1:18 

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews I will subscribe. Your welcome sir. take care

Thank you for your service

That's also a BIG problem with those Hobby Boss model Harriers: The decals. Even if you shellack or paint over them with clear gloss or semi-gloss enamel, over time, exposure to UV light will yellow and "age" them, as well..!! The nice thing about these JSI/Merit 1/18th scale Harrier models, their markings are "tamp-o pad" printed and are largely immune from exposure to sunlight, unless they're left in the hot sun for long periods of time. Then, you're screwed no matter what.

Yes. It helps, along with the strakes. However that is, the speedbrake.

@@christianferrera7771 Yes, you're correct. However, it actually is "BOTH" part of the "air-damming process" as well as functioning as a speed brake. It was designed with that "dual purpose" in mind. So technically, you're both right, but in pointing out "each other's error", technically, you're also both wrong, since it was designed to function as both.

"Still flying but soon to be replaced with the F-35B."(sic) VMA-211 transitioned to the F-35B in May of 2016 becoming VMFA-211.

An F-4 and B-25 would have been awesome. Thank you!

Wait it can vtol while fully loaded? Can F-35 do that tho I've always wondered

@@random-b-i2480 i am more intrigued by its aero dynnamics not by its power to "lift off"

The Harrier can take off vertically, but not when fully loaded; for that, it needs some forward speed and/or a ski-jump. The point is that the STOVL (short take-off, vertical landing) mode of operation was designed to allow the Harrier to carry more and/or fly further that in pure VTOL. BTW, has anyone else noticed that the model is of the radar-equipped varient, the AV-8B+? I worked on the innards of that version when I was at Kingston.

@@tarkas566 . Thanks for that when i said "take off and fly" i did mean lift generated by forward speed. Like a bumble bee it doesnt look very aerodynamic especially fully loaded. To your question, am not that clued up myself

@@random-b-i2480 Fully loaded?? No. It has to do a "short-field" takeoff. The pilot sets his nozzle control to full forward with the nozzle stop set at around 60-degrees or thereabouts. When the Harrier reaches around 85 or 90 kts forward airspeed, he slams the nozzle control aft, where the preset nozzle stop will stop the nozzle lever at that point & the airplane then leaps into the air. The reason for this is first, to reach a takeoff speed as quickly as possible, but then also, to give the wings a chance to bear some of the lifting capabity and, in doing so, take some of the lifting load off of the nozzles. The F-35?? I don't believe so. That plane can lift off vertically with full internal fuel and missiles in the bays, but it can also carry underwing stores on it's pylons, and my understanding is that when that occurs (if a full load-out is occuring), the plane then has to do a short-field takeoff roll similar to that of a Harrier jump jet. My personal opinion on the two planes? I'll take the Harrier anytime...!! Yes, the F-35 has tons of electronic sensors, etc, on it, and yes, it can go supersonic. But it also needs it's afterburner in order to do that, and it cannot stay in burner for any really, long length of time. It also cannot "VIFF" (Vectoring In Forward Flight) in flight, as it's V/TOL landing system (particularly involving the big "hatch" on top of the forward lift fan) can only be used at speeds below 225 kts of forward airspeed. If the pilot tries to activate the V/TOL system above that speed, an on-board computer won't allow the system to activate until the airspeed drops below that point. The F-35 JSF may very be considered a "marvel of electronics engineering", etc, but I still think that the Harrier, for all of its "obsolete faults", ultimately, makes a better airplane; particularly within the realm of area defense and air-to-air combat. I think that a "3rd Generation" Harrier was what we really needed, above that of the F-35. The F-35 was "too much, and yet not enough" in it's conception and it's engineering..!! My opinion.

i got one thats just taking up space in my room. il give it to you for what it cost me

@@samsungh3137 I'm sure I couldn't afford it. A plane that size, even a model, would cost more than the old Joe Storm Eagle.

