Quick Build Harrier

QUICK BUILD Harrier — Airfix

A kit of the British Harrier combat aircraft from the QUICK BUILD range by Airfix. The parts are colored and go together with a snap, like building blocks, so the model is built with no glue and no paints. The box holds stickers and a stand. The QUICK BUILD range is the easiest level of difficulty in the manufacturer's range and is intended for children and beginners.

The real subject

The Harrier was a British combat aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. Its powerplant did not direct the thrust to the rear, but into four rotating nozzles on the sides of the fuselage, so the aircraft could take off from the spot or from a short strip. Thanks to that it did not need a runway and could be operated from forest clearings, from the deck of small aircraft carriers or from improvised sites. It was precisely with carrier-borne Harriers that the Royal Navy managed in the Falklands War.

Building tips

Cut the parts off the connectors with nippers or a blade and sand back the remains of the gates so that the parts seat tightly. No painting is needed, but the model can be painted; in that case paint before joining the parts and bear in mind that paint increases the play in the snap-together joints. Place the stickers onto a clean and degreased surface and press them from the center toward the edges so that no air is trapped under them.

Who the model is for

• Children and beginners, as neither glue nor paints are needed
• Enthusiasts of British aviation and vertical takeoff aircraft
• A purchase as a gift, as the model is finished in one evening
• Collectors who want a finished model on a stand

The model is supplied unassembled. Paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. No glue is needed for assembly.