Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

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granch
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Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:45 am

I've got for Christmas the Harrier. Very impressive piece. Sadly, no openable canopy, so I tried it. Not such a good idea, it is strongly cemented to the fuselage, so I had some small cutter issues. Then, trying to seat a pilot in place: not possible! Even with removed legs, his torso is in the front panel and the pilot seats too high for the head-up visor. So, I removed the ejection seat and tried to make it smaller (+ add a back part). Cut a slice under the seat and an oblique one at the rear, removed the seat and rear cushions (replaced with a green, thinner piece of foam). Just to gain some millimeters, but... OK, I wasn't skilled in geometry as a student. So no change... I then removed the rear cockpit panel, tried to place it differently. Again a problem: when I rectified the oblique angle to put it more straight, I had a longer space between the back of the seat, OK, but in the same time, the ejection seat is higher in the cockpit... It should have been an evidence before I started. There is an oblique panel in the back of the cockpit, that covers the front wheel, so nothing to do. I choosed a compromise, as you'll see on the pics. Finally, the pilot seats about 3/8" too high and 3/8" too forward, but I'll keep it like that. I can put it in and out with no difficulty. For the canopy, I used some small brass rails that had to be curved in 2 dimensions, not so easy. But the canopy snap into it well (closed position) and squeeze gently the outboard faces of the rails in opened position, the rear of the canopy caught between the 2 small air intakes. Breefly said, it holds well in both position.
By the way, I think that Merit did'nt intended to make the Harrier in a flying state. The flaps don't go more than 10 degrees down, the engine exhausts can't be turned down to a vertical position and the small wing wheels can't be really lifted in a closed position (no moveable doors, wheels too backward in an up position) and the cockpit problem... When I'll find a 2nd pilot figure at reasonnable price, I will cut slices in its bottom to make it smaller when seating. Would be glad to know how other (more skilled) customers solved these problems.
But, as other board member noticed, 3 of the 4 undercarriage wheels have a real, moveable shock absorber and the horizontal stabilizer can pivot to a start and landing position, that's really fine.

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tmanthegreat
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by tmanthegreat » Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:33 am

That's a lot of work there, granch!

In a way, it's unfortunate that we have to put in so much work from removing the canopy to fixing the wing gap to getting a pilot to fit on a model this fancy and expensive... I was able to get a pilot to fit (more or less) by removing the lower legs and soaking it in hot water to soften the plastic and then cramming it in. Unlike the Dauntless or the F-14, a pilot figure was obviously not a consideration with the Harrier.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

granch
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Wed Jan 13, 2016 4:30 pm

Well, with my custom, the pilot gets in and out of the cockpit with no problem. Doesn't need the hot water soaking. As you, I had to remove the lower legs, though. Because I don't want to loose them, I found a place near the engine (thanks to Merit for the upper trap doors) :wink:

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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by AV-8B Driver » Mon Feb 22, 2016 2:53 pm

Definitely built on the cheap. It has a few mistakes in the design / markings / panels and limited function of some moveable control mechanisms. They missed upgrades to the design that would have been in operation at the time of service indicated by the panels / markings. I imagine this was due to licensing costs.
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granch
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Sun Mar 06, 2016 7:09 am

I'll try with a PTE pilot, it seems that it could be smaller when sitting if a generous slice is cut into it's botom...

granch
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Tue Mar 08, 2016 7:13 am

Tried with a PTE pilot: well, it works (without the lower legs), but the quality of this figure is so far away from the BBI one that it lowers considerably the look of the Harrier. Or it would need so much custom work for which I don't have the skill, so...

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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by nick » Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:40 pm

I too have bought this awesome model and have a pilot to put in it.

Can you tell me how you managed to remove the canopy without damaging it ?

My whole project for the photo shoot of this model has come to a halt until I can figure it out ! Very frustrating!

Here's hoping you can help.

tmanthegreat
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by tmanthegreat » Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:35 am

The best thing you can do to remove the canopy is to use an exacto knife or small flathead screw driver, insert it into the gap between the canopy and fuselage and start to carefully - very carefully - loosen it. You will want to find some way to pad the knife as well so you don't scratch the paint, especially around the intakes.

There is not a uniform standard of gluing done on the canopy. Some have less glue than others so your canopy could come off easily or be more difficult. With my first Harrier, the canopy was glued securely and I cracked it trying to pry it off. Frustrated I went and bought another Harrier immediately - the canopy came off that one much more easily. (I later sold my first Harrier on eBay).
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by nick » Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:05 pm

Thank you for the advice I will have a go and see what happens.

Nice and carefully!

granch
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Thu Aug 25, 2016 3:21 pm

Hey Guys,
I found this figure on eBay:
http://www.ebay.ch/itm/BBI-Elite-Force- ... SwnFZXVYXU
As you can see, it is to sell as a Halo Paratrooper. But looking at it carefully, it has an anti-G pants, a pilot helmet and mask and it is cheaper than the genuine BBI F-16 or F/A-18 pilot.
So, I bought one, cut slices in its bottom and belt to make it smaller, cut part of the legs, repainted it.
So, it fits better in my AV-8B with modified ejection seat. Still a bit too forward in the cockpit and still to high regarding the visor though, but 5 mm lower sitting in the cockpit looks finer.
The biggest problem was to bring the arms into the cockpit, under the lower side of the windshield, as this figure have very few articulation points (elbow and wrist are not articulated). For information, the chest is a hollow, hard plastic in 2 halfes screwed together in the back, like PTE figures, head, helmet and mask is in one piece.

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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by tmanthegreat » Thu Aug 25, 2016 9:05 pm

Actually, I think that was the BBI pilot figure that came with their toy A-10 that was all over Target and then Toys R Us stores here in the USA up to earlier this year. That would explain the G-suit and flight helmet. The older BBI Pilot figures were far superior, though!
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

granch
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Re: Merit 1/18 AV-8B Pilot?

Post by granch » Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:52 pm

I agree, tmanthegreat, the genuine F-16 and F/A-18 pilot are much better. But I couldn't decide to cut slices in the botom and belt of the original BBI pilots. So, less regret for making the same operation on a cheaper figure. I think that the result is very far from perfection, but it makes anough illusion and even more when the canopy is closed and the plane is hanging under my ceiling. OK, I could have painted it better and I should have added seat belts.
Would be interested to see how other collectors have brought a pilot in this bird.
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