@Arthur Humphreys i think it came out like at $350 usd

@Arthur Humphreys thats fine im just sayin what i paid for it. i just saw one on ebay for like 418+shipping

I am going to buy that company instead..

Kallen, you have a choice, both in 1/18th scale: (1), The JSI/Merit AV-8B Harrier (two separate paint scheme/"liveries" were available) versions which came in already "pre-assembled" sections - all that was required, was for you to snap or push the sections together. Some delicacy in assembly/handling is required, as landing gear door hinges and some of the hatch hinges, etc, are EXTREMELY delicate, and as a result, the occasional use of the tip of an "X-Acto" type ("razor") knife blade is often required to start parts moving in the proper direction you want them to go. Occasionally, a light coating of a light grease or a tiny drop of oil will greatly facilitate and prevent these parts from sticking. The "paint schemes" are already applied to the exterior sections of these models, as well, negating the requirement for the assemblier to mask, sand, use filler, paint, etc, the parts either before or after installation on the model, which is a very nice touch - hence, the obvious reason for the increased cost for these models. There are ("were") a number of companies that did design and build 1/18th scale "pre-assembled" models; that said, however, only JSI/Merit made the ("pre-assembled") Harrier "Jump Jet" in 1/18th scale; unlike many different WWII, Korean War, & a few different Vietnam-era models, only JSI/Merit did the AV-8B (or, British GR-5/7/9) type of Harrier II model in this scale. (2), Yes, as I've said before, Hobby Boss in China does make a 1/18th scale Harrier "kit", but you have to cut out & trim the pieces, fit & glue them together, paint them & apply the water-slide decals; afterwards, you then have to apply another covering finish to keep the decals from peeling off later on. A LOT of work is required, which is why these Hobby Boss models, while they're fairly nicely made, require a TON of work to assemble (assuming you would want a "museum-quality" model to begin with, and not merely a child's "play-toy"...) & paint - hence, their much lower purchase price - currently, around a low of around "$145" to a high of around "$225", with prices normally seen in the "$165" (+/-) range. Unfortunately, these JSI/Merit, 1/18th scale models are no longer being made - some of the more popular (I e., "desirable") ones, such as the F-14(A) Tomcat fighter/bomber, are going for prices sometimes exceeding $4,000, while $2,000 to $3,000 is usually the normal range found at this time, given the fact that 3 different variations of this model were made before production ceased. As far as the Harrier goes, unless you're willing to settle for the 1/18th scale Hobby Boss kit, current 1/18th scale JSI/Merit Harrier models (again, 2 different versions were made) tend to go for a low of around $500, on up to around $900, with current "middle-of-the-road" prices are usually seen at around $650-$850, for new, "boxed" (not assembled or put together) models as of Nov/Dec, 2021. Good luck with acquiring one. They're not cheap, by any means; that said, however, there were enough made that they do appear (eBay, etc) from time to time on the "secondary market", and, in my humble opinion, even at prices of around $500 to $650 or thereabouts, are still very much worth acquiring. One of these models, hanging from the ceiling or sitting atop a roll-top desk in one's "man-cave" or study, are definite, solid "attention-getters" & conversation pieces. Their quality, relatively-speaking, is high with lots of features and details normally never seen in smaller scale models. Well worth acquiring, I tend to think - whether just one model or a collection of them, JSI/Merit 1/18th scale models are probably the finest detailed and impressive models to be had, for prices that still border on "reasonable"..!! Good luck - I hope this "synopsis" of the topic helps..!! - JY

@@johnyoungs7453 Thank you very much! I don't have any hobbies or anything to spend money on, and as much as I would love to invest in airsoft (F for Canada), it seems like collecting aircraft models would be more fitting for me. The one concern that I did have was the time/effort and the cost. Hearing (or rather seeing) that some come already assembled, brings some ease into my mind but I can see why others would want to assemble it theirselves. I too, would like to have one already assembled and one that I had to do, but I would be too afraid to mess it up or even if it comes to me ordering another one, let alone the price and availability of some. In terms for a beginner, how easy is it to correct a mistake or go back if you messed something up? Is it something like normal Legos that are easy to build and correct or is it like building the Lego Bugatti Chiron/Death Star? Also are there some that are remote controlled?

