1/48 Royal Navy BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1

This is a plastic model kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted. So glue, model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required.

The set contains: 284 parts in grey plastic and 16 parts in clear; markings for 57 Royal Navy aircraft plus 32 from Indian NAS.

The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval short take-off and vertical-landing/vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS.1 and became informally known as the "Shar".

Unusual in an era in which most naval and land-based air superiority fighters were large and supersonic, the principal role of the subsonic Sea Harrier was to provide air defence of the fleet from Royal Navy aircraft carriers.

The Sea Harrier served in the Falklands War, both of the Gulf Wars, and the Balkans conflicts; on all occasions it mainly operated from aircraft carriers positioned within the conflict zone. Its usage in the Falklands War was its most high profile and important success, where it was the only fixed-wing fighter available to protect the British Task Force. The Sea Harriers shot down 20 enemy aircraft during the conflict with one lost to enemy ground fire. They were also used to launch ground attacks in the same manner as the Harriers operated by the Royal Air Force.

The Sea Harrier was marketed for sales abroad, but by 1983 India was the only operator other than Britain after sales to Argentina and Australia were unsuccessful. A second, updated version for the Royal Navy was made in 1993 as the Sea Harrier FA2, improving its air to air abilities and weapons compatibilities, along with a more powerful engine; this version continued manufacture until 1998.

The aircraft was withdrawn early from Royal Navy service in March 2006 and replaced in the short term by the Harrier GR9, now itself retired, although the intended long term replacement is Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II.

The Sea Harrier is in active use in the Indian Navy, although it will eventually be replaced by the Mikoyan MiG-29K. Although withdrawn from active Royal Navy service, Sea Harriers are used to train naval aircraft handlers at the Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations.

Markings:

Decals are designed by Crossdelta and luxuriously printed by Cartograf.

The model may be finished in any of the operational schemes - Extra Dark Sea Grey and White, overall Extra Dark Sea Grey, overall Dark Sea Grey and overall Medium Sea Grey.

The main camouflage variations are noted below, but thanks to the inclusion of a number jungle in various colours and sizes plus individual serial numbers, markings for all 57 Royal Navy aircraft plus 32 from the Indian NAS are actually included on the decal sheet.

Sea Harrier FRS.1s of 800 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton and deployed on HMS Hermes, 1981 to March 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1s of 801 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton and deployed on HMS Invincible, 1981 to March 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1s of 899 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton, 1981 to March 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1s of HMS Hermes' Air Group, "Operation Corporate" - The Falklands/Malvinas War, Apr-Jun 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1s of HMS Invincible Air Group, "Operation Corporate" - The Falklands/Malvinas War, Apr-Jun 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of 809 NAS on establishment / en route to the South Atlantic for "Operation Corporate", late Apr/mid May 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of ex-809 NAS as part of HMS Hermes' Air Group, "Operation Corporate", late May/mid Jun 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of ex-809 NAS as part of HMS Invincible Air Group, "Operation Corporate", late May/mid Jun 1982.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of 800 Naval Air Squadron, "Exercise Arctic Express", HMS Hermes, 1983.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of 801 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Invincible, 1983.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of 899 Naval Air Squadron, RNAS Yeovilton, 1988.

Sea Harrier FRS.1 of 809 NAS deployed to the South Atlantic with 809 NAS on board HMS Illustrious, 1982

Sea Harrier FRS.51s of 300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, 1983

Sea Harrier FRS.51s of 300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, 2005