Harrier GR3/Sea Harrier FRS1 wing oylons

[jaw]

Can anybody enlighten me on why the inner wing pylons on the early  RAF Harriers are different to those on the FAA Sea Harriers?

 

Thanks,

 

John

[72modeler]

18 minutes ago, jaw said:

Can anybody enlighten me on why the inner wing pylons on the early  RAF Harriers are different to those on the FAA Sea Harriers?

 

Thanks,

 

John

John,

 

Have you tried here? Somebody on BM will know the answer to your query, I'm pretty sure...maybe Tony E or Graham B?

Mike

 

http://www.harriersig.org.uk/

[theplasticsurgeon]

I've got recollection that those pylons are fixed and dedicated to fuel tanks only on the SHAR.

[Giorgio N]

Sea Harrier inner pylons are wired for nuclear weapons. For this reason they have to be fixed to allow the pylon to be hard wired to the wing to guarantee the integrity of the circuits. As there are a few armament experts here, they will sure add some better information

[NG899]

Thanks Giorgio, you beat me to it! It's all to do with the wiring to carry the WE.177A nuclear bomb (also known as the HE 600lb MC bomb, MC for Medium Capacity as it was in the Kilo Ton range) rather than the fuel tanks. The S in FRS.1 denoted Strike - to decode the UK acronym parlance, nuclear strike. The Fighter Attack acronym was used for the upgraded FA.2. As far as I know the FA.2's pylons were not wired to carry the WE.177A and none did. The pylon shape was retained as the FRS.1 airframes were upgraded to FA.2s. It's why you never, (I'd better say very rarely as one of the armourers is bound to prove me wrong!) see a FRS.1 without the inboard pylons fitted but with the inboard hard-point fairings fitted instead.

 

I am not aware of the Indian Navy's FRS.51s having nuclear strike capability despite the FRS designation. 

 

Returning to the question which triggered this, it was actually the SHAR's inboard pylons which were different to the original GR1/3 and T2/4/8 ones.

 

More info on the WE.177A can be found here: http://nuclear-weapons.info/vw.htm#WE.177 

 

Cheers

Nick

[junglierating]

You quite correct NG (do we know each other 899,801) the FA2 and for a short period FRS2 was not wired or fitted for the bucket of sunshine which was a bonus because the annual functional test ....with a drill weapon was extremely boring and very,very long and mostly consisted of Senior rates doing all the work and the lads (for I was one at the time) faining interest whilst all one really wanted to do was have scran and get in the fart sack (on board this was btw).

 

Additionally there is the Sea Eagle although that had an adapter.

 

I believe the ERU (ejector release units)within either of the pylons (inner outer and C/L all marks ) was the same  but I am sure Selwyn will elaborate further....kinda irrelevant regarding modelling as it is internal but people like to know such things   Thinking about it the special weapon utilised a different Mod state of ERU no idea why extra umph? Fwd workshops anyone?

Edited November 7, 2017 by junglierating
memory fading

[Selwyn]

16 hours ago, junglierating said:

You quite correct NG (do we know each other 899,801) the FA2 and for a short period FRS2 was not wired or fitted for the bucket of sunshine which was a bonus because the annual functional test ....with a drill weapon was extremely boring and very,very long and mostly consisted of Senior rates doing all the work and the lads (for I was one at the time) faining interest whilst all one really wanted to do was have scran and get in the fart sack (on board this was btw).

 

Additionally there is the Sea Eagle although that had an adapter.

 

I believe the ERU (ejector release units)within either of the pylons (inner outer and C/L all marks ) was the same  but I am sure Selwyn will elaborate further....kinda irrelevant regarding modelling as it is internal but people like to know such things   Thinking about it the special weapon utilised a different Mod state of ERU no idea why extra umph? Fwd workshops anyone?

Not sure about this as I never worked SHAR, however normally aircraft that carried "special weapons" had ERU's that had an additional  safety lock incorporated and operated by the back seater  so maintaining the two man safety principle  in that the pilot  or Nav (if one lost his marbles!) on his own could not drop the weapon, the back seater had to operate the lock independently so it was a "team" consent to release not just one man.  Don't know how this worked on SHAR (or in the past Jaguars) as single seaters.

 

The inboards on SHAR were probably removable but you only did it if you absolutely had to because of the special wiring.  Every time you did it you would of had to complete the full test as described above, which would have been a major PITA, so you left them fitted and saved yourself a awful lot of time and effort !

 

Selwyn

[junglierating]

Defo removable for servicing using a copper drift and a big bomb'ead 'ammer.

Just remember to disconnect the wiggly amp things 

[NG899]

Hi Junglierating,

 

Sadly I was on neither 899 or 801, just civvie. However, I'm a friend of James Blackmore, Rob Trewinnard-Boyle and Les Allen from 899 and JFH and know Jon Lawler, 899's last CO. The Harrier SIG did the 30 presentation FA2 models for 899's decommissioning dinner tables and was there for the final display. The SIG also did a display for the JFH event at Cottesmore on 15th December 2010.

 

I take it you're still 'in' and based at Yeovs or Culdrose? I was down at CU in June 2016 photographing the RN SFDO FA2s and T8s for a future literary project and catching up with James... So our paths may have crossed, literally.

 

Cheers

 

Nick

[junglierating]

Nick I do know Mr Allen quite well .... keep meaning to drop him a line . Vaguely know RTB but not from SHAR days. best not say too much loose lips sink ships and all that