Kallen, well, the ones that are "remote controlled" would be custom-built models - the 1/18th scale Harrier, for example. Those planes are large enough to put radio-controlled gear (servos, etc) and wiring into, to where you could, as an example, should you decide to hang the model from the ceiling, you could retract and/or extend the landing gear, retract and/or extend the flaps, perhaps even open & close the canopy. I assume you're not talking about flying the model. That's regular R/C stuff, and to get a model to actually fly and to actually have V/STOL capability (vertical/short take off & landing) would be enormously expensive..! I've toyed with the idea of taking one of my JSI/Merit F-14 Tomcat models and convert it to a sort of "radio-controlled" (or hard-wired, so I didn't have to deal with batteries) display model, but when I realized just how much wiring, etc, I'd have to do in order to accomplish all of that, I pretty much gave up on the idea. One of my 1/18th scale F-14's is the more expensive "Black Knights/L.E.D. version", which has cockpit and engine exhaust ("afterburner") lighting as well as wingtip, wing glove, and tail navigation lights - it came with that system already installed as part of the original model itself. It even has "engine spool-up sounds". But, considering the risk of battery leakage and the resulting possible damage to the battery box, I never left the batteries installed. I toyed with the idea of running a 12-volt D.C., 110-v converter (similar to what a model train set might use) up through the fuselage to various things on or in the model, but again, once I looked into it, it became a complicated enough of a project that I decided to scrap the idea as not being practical, although for the right person, it is something that could be done. As far as being able to "correct mistakes", well, to be honest with you, that would depend upon a number of factors, starting with "what did the "mistake" consist of, in the first place. If you're talking about (as an example) gluing a part on incorrectly, well, that would, in all probably, be a very time-consuming thing to correct, as poly-styrene cement works by softening and melting the surfaces of styrene plastic parts, then allowing the partially-melted or dissolved surfaces (chemical melting, not through heat) to re-solidify together again. Once glued, you'd either have to sand down (using a Dremel tool with a sanding wheel) the affected part, and then you're gonna have another major problem. And that is, finding another (presumably, plastic) part to replace the originally-damaged part with. The problem has been for years, that model companies, speaking in general terms, are very reluctant or in most cases, almost impossible to get ahold of in order to order a replacement part. If the company is one based over here in the U.S., you might possibly be in luck. But if it's one of a myriad of companies from overseas, particularly in 99.9% of your Asian countries, forget it. The vast percentage of them with won't, or don't, want to talk to anybody. So you're left with three choices: (1) Try to make the part yourself from wood or some other easily-workable material. (2), Purchase another or similar model (same scale, of course) and use parts off of it - perhaps try an app like eBay & try to find an already-damaged model that has useable parts on it, where the asking price might be relatively inexpensive. That sort of thing happens more often than you might imagine. (3), Try to find someone who has a "3-D printer" and can make you that part out of resin. This sort of thing is happening more and more, almost daily, with more & more people getting into 3-D printing software and the hardware needed to do the job. That's also something you might possibly investigate doing yourself. You could make your own replacement parts while making parts for other people - have a hobby that pays for itself...! Just an idea..! The initial outlay might very well be somewhat steep, but as time goes on, the costs of 3-D printing stuff is only going to go down & down. Well, I don't know if I've helped you or not, in answering any of your questions. I've been building plastic models since I was a small boy and except during a good portion of my aviation career (which ain't over yet..!) overseas in the Navy and with various schools, it's something I've never really left. It's a great way to meet folks like yourself, too..! Cheers...!! - JY

@@KallenVM One thing to also keep in mind, most of the companies that were making "pre-assembled" or "partially-pre-assembled" models have now pretty much gone out of business. Unfortunately, that's the way some of these industries seem to go, nowadays. "Here today, gone tomorrow". JSI/Merit, Universal Soldier, 21st Century Toys, and a few others are all gone now, and their models (1/18th scale stuff) are now no longer produced and are available only on secondary markets like eBay, etc. Hobby Boss in China still makes the 1/18th scale Harrier (one of their models, while not necessarily "cheap", can be used as a direct source of "spare parts" for a 1/18th scale JSI/Merit Harrier, too, ya know..!!) Jump Jet, but it is a "do it yourself, put it completely together yourself" type of model kit...!!

