Thanks Peter. I suspect that for many of us who were growing up in the UK at the time (I was 9 in 1982) this aircraft still holds a special place in their heart. Here's a sobering thought: There were more ships in that 1982 taskforce than there are in the entire Royal Navy now.
@Marky B: I KNOW! 😱 It's really SCARY! 😳 Thanks very much for your feedback. 👍🏻 You might find this of interest: www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/royal-navy-releases-images-of-falklands-war-shipwrecks
Thank you, Peter - I think your presentation is really good, as well as interesting. I'm on this kit as I type (!), but also have the two books mentioned - There are also some very good documentaries available on 'You Tube' - 40th Anniversary of the war, April 2022. Also, I have the 14 part series (in Binder) of the 'Falklands War' by Marshall Cavendish - available quite cheaply (but heavy(!)), on a well known auction site!
Excellent review Peter. I thoroughly enjoy the historical background you provide. It works well because I think most of us scale modellers have an interest in military history and history in general. I remember seeing a Harrier displaying its VTOL capabilities at an airshow in the early 80’s when I was a young lad and being absolutely enthralled. I think I’ll get myself a copy of that Sharkey Ward book. Anyhow, keep the reviews coming and all the best to you 👍.
Thank you - really interesting. I've learned something from this - I never knew about the Hercules being shot down & the controversey about tactics. I do remember (at the time) that sadly a pair of sea harriers were lost on a patrol, not from enemy action, but probably just colliding with eachother. I enjoyed making an Airfix 1/48 sea harrier, probably a bit short on detail, but still good enough & a nice model.
Hats off to you, Peter, for an excellent video. I would also fully recommend the book 'Hostile Skies' by David Morgan, another Falklands Sea Harrier pilot. His is a more personal story without agenda and includes a couple of anecdotes about Sharkey Ward during combat ops. Indeed, the British pilots rightly praise the skill and bravery of the Argentine pilots who were often flying at the limits of their aircrafts endurance. Would it be possible this kit has parts from the F/A2 kit which I think preceded it? The missiles you mention at 56:35 are likely AMRAAMs which the later Sea Harrier carried. Is the other nose cone maybe from it as well? The optional drop down doors are very reminiscent of those included on the Airfix 1/72 GR7A/GR9A from 2011, which is/was a cracking little kit. Many thanks for taking the consideration and time to do this video 10/10.
Thanks very much, Neil! Yes, I did mention Dave Morgan a couple of times, though I didn't know about the book...I will look it up! You could be right about the F/A2 parts. 👍🏻
Yes, I mentioned this in the vid…(the link is under the video) Imagine locking Woodward & Ward in a room together after their respective books were published!? Light the blue touch-paper and stand well back! Popcorn time! 😜
The Kinetic kit is overall really good. Significant improvement over the old Tamiya one. Sadly, like most model jets I have built, there are some fitting issues, but with some filler and sanding it can be dealt with. That and the instructions are awful! Poorly laid out and nasty photocopies, should at least have some colour in them for the paint schemes. Overall really good kit, a solid 8/10. However, there is a nitpick, the idea of the Sea Harriers being nicknamed the "Black Death" is very likely to have been as a result of a mistranslation. Most Argentine Air Force veterans have never heard of the nickname and it seems like there might have been a mistranslation from an Argentine source. As much as it's an awesome story and I would love it to be true, unfortunately there isn't a lot of evidence to support the Sea Harrier being nicknamed the "Black Death".
This entered popular culture following comments from the AIF including use by the Argentine media during the war. I haven't seen any Argentines contradict this and it's even on the Wikipedia page about the Harrier in Spanish. There are rumours this was a motivating factor in why Spain later bought the Harrier too.
Thanks Peter. I suspect that for many of us who were growing up in the UK at the time (I was 9 in 1982) this aircraft still holds a special place in their heart. Here's a sobering thought: There were more ships in that 1982 taskforce than there are in the entire Royal Navy now.
@Marky B: I KNOW! 😱 It's really SCARY! 😳 Thanks very much for your feedback. 👍🏻 You might find this of interest:
www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/royal-navy-releases-images-of-falklands-war-shipwrecks
Thank you, Peter - I think your presentation is really good, as well as interesting. I'm on this kit as I type (!), but also have the two books mentioned - There are also some very good documentaries available on 'You Tube' - 40th Anniversary of the war, April 2022. Also, I have the 14 part series (in Binder) of the 'Falklands War' by Marshall Cavendish - available quite cheaply (but heavy(!)), on a well known auction site!
