Description
- Model No: 00449
- Scale 1:72
- Size - L 197mm W 128mm
A Hasegawa plastic model kit of the McDonnel Douglas AV-8B Harrier II.
The Harrier is probably the most famous vertical take off and landing aircraft in military history. Originally designed and built by the British Manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960's, the Harrier has seen many changes and improvements.
This is a model of the AV-8B Harrier used by the United States Marine Corps.
The project that led to the AV-8B's creation started in the early 1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom, aimed at improving the first-generation Harrier.
Because of budgetary constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975. Following the UK's withdrawal, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B.
While retaining the general layout of its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new, larger composite wing with an additional hardpoint on each side, an elevated cockpit and a redesigned fuselage along with some other aerodynamic refinements.
The AV-8B entered service with the USMC in January 1985.
