Harrier GR1/GR1A visual differences?

[Enzo the Magnificent]

This is the first picture I can recall showing the Master Armament Safety Brake and flag in position (ref flag on a cord between the airbrake and mainwheel just into the LAG grey). this was a red "Key" that was taken out on start and stowed in the cockpit during flight. it isolated all the armament circuits on the ground.

Good spot. If I may don my Harrier anorak for a moment... The MASB (pronounced "mazzbee") flag also serves to roughly date the photo. Originally the MASB flag was on a short cable which was attached to the MASB and flag with some keyring-style clips. This was done in an attempt to stop the flag flapping against the rear fuselage which at that point was usually filthy. There were a couple of problems with this arrangement though. One was that the MASB was intended to be handed to the pilot before start-up who would then put it into a little pocket inside the canopy. The MASB fit the pocket perfectly - but it hadn't been designed with a safety flag in mind. So the flag would get tucked in to the pocket under the MASB, leaving the cable flapping around. Another problem was that as the rings became worn they would sometimes drop off as the MASB was put away, leading to a loose article hazard in the cockpit. So a Mod was put in place to remove the cable and rings. the MASB flag was attached directly to the MASB thereby preventing the loose article hazard. If the flag was wrapped carefully around the MASB is would still fit in the pocket. Okay, it got filthy, but we just got used to replacing it every now and again - usually when one of the jockey's complained about mucky fingers...

I can't say for certain when the Mod was carried out, but it was certainly complete by early 1985. However, up to about 1988 if you demanded a new MASB from stores it would arrive with the old cable in place, requiring the Mod to be carried out. That was a complete and utter pain. The job took about 90 seconds. The paperwork took about half an hour!

[Selwyn]

Good spot. If I may don my Harrier anorak for a moment... The MASB (pronounced "mazzbee") flag also serves to roughly date the photo. Originally the MASB flag was on a short cable which was attached to the MASB and flag with some keyring-style clips. This was done in an attempt to stop the flag flapping against the rear fuselage which at that point was usually filthy. There were a couple of problems with this arrangement though. One was that the MASB was intended to be handed to the pilot before start-up who would then put it into a little pocket inside the canopy. The MASB fit the pocket perfectly - but it hadn't been designed with a safety flag in mind. So the flag would get tucked in to the pocket under the MASB, leaving the cable flapping around. Another problem was that as the rings became worn they would sometimes drop off as the MASB was put away, leading to a loose article hazard in the cockpit. So a Mod was put in place to remove the cable and rings. the MASB flag was attached directly to the MASB thereby preventing the loose article hazard. If the flag was wrapped carefully around the MASB is would still fit in the pocket. Okay, it got filthy, but we just got used to replacing it every now and again - usually when one of the jockey's complained about mucky fingers...

I can't say for certain when the Mod was carried out, but it was certainly complete by early 1985. However, up to about 1988 if you demanded a new MASB from stores it would arrive with the old cable in place, requiring the Mod to be carried out. That was a complete and utter pain. The job took about 90 seconds. The paperwork took about half an hour!

My pet hate on this was certain ignorant , (names withheld to protect the guilty!) growbags who on shut down would just toss the MASBY out of the cockpit onto the pan beside the aircraft.Damned unprofessional.

I lived in hope that one would do it too soon and it would get sucked in the intake, and then he would have to explain the engine damage to the grown ups. But of course it never happened............

Selwyn

[Enzo the Magnificent]

My pet hate on this was certain ignorant , (names withheld to protect the guilty!) growbags who on shut down would just toss the MASBY out of the cockpit onto the pan beside the aircraft.Damned unprofessional.

I lived in hope that one would do it too soon and it would get sucked in the intake, and then he would have to explain the engine damage to the grown ups. But of course it never happened............

Oh... it happened! Three engine changes in the first four months of 1986. After that, a local change to the shutdown procedure meant that after shutdown the jockey was not allowed to do anything until the liney requested the MASB. Some jockeys found the linies opening the canopy and grabbing the MASB straight away. Others found that they had to wait until the groundlocks had been fitted...

Some didn't follow the procedure, in which case engine fodding would lead to a two month stint as Sqn auth. Loss of flying pay for a month and a subsequent recert meant that some people learned a bit of discipline very quickly!

Another source of engine fod was an officer's uniform cap. For a (very) short while, display jockeys would complete their display, touch down and quickly take off their bonedomes. They would then taxy past the crowdline wearing a uniform cap, leaning out of the cockpit and waving to the crowd. A number of incidents led to the hat being ingested by the engine. Thankfully, there is very little in an officer's cap that would damage an engine - an airman's cap would be an entirely different matter.

After an embarrassing incident at a Belgian airshow (where a Harrier pilot had died on ejection a couple of years before), a certain amount of discipline was enforced.

The film Top Gun caused a bit of stupidity as well. Display pilots were issued with black leather jackets so they could "look the part" when they climbed out of the jet in front of the crowd. It was odd how many crewbags in back hatches got inexplicably contaminated with graphite grease...

And lets not mention the jockey who, on detachment to Cold Lake, gave an interview to an Edmonton newspaper that "flying a Harrier is better than sex" and never lived it down because it was quickly pointed out by his peers that he wasn't a particularly good pilot...

Your "name withheld to protect the guilty"... was he particularly short?

[Black Knight]

................... Thankfully, there is very little in an officer's cap that would damage an engine .................

Aint that the truth,

Edited September 6, 2013 by Black Knight

[Selwyn]

Oh... it happened! Three engine changes in the first four months of 1986. After that, a local change to the shutdown procedure meant that after shutdown the jockey was not allowed to do anything until the liney requested the MASB. Some jockeys found the linies opening the canopy and grabbing the MASB straight away. Others found that they had to wait until the groundlocks had been fitted...

Some didn't follow the procedure, in which case engine fodding would lead to a two month stint as Sqn auth. Loss of flying pay for a month and a subsequent recert meant that some people learned a bit of discipline very quickly!

Another source of engine fod was an officer's uniform cap. For a (very) short while, display jockeys would complete their display, touch down and quickly take off their bonedomes. They would then taxy past the crowdline wearing a uniform cap, leaning out of the cockpit and waving to the crowd. A number of incidents led to the hat being ingested by the engine. Thankfully, there is very little in an officer's cap that would damage an engine - an airman's cap would be an entirely different matter.

After an embarrassing incident at a Belgian airshow (where a Harrier pilot had died on ejection a couple of years before), a certain amount of discipline was enforced.

The film Top Gun caused a bit of stupidity as well. Display pilots were issued with black leather jackets so they could "look the part" when they climbed out of the jet in front of the crowd. It was odd how many crewbags in back hatches got inexplicably contaminated with graphite grease...

And lets not mention the jockey who, on detachment to Cold Lake, gave an interview to an Edmonton newspaper that "flying a Harrier is better than sex" and never lived it down because it was quickly pointed out by his peers that he wasn't a particularly good pilot...

Your "name withheld to protect the guilty"... was he particularly short?

Enzo No he wasn't short but he did achieve very high rank later on. It was a feature of the RAF at that time that quite often the worst ones did.

Selwyn

Edited September 6, 2013 by Selwyn

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Enzo No he wasn't short but he did achieve very high rank later on. It was a feature of the RAF at that time that quite often the worst ones did.

I think I know who you mean. Was his descriptive nickname alliterative with his surname?

[Selwyn]

I think I know who you mean. Was his descriptive nickname alliterative with his surname?

How did you guess?

Selwyn