The recent release of Airfix's 1/72 Sea Harrier FRS.1 kit has many modelers excited, as finding the old but highly preferred ESCI kits can be challenging. While the Airfix kit is decent out of the box, they have chosen to simplify things in order to keep the price down. As such, there is ample room for improvement, and Pavla has stepped up with several detail sets aimed at improving some of the simpler kit details.
C72092 Sea Harrier FRS.1 for Airfix kit
The logical place for an aftermarket resin update is the cockpit, and this set provides just that. Pavla has provided a detailed cockpit tub that is molded in one piece, complete with rear bulkhead. This has quite a bit of detail molded in place, so be ready with your fine paint brushes. Adding to this is the instrument panel and hood, similarly detailed, and separate sidewall inserts. The set is capped off with a very nice ejection seat. Unlike most other Pavla cockpit sets, this one does not include a vacuformed canopy, but that is not a big loss as the Airfix canopy is pretty decent out of the box. Overall, this is a simple yet highly detailed update that will greatly improve the look of the Airfix kit.
U72117 Harrer, Sea Harrier 30mm Gun Pod for Airfix/Italeri kits
A direct replacement for kit pieces, these one-piece gun pods are a huge improvement over the injection molded parts. While clearly aimed at the Airfix Sea Harrier kit, these could just as easily be used on any Harrier kit, including the Italeri and Hasegawa kits.
U72118 Sea Harrier FRS.1 Intake & Exhaust Nozzles for Airfix kit
A feature of Harriers that is not often depicted in kits is the blow-in doors on the air intakes. These provide additional air for the engine when forward speed is low. When the plane is on the ground, the upper doors fall open from gravity, while the lower ones are closed. This set provides that effect, along with new exhaust nozzles that feature thin vanes and accurate shapes.
U72119 Sea Harrier FRS.1 Control Surfaces for Airfix kit
The final update set for the Airfix Sea Harrier takes the form of control surfaces. These are markedly thinner than the kit parts, and provide a more accurate representation of these flying surfaces. The set includes the stabilizers and vertical fin, as well as a separate rudder and wing control surfaces. These will be a great addition for those who want to display their model with the control surfaces drooped.
All of these sets provide different levels of detail for the modeler, and one can choose to use them singly or all together to create a highly detailed model. Our thanks to Pavla Models for the review samples.