Icelandic Fine Art

A request was made to not include the wiper blade and motor housing for the Harrier windscreen so as to make it easy for the modeller to mask the framework. I understand this approach but it makes it difficult for the modeller who does not want this sort of thing to scratchbuild their own wiper and housing. And then there is the added problem of adding all this to the windscreen and messing things up! To my mind it is just simpler to include all the detail on the windscreen and leave it to the modeller to decide the best approach. Any comments? Alan

Happy birthday, Alan

IAF-man, The Jaguar GR3 is complete and is waiting in the queue to be moulded and cast. Blackbetty (Karl), will be doing the build when it becomes available in the next few months. Alan

By way of an update, I have redesigned the air intake duct and increased the fan diameter size according to Rolls Royce dimensions and changed the front landing gear bay to a new design without all the intricate detail so that the new one is easier to mould and cast, it was a pain trying to extract the bay from the mould, with the result being next to no mould life left. The end result is that I need to get a working model that is easy for the modeller to build and this seems to be the best route to take. Alan

I have never seen an FRS.1 conversion on the model circuit until yours appeared here. It's a commendable effort on your part, it takes a brave person to turn the Revell kit plus the vacform into a good representation and I rather suspect very few have tried it. My first attempt at making a set of masters turned out to be very good but it was the moulding technology that was the limiting factor and of course the actual master fractured and broke when I released it from the moulds, the result of which left me in a bind as I had to rebuild the master. And because of where the air intake pillars join the main fuselage it creates a weak spot causing breakages upon release; I have since solved the problem. Once I polish the rebuilt airframe I will be able to mould and cast a new set of FRS.1s. Designing and making the Harriers was a steep learning curve and since I first took on the project, new advancements in polymer resin technologies have been made, with the new polymers being very strong and flexible. The landing gear will be made in very strong metal although the masters are 3d printed. The plan moving forward is that I have allocated some modellers on this site to do builds of both the Harrier FRS.1 and GR3 so that modellers' can see how the actual model looks, this is the best way forward, I think. Alan

Chek, I do have some spare 3d printed fan parts for the Harrier series, of course, I would have to locate them but you could have the part at no cost. Alan

Hello All, I have restarted development on the Harriers and I am on target for August 2025 and there will be a long backlog to clear, so things will move slow as would be expected. Firstly, let me explain; I became homeless and lost all my possessions and was in financial ruin, that was then, this is now. I have made a large investment to get the show back on the road again and in the process reassessed the 'Harriers' saga. I felt that I let down modellers' by defaulting on my promise and now I am back on course to get the Harriers onto the runway. It will take time as I have been meticulously working away in the background. Now there is one point I would like to make and that is the Harrier kits will not include any missiles as they are simply too complex for me to manufacture and trying to do so would only add to further delays. I realise this is a sore point for many but if I am to move forward with the project then this is the price that has to be paid. The other main point refers to the nature of the Harrier kits, THEY ARE GARAGE KITS and as such this is reflected in their agricultural appearance and work required. And as skilled modellers it is expected that you put the effort in or else find another mainstream manufacturer that satisfies your requirements. As always, my kits carry a full refund, should you not be happy, no questions asked. I hope that I have gone some way to relieve the suffering of broken promises and none of my prices have increased despite manufacturer suppliers increasing their prices, which are criminal in many instances. Alan

As things stand, there is a long delay for the Harriers due to technical design problems and the long process of making parts, I have to go back to the drawing board to redesign some dimensional deficiencies. Funding is also in short supply, so there will be further delays as the timeline is delayed further. I have no release date as of yet. My apologies as there are no short term fixes. Alan

A query for the forum, who has a photo hosting service that can post a photo for me of the GR3? Alan

UPDATE: It's a long slog making all the parts for all 3 types; the air intakes had to be redesigned to accept the 3d printed sets as well as the front landing gear bay; some master parts are missing, so I have to design a new set, plus the fact I don't have enough parts due to the global supply shortage in materials and the hot weather prevents any further manufacture of parts as the materials used do not work in hot environments, so the delays are ongoing and hopefully by the end of September things will start moving. Apologies for the delay, part of the problem is that I suffered from skill fade as I haven't done any manufacture for the last two and a half years, so I have had to relearn how to do things again and at my age trying to teach an old codger new tricks is a hard grind. Alan

Thank you sir, if I could make the perfect model aircraft, it would probably take 20 years, so I work on the principle that there are enough good modellers' out there that can address the deficiencies of not being in possession of the perfect model. I have allocated an FRS.1 to you. Alan

Isaac, It is my intention to cover most versions of the Jaguar GR3, T2, A and the French Navy carrier version, they are all different in some way, FSM, has been working on the T2 version, it is only the French Navy version that is significantly different. I don't know much about the Jags, I am a draughtsman, so my understanding is only related to the geometric design of a subject, I use basic analytical mathematics to calculate all the parameters of the design. The Jaguar has an incredibly complex shape and whilst most of the design of the airframe is complete, there's bound to be a few adjustments along the way. Alan

Thierry, Shall do, all 3, great stuff. What are your initial impressions of the 1/32 Wasp? I know this is off topic, it is not my intention to drift from the original topic. Alan

Hello blackbetty, It's great news that you are working on the Buccaneer, I have seen your Pucara, a fantastic build, looking forward to the Buccaneer, I shall be following it all the way. The Jaguar GR3 is about 3 months away from completion but I am not sure about release, just yet. I had to look at a lot of Jaguar aircraft, to work out some of the design problems; it seems there are no good representations of the Jaguar in any scale, manufacturers have been lazy in capturing the contours and lines of the actual aircraft, so it has taken me longer to calculate the geometry but I am getting there. There is an excellent example of a Jaguar GR3 in running condition, which I have been able to inspect and I am also now working with a NASA engineer, Chad Summers of FSM, he is a fantastic engineer and adds a new dimension to the design process. Alan

Hello All, This is my first visit here where the best modellers' hang out. An update, firstly, thanks to all those modellers who have and continue to support my efforts, without your support I would not be around. Secondly, the kits that IFA make, are garage made kits and as such are not mainstream kit standards, however, thy are not as bad as as a lot of modellers would have you believe, the kits simply require a different, more advanced approach and is ideally suited to proficient modellers, who I cater for and despite the disadvantages of garage kits, they can be made to look as good as the skill of modellers allow. It is the modeller that is the artist, who can bring to life such rare subjects and turn them into works of art, I am merely the hammer and chisel man that shapes it up but you, the modellers are the real artisans of your craft. Kitsworld will offer decals for all 3 versions, which includes decals, cockpit decals, instrument panel decals, sidewall decals, seat harnesses details, all of them in 3d printed format, they will even offer canopy masks, all of which can be bought from them, when they become available. So we are moving in the direction modellers have pushed for. Alan