Excellent review Peter. I thoroughly enjoy the historical background you provide. It works well because I think most of us scale modellers have an interest in military history and history in general. I remember seeing a Harrier displaying its VTOL capabilities at an airshow in the early 80’s when I was a young lad and being absolutely enthralled. I think I’ll get myself a copy of that Sharkey Ward book. Anyhow, keep the reviews coming and all the best to you 👍.
Thanks very much for your support Anthony. 👍🏻
Thank you - really interesting. I've learned something from this - I never knew about the Hercules being shot down & the controversey about tactics. I do remember (at the time) that sadly a pair of sea harriers were lost on a patrol, not from enemy action, but probably just colliding with eachother. I enjoyed making an Airfix 1/48 sea harrier, probably a bit short on detail, but still good enough & a nice model.
There were two Sea Harriers shot down. One by 35mm anti aircraft fire, the other at medium altitude by a Roland missile.
"Those instructions are STUPID" is almost becoming a std catch-phrase from me on these far-east produced kits!? 😆
Hats off to you, Peter, for an excellent video. I would also fully recommend the book 'Hostile Skies' by David Morgan, another Falklands Sea Harrier pilot. His is a more personal story without agenda and includes a couple of anecdotes about Sharkey Ward during combat ops. Indeed, the British pilots rightly praise the skill and bravery of the Argentine pilots who were often flying at the limits of their aircrafts endurance.
Would it be possible this kit has parts from the F/A2 kit which I think preceded it? The missiles you mention at 56:35 are likely AMRAAMs which the later Sea Harrier carried. Is the other nose cone maybe from it as well?
The optional drop down doors are very reminiscent of those included on the Airfix 1/72 GR7A/GR9A from 2011, which is/was a cracking little kit.
Many thanks for taking the consideration and time to do this video 10/10.
Thanks very much, Neil! Yes, I did mention Dave Morgan a couple of times, though I didn't know about the book...I will look it up! You could be right about the F/A2 parts. 👍🏻
I can't say how many went,BUT I counted them all out,and I counted them all back.
I have both of those book,also sink the Belgrano,amazing books.
This kit was the second new tool harrier kit in years and was light years a head of the airfix and tamiya ones even said this kit came out in 2015
Hard to believe that some 39 years have passed since this war..
The General Belgrano was a light cruiser that was a Pearl Harbor survivor.
Remember the Sea King helo that landed in Chile and was burned by the crew?
By the way, there is a 4 segment interview with CDR Ward available on You Tube. It was a production of the IWM. Sharkey's comments are extra crispy..
Yes, I mentioned this in the vid…(the link is under the video) Imagine locking Woodward & Ward in a room together after their respective books were published!? Light the blue touch-paper and stand well back! Popcorn time! 😜
When you're counting those Sea Harrier parts out, make sure you count them all back in again! 😉
the Hermes became the INS Viraat meaning giant
That's the one...they should have used the Indian word for 'Old'! It was launched 68 years ago! 😆
As bad as it was, I am sure that Tamiya sold a lot of their Sea Harriers. The Kinetic was badly needed.
Admiral Woodward was not of the Nelson tradition - more like the Whitehall (civil service) tradition.
In his book, Sharkey Ward described him as 'incompetent' in terms of using air assets and naval air defence strategy...
The Kinetic kit is overall really good. Significant improvement over the old Tamiya one. Sadly, like most model jets I have built, there are some fitting issues, but with some filler and sanding it can be dealt with. That and the instructions are awful! Poorly laid out and nasty photocopies, should at least have some colour in them for the paint schemes.
Overall really good kit, a solid 8/10.
However, there is a nitpick, the idea of the Sea Harriers being nicknamed the "Black Death" is very likely to have been as a result of a mistranslation. Most Argentine Air Force veterans have never heard of the nickname and it seems like there might have been a mistranslation from an Argentine source. As much as it's an awesome story and I would love it to be true, unfortunately there isn't a lot of evidence to support the Sea Harrier being nicknamed the "Black Death".
This entered popular culture following comments from the AIF including use by the Argentine media during the war. I haven't seen any Argentines contradict this and it's even on the Wikipedia page about the Harrier in Spanish. There are rumours this was a motivating factor in why Spain later bought the Harrier too.