REVIEW OF THE 1/18 scale Harrier AV-8B

[scbvideoboy]

whoever is making the moulds didn't want to do that.

Last time I checked, whoever is PAYING for the moulds should GET what they want! Can we not really make this stuff here in the USA?? I've had a phone conversation with a recumbent bike manufacturer who absolutely HATES dealing with the overs seas vendors making his stuff and looking to set up small USA shops to assemble his products.

[dannyc]

Go my Harrier this afternoon

Still working on assembling and figuring everything out with it. Lots of moving parts and neat functions. It has a few very minor QC errors but is in otherwise great shape. No spots Is there supposed to be a little plastic piece on the landing light on the main gear? Otherwise, its really a fantastic model.

Talking with the employee I've known for years at my local Hobby Town store (who does model work and consulting for Merit, Air Force 1, and at one time 21c and who also is friends with the president of Merit) he noted that Merit chose the Harrier among other items given that it was a mid-sized jet with some popular appeal. I must say I rather like the tiny size of the jet. I can fit it into certain display areas where any of my other jets (F-104, F-18, F-16, F-14) can't fit and its easy to carry and move about.

My acquaintance also noted that we should be seeing the FW-190 near the end of this year and that it took so long due to a dispute between Merit and the company manufacturing the plane over the tooling. Apparently Merit wanted the tooling done in a way that would allow for different variations of the FW-190A (i.e. the A-5, A-8, etc) that have different bulges on the cowling and whoever is making the moulds didn't want to do that.

Overall, if you are considering getting the Merit/JSI Harrier - and have the cash to do so - its well worth the purchase. I think it should have cost $50-$75 less, but its still a good model.

TMAN Can you pass word that i know many people who are interested in an f4 phantom in all variations i even discussed it with one of the assistant commandants of the marine corps who was in my fathers squadron and even he said he would love to see one

[Coreyeagle48]

Aviatornut:

Can you please post how you got the canopy off without ruining it? I want to definitely put a pilot in my Harrier but do not want to ruin the jet by messing up the canopy trying to get it off. I know plastic parts can crack if they are pried or forced.

Thanks

Corey

[Axis Nightmare]

whoever is making the moulds didn't want to do that.

Can we not really make this stuff here in the USA?? I've had a phone conversation with a recumbent bike manufacturer who absolutely HATES dealing with the overs seas vendors making his stuff and looking to set up small USA shops to assemble his products.

Sure, it can be made here....if you want to pay WAY more for it.

It is amazing how Mattel can manufacture toys and then pay to ship them to Mexico to be "assembled" and then returned to the U.S. and obviously do it cheaper than just having the work done here. But then if people who flip burgers in the U.S. think they should make more an hour than highly trained combat soldiers, I guess the answer is obvious.

[thatboss302guy]

I am looking forward to mine as well, glad to see positive criticism instead of badgering this go around, want to keep 1/18 scale alive after all! I agree in turn that no scale model plane is perfect, but at least they are trying, NO SPOTS!!!!!

[thatboss302guy]

But, also after doing research of this scheme, the colors are incorrect if you look on airliners.com by typing in VMA-211 you will find that the 02 harrier has been a few different schemes but not this actual scheme, the light to medium grey, with white markings is incorrect. Now there is a darker color grey version with white markings, a two tone version as well with dark grey markings and a light to medium grey version with dark grey markings as well. But after searching for this scheme for the VMA-211 02 harrier, I can not find this scheme, so I am wondering for the price, does this scheme actually exists for the plane? But as I said overall, I think the plane looks amazing, but its not perfect! I am hoping they do a kit as well, plenty of schemes!

[Aviatornut.com]

Aviatornut:

Can you please post how you got the canopy off without ruining it? I want to definitely put a pilot in my Harrier but do not want to ruin the jet by messing up the canopy trying to get it off. I know plastic parts can crack if they are pried or forced.

Thanks

Corey

I simply pulled up while slightly pulling the bottom edge of cockpit to the sides. the cockpit is not glued very well (at least mine was not) and I believe it was for it to be removed by the end user. just use light pressure and go slow.

[Black_Dragon_One]

Aviatornut:

Can you please post how you got the canopy off without ruining it? I want to definitely put a pilot in my Harrier but do not want to ruin the jet by messing up the canopy trying to get it off. I know plastic parts can crack if they are pried or forced.

Thanks

Corey

I simply pulled up while slightly pulling the bottom edge of cockpit to the sides. the cockpit is not glued very well (at least mine was not) and I believe it was for it to be removed by the end user. just use light pressure and go slow.

Thank you love this bird just get more

[tmanthegreat]

I simply pulled up while slightly pulling the bottom edge of cockpit to the sides. the cockpit is not glued very well (at least mine was not) and I believe it was for it to be removed by the end user. just use light pressure and go slow.

I wound up doing pretty much what it seems Aviatornut has suggested, save that you still need to be very, very careful removing the canopy... I started towards the rear where there is little to no glue and gradually worked forward using a small flat-head screwdriver. I would apply a little pressure to the left side then move over to the right. Eventually after a few tense minutes, the canopy popped off. That was, however, my second attempt on a second aircraft...

The first plane I bought on Friday (see post above) was damaged when I attempted to remove the canopy that evening. It was not exactly lightly glued on my example and I moved too quickly and wound up cracking the canopy near the forward section, on the lower left side. Its not too noticable, but was enough for me to want to get a second pristine example...

The canopy glass is thin, so beware and use great caution when making this modification. I expect each different model has a different amount of glue, so what may have been easier for Aviatornut may not be as easy for another person.

