Making Your First Model Kit - Beginners Step-by-step build of the Tamiya FRS1 Sea Harrier 

As an old model builder, started in 62, I really find it valuable to go back to basics with videos such as this. Appreciate your detailed and user friendly modeling projects. I have picked up a lot of good advice. thankyou.

Hi just got back into the hobby- I seem to gravitate towards FAA aircraft - this harrier brings back memories of when I was on 801 nas Buccaneer mk1 on the victorious, my aircraft (as a lowly naval aircraft mechanic) was 124 had it for 18 months and left it at kia tak Singapore, memories!😊

Finally, someone saying deck-als and not Dee-cals. Cheers for that. And cheers for the video. I've just got this model from the loft as my next build.

Seams are a whole new ball game with "Plastic Putty." As a kid, I cared not for seams or even painting. My imagination was still afire with intrigue. My Aurora U-boat was molded in black plastic so it looked cool as is for a kid. Apparently to my Grandfather also as he kept that model atop his dresser. Living near Portland Maine, there were many ships getting hit by U-boats out in the Gulf of Maine which melded that model to memories of deep thought of enemies just off shore.

You did a really good job on that, it came up good.

Thank you , nice introduction into plastic kit building. It takes time to put this tutorial together and is much appreciated. I am a seasoned modeller myself but every day is a learning day.

G'day Alex, Thank you. You've performed a valuable service for anyone thinking about taking up our hobby or getting back into modelling; as it usually happens, after a long break going back to childhood. I wish there was a video like this around when I got back into modelling about 11 years ago. The technology of injection moulding and modelling tools, aftermarket etc. has drastically changed, and generally improved scale modelling far beyond what people of my generation were comfortable with, all those years ago. Fundamentally, it is still all about detaching and cleaning up parts from the sprue tree; preparing the surfaces to be glued and then going on to assemble main parts and finishing up with smaller parts; leading to the main paint work. In between my stints as a modeller, I served in the RAAF and after that became involved in filmmaking and journalism. Being in the air force taught me a lot that would come in handy when I decided to get back to modelling. I developed a much better appreciation for representing scale while trying to build models that more accurately reflected what I knew aircraft looked like, up close and hands on. I hope you don't mind me giving a couple of 'notes' on this video. It is the first of your work I've seen and I'll be subscribing so I can better go through your earlier videos and get an appreciation of your goals as a RU-vid creator. I understand you are just growing your channel at the moment so I feel I can suggest a couple of small things that, I think, will make your work more effective. I thought the slight image degradation I noticed was because of the increased video speed rate. But then I noticed it in sections that were not speeded up. I think you will need to improve your camera lenses or upgrade your camera in the near future, if you can. In close-up, your images need a higher pixel rate, overall, your images are lacking sharpness. (I was watching by using a medium size TV screen as a monitor from my new laptop.) The sharpness, of course, degrades slightly as you speed up the playback rate. Otherwise, your camera placement over the workspace and the lighting was excellent. Two small but important points that so many new RU-vidrs take a while to appreciate. Back to a note or two on the modelling, if you don't mind. I only mention these small points with the best of intentions. As you intended this video for novice modellers. You didn't advise your audience that they should either gently wash their sprues in warm water with a mild, neutral detergent, or wipe down each part with isopropyl alcohol before gluing and painting. As your finished colours were a mix of Dark Sea Grey and White, I would have suggested the whole model be primed with a coat of matt light grey, as you did in small areas, here and there. I also would have suggested a clear gloss or semi-gloss over the entire main assembly prior to attaching any decals. This, as you probably know already, is a way to ensure a better 'bonding' of the decals to the model surface and panel lines etc. Likewise, I would have enforced the idea of using a good 'decal setting' solution and then a top, sealing, coat of matt or semi-gloss, depending on how you wanted to present your final model. Perhaps, a clear sealing coat prior to weathering will be the subjects of your next video on this model, so I won't 'kibitz' any further. Like I said, Alex, you've begun an important approach in a 'training' video for those who need to come up to speed with modern modelling. A topic that so many other, experienced RU-vid modellers should also tackle. Apart from Harry Houdini's Models, and a couple of other RU-vidrs, I can't, off hand, think of many more talented modellers, like you, that don't make some level of assumption that their audiences already know all about what's going on in a build video. So, thanks again, Alex. A job well done. It will be interesting to follow your channel's progress after I subscribe; which is my next move. Cheers, Bill H. Hobart, Tasmania.

