now. The decals are for #05 attached to VMA 331 when they were called the Bumblebees, and they had just phased to the Harrier II from the older AV-8A.

The antennas and weather vane are scratch built. Detail painting was done using a very fine brush. I also opened the front landing gear’s doors to show the super detail that Monogram put in there but modeled to show closed. I had quite a bit of fun with this one and was a change of pace after 2 MiG’s. Next I will be working on 3 more Monogram Harriers which will be decorated with my Super Scale decal set. References were a ton of pictures in the Net, lots more postings on ARC and a book called Post War Aircraft by Osprey, manual #12. Thank you for watching and visit my webpage at Geocities for more products from MiG Alley Productions, AKA my modeling desk.

http://www.geocities.com/sadesa/El_Sharko.html