Also, its a very tight fit for the figure. I had a couple spare BBI F-18 pilots from when they were sold individually a couple years ago, it would not go into the cockpit as the complete figure. I softened the plastic in hot water and removed the lower part of the legs and boots. The pilot then fit, but barely. There was not enough room to squeeze the complete figure's legs in under the instrument panel. I'm not too bugged about this as I have a couple other planes where the pilot's legs have been removed to ensure a proper fit.

[Black_Dragon_One]

Pic pic pic pls

[A-10LOADER]

I'm sorry but for $250.00 - 300.00 price tag the pilot should fit ..... all of the pilot ! This is BS. It's bad enough they already come with no pilots.
It's like the people making these a/c are not listening and they act surprised when their sales aren't what they expect.
Sorry but,no excuse for this type of screwup IMO.


Steve

[Aviatornut.com]

Quick note on the Bubble Canopy. I had a long talk with Merit about it and this is the first time that a true bubble canopy has been made. Merit said that they were not able to make a fish bowl type canopy until this new company in china was able to figure out a way. Tony also said that it was the Chinese factory that did the glue and Merit did not want it done this way. Seems to me from my conversation that the Chinese manufacturer is the one that flipped the bill and had say in how it was built and Merit was the one with a guarantee purchase. I have a feeling that China is going to have more say on how they want product done because no USA company is willing to pay for the production and design.

[tmanthegreat]

Quick note on the Bubble Canopy. I had a long talk with Merit about it and this is the first time that a true bubble canopy has been made. Merit said that they were not able to make a fish bowl type canopy until this new company in china was able to figure out a way. Tony also said that it was the Chinese factory that did the glue and Merit did not want it done this way. Seems to me from my conversation that the Chinese manufacturer is the one that flipped the bill and had say in how it was built and Merit was the one with a guarantee purchase. I have a feeling that China is going to have more say on how they want product done because no USA company is willing to pay for the production and design.

I've heard from a reliable source that the delay in the Merit FW-190 was precisely due to this issue: designer vision vs. Chinese manufacturer. According to what I heard, Merit wanted the model to be able to be converted easily between different variants of the plane, but the Chinese manufacturer didn't want to do that, a dispute arose, and hence the delay in the release of the plane. We should be seeing it by year's end, though

[dannyc]

Quick note on the Bubble Canopy. I had a long talk with Merit about it and this is the first time that a true bubble canopy has been made. Merit said that they were not able to make a fish bowl type canopy until this new company in china was able to figure out a way. Tony also said that it was the Chinese factory that did the glue and Merit did not want it done this way. Seems to me from my conversation that the Chinese manufacturer is the one that flipped the bill and had say in how it was built and Merit was the one with a guarantee purchase. I have a feeling that China is going to have more say on how they want product done because no USA company is willing to pay for the production and design.

I've heard from a reliable source that the delay in the Merit FW-190 was precisely due to this issue: designer vision vs. Chinese manufacturer. According to what I heard, Merit wanted the model to be able to be converted easily between different variants of the plane, but the Chinese manufacturer didn't want to do that, a dispute arose, and hence the delay in the release of the plane. We should be seeing it by year's end, though

so basically the Chinese manufacturers are being greedy

[digger]

Thing looks awesome. I never thought 2015 was possible - looks worth the wait.

[normandy]

This Harrier looks like a very nice model, if I collected modern I'd get one.

Regarding conversations people have had with Merit Representatives, It seems
21st Century went through the same crap Merit is dealing with now.

Quality control is up to the chinese manufacturer / factory?, when thats the case your screwed.
You take what you get or you don't get it at all...Spots on jets, silver fingerprints on Corsairs,
missing parts on US halftracks and the King Tiger held hostage?
Think its time to find new manufacturers in other countries.

[[CAT]CplSlade]

Discussing similar situations over at LargeScalePlanes.com. We just got a new kit of the P39 Airacobra but it has errors just like the last one from several years ago.

I don't think we'll ever get quality items anymore; just mass-production bullshit.

[normandy]

I don't think we'll ever get quality items anymore; just mass-production bullshit.

The only way to get quality is to demand it! If a company is having a product produced and its not up to standard,
get the hell out. Find someone else or some other place to have it made.

I'm not defending 21st but the manufacturer / factory held their property (molds, products) hostage.
It was pay up or we keep it and sell it to someone else....even if is was substandard quality.

And now it seems like 1:18 planes costs as much as if they were made in here. Talk about Bullshit.

To get back on topic, I'm very happy to see the 1:18 Harrier AV-8B and well made at that. I'm looking forward
to the Fw 190 A.
And a thank you to Merit for helping to keep the 1:18 line alive!!!

[NWarty]

Very nice looking model and a bummer about the canopy.

Looking forward to the 190A. It's the only model I've wanted for years.

[pickelhaube]

How does the Harrier's canopy open ?

Slide back or flip up ?

Should I think about working on this problem ?

[Beeavision]

Sounds like a possibility. Gun pods would be nice too.

I will be receiving mine tomorrow. There are other issues with the jet I've discovered but I will try and keep my mouth zipped about those. As they say, "What is seen, cannot be unseen". Over all, I think Merit did a great job on this. Especially with shaping out the bubble canopy.

[NWarty]

Sounds like a possibility. Gun pods would be nice too.

I will be receiving mine tomorrow. There are other issues with the jet I've discovered but I will try and keep my mouth zipped about those. As they say, "What is seen, cannot be unseen". Over all, I think Merit did a great job on this. Especially with the bubble canopy.

Come on Bee, spill the beans dude

[Beeavision]

You'll have to open the can yourself, sorry.

[Beeavision]

Move along now....nothing to see here folks.

[Black_Dragon_One]

How does the Harrier's canopy open ?

Slide back or flip up ?

Should I think about working on this problem ?

I think we need painted maverick