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews question, when you got your Merit 1/18 Dauntless SBD, do you know if they also came with preassembled versions?

Better get one ASAP if you want one - either that, or be satisfied with the Hobby Boss (Chinese made) 1/18th scale Harrier. A lot cheaper, but you still have to cut out, glue, & paint everything just like you would with any smaller-scale plastic model. These JSI/Merit Harriers are already "partially pre-assembled" - you can either snap the parts together or glue them if you want a more permanent build. That's why there's a considerable difference in the price between the JSI/Merit Harrier models & the (same scale) Hobby Boss version. I personally don't have the patience for doing a "quality" build, so I'm leaving the Hobby Boss Harriers alone. Yes, you can, of course, have the Hobby Boss model "professionally built", but then, the price soars into the "several thousand dollar/astronomical" range, and, for transportation purposes, it is still a permanent build. That's the nice thing about the JSI/Merit Harrier - it looks great but it can be "disassembled" for storage or transporting should you wish to do so. My opinion..! - JY

@@StarflightProductions Yes, they are "partially" disassembled in segments, if you will. But the parts snap together easily - the only thing you have to be very careful with is the landing gear doors & some "hatches". Their hinges, etc, can be very fragile so you'll want to use a sharp "X-Acto" knife blade or tip to effect opening these assemblies up.

Get 'em now, ASAP, while you still can. The prices just keep going up. They started out at around $150-$250 when they were first introduced. JSI/Merit came out with two separate versions of the 1/18th scale AV-8B Harrier. One was a two-tone grey bird - the other was grey with a red-colored vertical fin & rudder. Beyond those two aspects of the paint scheme/livery, there's not a lot of difference between the two. But the prices of these (currently on eBay) are now up to $500+ (including $130+ for shipping) and sometimes over $700 or $800; so my personal advice would be, "get 'em while you can afford 'em"...!! The JSI/Merit 1/18th scale F-14(A) Tomcat fighter (3 essentially different versions) which originally sold new from dealers at around $295.00, now are going for over $2,000 on up to $4,000 - depending upon which version you want; and, of course, whether or not they're in "new-in-the-box" ("N.I.B." condition). These models haven't been made in years, and, as such, are only going to further escalate in price. Only the Chinese 1/18th scale Hobby Boss AV-8B Harrier II model is still being manufactured today. Good luck..!

@@StarflightProductions Yes, they're "pre-assembled", not regular "kits" that have to be glued. JSI/Merit model parts will all "snap" together.

Thank you for watching! I appreciate it.

I enjoyed it too

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews You're welcome! I'm surprised the box didn't tell you this was a radar-equipped Harrier II variant.

Si, estoy de acuerdo. Los modelos internacionales de mérito están bien hechos.

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews great collection. I bought a couple for my boys back in 2008 or so and would have bought as many as I could had I known that 21st Century Toys would go out of business and they would become collectibles. I can’t believe how much some of them sell for even in used condition. You definitely have a small fortune sitting there if you ever sell them.

Neptune Cloud: You are technically correct. A "missile" is generally a term used to denote a rocket that was designed specifically for either a short-range duration (your typical "air-to-air" missiles all pretty much fall into that category), or, a rocket that was designed to be used for one flight and then is considered completely expendable. An example of that would be a Posiden ballistic missile fired from a nuclear submarine. The term "Rocket" is generally reserved for referring to deep space flights (as opposed to ICBM's) and manned space flights (using the Shuttle, etc); also, model rocketry clubs use the term "rocket" instead of "missile" to denote "no military or offensive use intended" - these are normally "scale" rocket designs and are not intended for ultra-long duration flights, although modelling clubs are constantly striving to break boundaries and records set all the time.

