[flyXwire]

I acquired this FM AV-8B 'Night Attack' Harrier II a few days ago and I was quite blown away and a bit surprised to notice how nice (not perfect but nice)

this bird really looked up close in the metal. FM, in my opinion, really captured the unique shape and design of this bird down to it's last details,

suffice to say I won't bore you with all those details too many to mention. Just study and gaze at the photos I attached for your viewing pleasure.

The only minor detail that was left out is the "Yaw Vane" thingy that is located just a few inches to the front windshield. I've studied every nook

and cranny using the only references I have at my disposal, and I have to give credit to FM for doing a decent job of designing the mold for this

diecast. Even the most complex curves, cuts, humps and bumps of the airframe is right there for me to compare with the 'walk-around' photos

of the real bird. Just a minor quibble for me but I can see that Elmer might have an issue with it, is that both port and starboard intake scoops

( with the huge 'boundary layer bleed air ducts') reveals only a flat plate inside without the 'engine compressor fanblades' face mold that should

obviously been molded and added. Sorry for that bad news, Elmer! The diecast includes 4 weapons stores pylons with the complimentary loadouts

I assume for it's defined role/mission only. Maybe our resident weapons systems expert could shed more light on it's proper armament package? Well, I

think I've rambled long enough on this matter. I will say this though - that I am very glad that FM has given us a vital military jet aircraft to add to

the collection, well at least for those of us who collect jet aircraft anyway.

HARRIER AV-8B - U.S. NAVY "NIGHT ATTACK" - VX5 "VAMPIRES"

- NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION, CHINA LAKE, CA. - NIGHT ATTACK SYSTEMS DEMONSTRATION, MARCH 1, 1988

VX-5 'Vampires' background:

VX-5 are one of the three test and evaluation squadrons within the Navy, this unit's particular specialty being the operational

development of strike aircraft, and the weapons and tactics adopted in association with these frontline types by the fleet. With such

a broad brief, the 'Vampires' have been in the envious position of trialling all the Navy and Marine service types prior to them being

cleared for operational use. Formed on 18 June 1957, VX-5 was heavily involved in weapons clearance work for the Harrier II 4 decades

later as the aircraft was prepared for its combat debut over in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. With the introduction of updated

versions of the airframe met the rigorous fleet-level requirements. Similarly, new weapons and external avionics had to be exhaustively

tested and cleared for service use.

'Ghost' camo in Operation Desert Storm:

For many years the standard colours worn by Harrier IIs, the now rarely seen grey/green 'jungle' scheme has been widely

replaced by a variety of different ghost grey shades which seem to vary from squadron to squadron. Deployment to the Gulf for parti-

cipation in Desert Storm sounded the death-knell for the older scheme, as several of the squadrons called up for duty in the Gulf

unofficially took it upon themselves to respray their jets in a combination of colours which best rendered them 'invisible' in the hazy

skies of the Middle East. McDonnell Douglas soon added an air of permanency to the predominance of 'ghostly' AV-8Bs when it

began delivering brand new Night Attack Harrier IIs in a solid grey shade, which they claimed reduced the aircraft's infrared signature.