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. I'm just getting back into modelling and i really love your approach. I've learnt so much.

I really enjoyed this tutorial. Im primarily a car and scifi modeller but a lot of what you describe can be used on many different genres of our hobby. I know how hard t It is to make your first 1k, as i recently just hit that milestone. Im going to sub. Looking forward to more of your videos.

This is a good video record of the building of a beautiful jet fighter plane.

Thanks Alex, great tutorial. Currently mentoring a youngin on our hobby, he's got 2 under his belt. Figured a jet should be next, and this vid gave me a good direction. Thank you!

Great tip at 25:15 for filling in the gaps between the wings and the main body! I use 6mm Tamiya (masking) tape myself. Also, for a 1:72 scale model, this kit is pretty big. I like the simplicity of the parts to this kit like the fully molded landing gear etc. Another great build video for this Tamiya Sea Harrier!

That was a excellent build sir, one of the worlds great iconic aircraft you have yourself an o ther subscriber.

Beautiful instructions! Hello from Judy in Nova Scotia, Canada

Re audio notifications. I mainly use a PC for You Tube and even of your browser is open, if you're not on You Tube (or on another tab) when the Notification comes up you don't get anything. Even on a mobile phone, if you have the You Tube app unless it's open you don't get Notifications.

Just subbed bud. Great vid.

Ref marking the instructions. May I suggest (you probably already do Alex) crossing out parts / stages that are not relevant to you? For example cross out an aircraft's undercarriage assembly if your model will be flying.

Bloody good job on this old kit! The engine cover game me no end of grief. Fit was horrible and required lots of putty but still looked average after!

How do you make those lines so neat after masking? When I mask (tamya masking tape) and paint (away from the masking tape) some of the colour always goes under the masking tape

Subbed

Fantastic work on the harrier, may I ask what sort of camera did you use to record your build footage?

I just built this kit, and about the only reason I'd choose it for a beginners first kit is because it is dreadful & it's no loss if you make a mess of it....

Just finished building Hasegawa Harrier 1/72 I've started a year ago 😅 Jesus Christ what a mistake it was to buy a super cheap crappy model "to improve skills". Practice shows that before "improving" you gotta get those skills first and doing it with a shitty model is a pain!

Thank you for sharing; Did you prime any of the model parts before painting?

hi all I am a quite experienced modller after getting back into iy after retirement some years ago. like your video very detailed, I bought this kit because a lot of modellers stated it was rubbish. I totally disagree for a cost of only £13 it was an old mould but when gows together great. A question The kit states that you add yhe under wing decals before attaching the arnament tools. As like to prime and airbrush my aircraft models with the wings and tailplane glued on . Did you cut the roundal deals on the under wings under the 2 missile launchers Is this how you made a good job of your finish Please comment

With the Tamiya spray did you use a primer? I’m using the Tamiya white x2 spray and struggling to get it to adhere to the model. I haven’t used primer but didn’t see you use one in the video.

The only thing I /really don't like/ in this model is the roundel decals are two part, so registration will be a real pain for a newbie. For that reason alone I wouldn't recommend this as a first model.

What u use for filling gaps

Got a question about sprue goo. I made up some with Tamiya extra thin and regular sprues from a Tamiya kit. Started using it on an old Hobbycraft CF-100. After it hardened and was sanded flush, dozens of bubbles appeared and had to be filled with regular putty. Is this normal? Or did I mix it up wrong or to the wrong consistancy?

How come you don't prime the model before painting?

I’m having problems subscribing. It says “error in subscribing”?

I prefer the Falkland paint

Lego. Airfix total and utter crap