@@johnyoungs7453 Unguided missiles are typically called rockets

Haha ya.. I used to be pretty aggressive.

Painfully heavy-handed.

No shit..! Ever see "wire damage" to plastic parts (scratches, scuffing, severe wear patterns, parts breakage,, etc.)...?? What a flipping idiot..!!

No, you need to save money

@@pawan1855 what abt save money And enjoy life aswell?

@@tactikoi-airsoft3251 you can survive without this but not without essentials.

@@pawan1855 i mean u can live a gud and enjoyable life if u have a stable income Hell my father has 6 snakes,snakes aren't essentials yet my father still has a ton for essentials and bills "Manage money right and have a limit to ur spending in a hobby u can live happy" thats what he says

También al Perú 👍👍👍

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews hey, would you sell this thing? And the F-104 and F-14? Im realy on the search for Such models, but they arent easy to find in germany. Im especialy after the 104 in the german marine paint, because my Uncle flew one of them. Believe my, im realy desperate to find such good models. If you want to keep them, maybe you could give me a tip where to get them.

@@leander2843 yoo, try to scout some American sites like Ebay or Craigslist you might be lucky there! :)

@@Its_Me_Romano thanks, already tried eBay, some f-104 but none in the german livery. Will try craigslist.

He did the elite force one I watch all of his videos

Rebelsatcloudnine: Adding a home-made "light-kit" on these models is actually relatively simple. It's not like you're converting these models into radio-controlled airplanes - these planes are huge, and, as such, are actually fairly easy to add "wiring harnesses" and l.e.d. "lights" (nav lights, cockpit lights, strobe lights, etc.) along with tiny "switches" and, of course, battery packs to. Another aspect of doing these "custom lighting installations" is the use of a plug-in transformer, much like the plug-in transformers we used to hook up model trains to, for an "unlimited" power source. These models are big enough for you to do that. Run the wire up through a small hole or perhaps through the belly of the main landing gear strut (etc.), and you'll never have to deal with batteries again...!! My opinion.

21st Century toys and "Unlimited Soldier" made a 1/18th scale Blackhawk helicopter. Again, preassembled parts or sections. They're available if you look around for them (eBay, etc).

That Blackhawk helicopter model shows up on eBay quite frequently, actually. You just have to check from time to time. I would just put "1/18 scale Blackhawk helicopter model" in the search box and do that at least once a week. Eventually, one will pop up.

You can find some on Ebay, quite expensive though

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews thanks for reply

JSI/Merit was a Chinese company that made a series of 1/18th scale aircraft. The unique thing about them was the fact that unlike the Hobby Boss plastic kit ("1/18th scale") wherein you must glue all the parts together like all the other plastic kits out there (irregardless of the scale); with the JSI/Merit kits, these are all "partially pre-assembled" - no glue required - they merely "snap" together and most of the difficult items on these kits are all pre-assembled even before you remove them from the box. The JSI/Merit F-14A Tomcat is one that really stands out, but in detail as well as in scale. They originally went for $295 new, from dealers, and most were sold out before the dealers stocked them. Today they go for in excess of $2,000 on up to over $4,000, depending upon condition and the specific version, of which there were three that I'm aware of, anyway. The "Black Knights L.E.D." version being the most expensive of the three. The Harrier cane in two versions - one, a US Marine all-grey version and another version which came with a red colored vertical fin and rudder. Those typically go for $550 on up to around $800-$900 bucks in new-in-the-box condition.

I was looking around and this model costed anywhere from $250-$300. I don’t collect these things it seems kind of expensive to me.

