ESCI – 9060-9065 – AV-8B Harrier II / Harrier GR.5

Description:

AV-8B Harrier II

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps introduced in 1985 and also used by the Spanish and Italian Navy. The AV-8B was the first of the Harrier IIs, later derived in British service as the GR5, GR7 and GR9 Harrier II.

In 1988, already under the ESCI/Ertl period, and after the quite successful line of Harriers AV-8A and early Mk.I or GR.3 (for example kit ESCI – 9051 – AV-8A U.S. “Marines”), the brand attempted the upgraded AV-8B or GR.5 from the Harrier II family.

When the kit was released its only competitor was the Italeri 1982 kit, which never was well accepted by community, but the same happened to the ESCI Harrier II that did not enjoyed the same success of the earlier variants. Airfix tooled a new GR.5 in 1991 and was considered a better Harrier II since then. The later Hasegawa kit (Year 2000) took the market as the best AV-8B.

Kit included a decal sheet with 3 U.S. Marine Corps markings. For the AMT release we unknown the content of the decal sheet. ESCI/Ertl reissued the kit in 1991 with a box update.

Harrier GR.5

The same kit was adapted with a parts update for a GR.5 variant in a 1989 release (ESCI 9065 Harrier GR.5) and reissued for a last time in 1999. The fate of this kit was marked by the Airfix 1991 release of their own new tool.