Small Scale Military Headquarters

I remember being able to stand on the beach in front of my grandmother's house and watch Harriers in practice over Sherman Field at Pensacola NAS back in the late 70's.

They still have one on display at the museum. A hurricane took away my grandmother's home several years ago now, and the beach I used to stand on is now a public walkway and what little remained of her old dock that extended out into Bayou Grande was cleared away.

I think this is a pretty awesome next plane for you 1/18 guys. If I ever decide to do 1/32 modern I will definitely include one.

Boy, is it quiet around here or what. Especially, since Thursday night. I guess now we just wait for Jim to make the final announcement even though we clearly know what it will probably be. I tell you this is certainly an event that doesn't happen everyday. Even an F-5 would of been fine with me but a Harrier...now that is whats in my the top 5 list of things worth getting for this scale. I can't wait to see the prototype and the livery they decide to go with for the S1 release. I certainly hope they get the green light on this project.

I want to see the FW-190 as well as the Harrier.

If its accessories holding it up, by all means Jim, tell em' to make it with just the bare bones drop tanks,
And then later release a armament pack, milks us! We're already plugged in at the farm!

normandy wrote:I want to see the FW-190 as well as the Harrier.

Agreed...

The butcher bird

Did Jim say anything about it being an A-5 series or was that just a rumor?

Hopefully a pilot is included as well.

WOW! An AV-8B Harrier.......finally something to come out of hibernation for! Way to go Merit / JSI. Hopefully the final approval for this project is just around the corner.

I honestly never thought the Harrier would ever see the light of day in 1/18 scale, but it makes perfect sense due to its smaller size and the fact that that it is easily recognizable. The AV-8B is truly a unique aircraft and has been a dependable platform for Marine Corps aviation for many years, not to mention the many years the Harrier served with the Royal Navy as well as its proven combat record. Cant wait to add this one to the collection!

BTW Jim, any chance of a VMA-542 Tigers paint scheme? Would love to see the boys from MCAS Cherry Point represented with this release.

-Rob

USCGSARDOG:

I agree with you about about wanting an MCAS Cherry Point Harrier---but as I posted before, I want the Cherry Point Harrier that Arnold Schwarzenegger flew in TRUE LIES from
VMA-223 "Bull Dogs".

Yes, Cherry Point would be a good choice.

Parking spot on shelf on hold..

Oh sweet, JR has pics of the prototype.

A Harrier? That's roughly $200+ I'm saving. Zero interest. Happy for the fellas who've been wanting one. I hope it's a smashing success leading someone to make either the A-10, F-15, F-4, A-6, or Super Hornet

I'm happy to see anything new! A Harrier is a BOLD choice, not one that I ever would have expected. I think the jet is super cool and I will gladly welcome it into the collection. I do worry a bit that the subject is super short of paint scheme options (especially when they have to run with one type for the mold)... Perhaps they will be clever enough to have made adjustments to the molds and assembly process to squeeze out a few variants? I think that for most this will be a 1-2 type purchase... So not really long legs investment in to production wise.

An F-4 really would have been the better choice purely from an options for paint schemes perspective. But hey- I'm not upset about the Harrier at all!

Just an update on Merit's Facebook site. According to Merit the project is currently in T1 (test shot stage 1) status. No working prototype exists as of yet.

I couldn't find that comment on FB Bee so I hope your mistaken. But if you are correct I think this might be the straw which broke the camel's back. I don't know when it became a good idea for a business to taunt it's customers. There is some odd aspect of masochism associated with collecting 1/18 which I'm sure is the product of desperation. I understand wanting to build interest in the product but sheesh. If there isn't a new jet come the end of the year I don't think I have any further desire to follow Merit around like a puppy begging. I love my Dauntless and I've been wanting one of the U.S.S. Hornets, tho the prospect of a 1/200 kit has stopped me from buying one yet. I'm just starting to sour with waiting on confirmation of what it is I'm salivating for, price and release information, paint, etc. To have travelled this road for them to be in the testing phase is unacceptable and all to familiar especially with the memory of the J-11 and F-15 haunting some of us for years now. (not even getting started on the A-10 etc)

That vent being said I'd like to take a minute to thank Jim for the details we do have. I'm sure it isn't your call on what can be revealed and when.

What is a test shot stage 1 status?

Now I may be mistaken but I have a limited marketing education and the example given in class was a concept car. The concept car is most times a work of fantasy but often used to create/test public interest in certain designs/themes. The specific reason it concerns me so much is that this usually entails not having a working prototype, much less the tooling necessary for production. This also implies that a product is at least 2 years down the pipe. Now this may be a very different case in the toy industry but I have a feeling that other stage 1 examples would be the A-10, J-11, and F-15. Although some of those may have been further down the line than stage 1. I hope that my loose understanding is totally mistaken and that my previous statement was just rash and ill informed.

Not certain, of course, but I think it means that the molds are being tested for any corrections that need to be made for the final production. This is to insure there are no short shots, part shrinkage, etc.

Technically speaking, Test shot phase 1, is the first run on the tooling.
This is where they fix any defects before final test shots.

I'd say it would be on schedule for a fall release.

what I don't get about all this is.... the Harrier has been made in several scales and most made in China I presume, how hard can it be for these phuks to scale up any existing mold.?.. I mean WTF.... sorry whiskey rant... or as Jackson goes... lemon rant....just give me the FW190A/F ....TJJ

I agree! FW190!

Thanks for clarifying JR. I am rarely happy to be proven wrong but in this case I'll make an exception.

Well, if this is for sure a AV-8, I don't want it, but I know 100% the focke-wulf is an FW-190A-5, and that one is a for sure buy!