@@UltraMagaFan lol

Only 7% commonality between the P.1127 Kestrel and the GR.1 Harrier, two entirely different aircraft.

the av-8b is also out of service?

They also can't be found anymore. I've scavenged across the internet to try and find one, but there are none for sale. If there were any, they'd be extremely expensive, most likely around $1k

@@Tigershark_3082 1:18 scale harriers on eBay for around £300, theres a hobby craft version for £160 ($225) there is always something available on eBay but at a price - interesting name Phantom guy - i worked on restoring one for a few years, as well as Harrier

@@patchmack4469 hey, that's really cool!

Yes, that's true. But, it is still a "fairly decent" quality model. And, it can be assembled & disassembled at will for storage and/or transportation. A "quality" permanent build would suffer over time, merely because of it's size. Yes, you can also "customize" these much-larger 1/18th scale aircraft - you can quite simply (and without a great deal of trouble, as well) add things like "lighting kits: nav lights, strobes, cockpit lighting, etc; and wiring "harnesses" - you've got the room to do all of that, if you wish, without a great deal of trouble or hassle. Food for thought...!

@@johnyoungs7453 in deedy

Go to eBay and type in "Merit 1/18 Harrier" into the search box. Look for a seller named "themodelcentre" - the proprietor's name is Chris. His cost for the Harrier model is approx. $424 USD, with $133 USD added for shipping. It's shipped inside a well-protected, HUGE, outer shipping box, so the costs are well-deserved, believe you me..!! Chris tells me even though the listing may say "last one", he says he can get more of these. I asked him if he was referring to the "JSI/Merit" model (pre-assembled, etc) and NOT the "Hobby Boss" kit, and he said "Yes", he can get more of these no problem. He uses the "last one" entry as a "sales gimmick" to urge people to buy. Cheers, JY

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews My other planes (not including the hellcat) BF-109 E4 or E3 (don't remember witch variant it was) , TBf avenger. Mig-15, and the p-51

@@MilitaryVehicleReviews Plenty more will probably come soon! i'm trying to see if they have an F4 Phantom

@@lefishe2485 not in 1/18 unfortunately but in 1/32 by bbi

eBay. Type in "Merit 1/18 Harrier" into the search box. Look for the model being sold by "themodelcentre" (Chris's eBay seller's name). Good luck.

Daniel, currently these JSI/Merit 1/18th scale Harrier models are no longer made, and are available only on the "secondary market" (eBay, etc). As such, they currently tend to go for a low of around $500, to a high of around $900, with the "middle-of-the-road" prices seen currently are in the vinicity of around $600 to around $750 (+/-). While they originally sold for approximately $250, even at $500 or $650, personally-speaking, I still think they're worth it. Easy to put together & easily customized if you wish to. Good luck..!

eBay. Price, from the UK to the US, will be around $550 to $560, incl. shipping. This is a VERY BIG (HUGE, outer cardboard shipping box) box you're gonna get.. !!

Yes sir, it is a "pre-assembled" model. But look at the flip side: Sure, you can buy a "Hobby Boss" 1/18th scale kit & take 3-6 months (or more) to build one "properly" (I e., assuming you want a "museum-quality" build & not merely a "child's play toy"). Personally-speaking, I simply do not have the patience for that amount of painstaking work or detail. So the JSI/Merit 1/18th scale models work just fine. If you're willing, one can also "customize" these, as well. I did just that to one of my JSI 1/18th scale F-14(A) Tomcats. I converted it to a "D" model, by, among other things, swapping the "A" model engine exhaust nozzles for a pair of 1/18th scale "D" model F-14 exhaust nozzles that a friend of mine 3D-printed out of resin. Wonderful detail & it got me what I wanted..! Food for thought for your consideration. The 1/18th scale Harriers by JSI/Merit can be treated the same, as well..! 3D

I agree. That was totally stupid..! Wonder if it was his model or someone else's..??

@@johnyoungs7453 The fact that it vexed your tiny little mind enough to get angry and call him stupid, is rather humorous.