Harrier GR7/9 gun pods during Telic

[Dave Fleming]

It seems kind of odd that the fairings were in production before the cannons' entry into service. From what I've read the problem was to do with the feed jamming as the gun got hot - is that right? If so, I can imagine that they might have wanted to do some adjustment of the aerodynamics if the project had continued. So why were all the pods completed?

Also, how do you get bottles of ouzo in there Steve?

Kirk

Presumably because they were ordered from the start and intended to be used. Saying that, I have a memory that the one production set of pods had a much bigger back end, I'll see if I can find the pics.

[IV(AC)Plumb]

The rear of the pods have a small hatch, once opened there is a handle in there that you pull down and this unlocks the rear faring, this then slides off and reveals the inner ammo boxes....which were empty as no guns ever got fitted.

IIRC the aircraft always had to have pods or strakes fitted as they were an integral part of the ability to hover.

I seem to recall every aircraft had a set of gun pods but there were not enough sets of strakes?

Steve

[Selwyn]

Not forgetting that USMC AV8B's had one gun and an ammo tank with a bridge between them with the ammo feed, whereas the RAF GR5/7/9's were supposed to have 2 x 25mm Aden Guns with he ammo tank in the rear of each pod.

When strakes are fitted the LIDS fence has to have extra little "Ears" fitted to make the box to improve hover performance.

The 25mm Aden never completed trials so was not fitted to operational aircraft. However you can fit six bottles of Ouzo and several bottles of Cyprus brandy in each empty ammo box (Allegedly )

Steve

That's very strange.

I assume the GR1/3 ammo tanks (30mm rounds) were larger as we could get a lot more in them!

Also there was a certain type of beverage ( Approx70% proof) that happened to come in bottles that were approximately 67mm in diameter.

( At this point I think its prudent not to mention that the SNEB rocket used in the Matra 155 pod was a 68mm rocket.............!)

Selwyn

[xffw45343tg]

Also there was a certain type of beverage ( Approx70% proof) that happened to come in bottles that were approximately 67mm in diameter.

( At this point I think its prudent not to mention that the SNEB rocket used in the Matra 155 pod was a 68mm rocket.............!)

So how do you stop them sliding out when the aircraft gets to "unusual attitudes" in flight? I won't tell HMRC, promise.

[Mike]

I've removed the silly scaleist in-fighting from the thread so it maintains some form of direction. Please don't post inflammatory nonsense like that again on this forum Zaggy

[Selwyn]

So how do you stop them sliding out when the aircraft gets to "unusual attitudes" in flight? I won't tell HMRC, promise.

On the front of the pod we stuffed in a bit of packing and then fitted the fiberglass frangible nose cone used on HEAT rocket loads . (Blag the pilot:- Waffle about better aerodynamics with fairing fitted from pod on long transit journeys etc etc, or even better, ensure pilot was a subscriber to the liquids fund)On the rear of the tube you would fit the retaining ring from a fired rocket, this was by design trapped between the rear of the tube and the rear fairing in normal use to retain the rocket. Fitting it made the back of the tube a lot narrower than 68 mm and stopped them falling out, we did of course use a bit of packing material (Black colour ) to stop them rattling.

we also only loaded the top two tubes because if someone just glaced at the back of the pod all the tubes looked empty, you really had to stoop down low and look carefully up the tail fairing to see the "full" tubes!

Selwyn

(giving away all the secrets!)

[xffw45343tg]

I'm guessing that either a pilot didn't have to do their own weight and balance calculations or that, what - 30Kgs?, of additional mass weren't a big deal in the scheme of things.

You'd get a fair bit of ouzo in an external tank though wouldn't you? And a bit of Avtur dregs would only add to the flavour surely? Though thinking about it I can't even remember if you can hang a tank on the outboard pylons of the GR3s. There's a good "what if" model though eh?

There doesn't seem to be much online about the punishment for breaking this aspect of the Official (Armourers) Secrets Act.

Kirk

[Dave Fleming]

Though thinking about it I can't even remember if you can hang a tank on the outboard pylons of the GR3s. There's a good "what if" model though eh?

You can, they usually carried 100 gallon tanks that way on deployments that used the big tanks on the inner pylons and replaced at the destination.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Dave Fleming

[Selwyn]

I'm guessing that either a pilot didn't have to do their own weight and balance calculations or that, what - 30Kgs?, of additional mass weren't a big deal in the scheme of things.

You'd get a fair bit of ouzo in an external tank though wouldn't you? And a bit of Avtur dregs would only add to the flavour surely? Though thinking about it I can't even remember if you can hang a tank on the outboard pylons of the GR3s. There's a good "what if" model though eh?

There doesn't seem to be much online about the punishment for breaking this aspect of the Official (Armourers) Secrets Act.

Kirk

We would subscribe to Armourers rule no 1.

Don't get caught!

As for tanks you could not use them as they were sealed and opening them up was more trouble than it was worth.

Saying that I knew a old Rhodesian AF guy who said that during the fuel embargo they would regularly fly Canberras to South Africa and fill the(unconnected) tip tanks up with petrol for the squadron members cars!

Selwyn

[Hook]

You can, they usually carried 100 gallon tanks that way on deployments that used the big tanks on the inner pylons and replaced at the destination.

Airdocs "Harrier Part 1 - The GR.1/GR.3/T.2 And T.4 Of the Royal Air Force in Germany" volume has a couple of pics of the four tank config, from the top of my head.

Cheers,

Andre

[Selwyn]

Airdocs "Harrier Part 1 - The GR.1/GR.3/T.2 And T.4 Of the Royal Air Force in Germany" volume has a couple of pics of the four tank config, from the top of my head.

Cheers,

Andre

The 100 gal combat tanks were fitted to the outer pylons for transit and did not contain fuel.

To fit them to the outboard stations, we took off the two tank fuel nozzle connections as they projected above the tank (preventing the the tank fitting to the outboard pylons), the nozzles would be stowed in the aircraft and refitted top the tank when the ferry tanks were removed and the combats moved back onto the inboards.

[Dave Fleming]

The Guterlsoh spotters site has a few as well, especially 4 SQuadron. No 1 Squadron deployed to Ascension with them, and a couple were re-armed with Sidewinders before the big tanks were removed, so you can do a GR3 with big tanks and AIM9s

[xffw45343tg]

That's all very well but can we have tanks full of Malbec with Ouzo in the rocket pods?

[IV(AC)Plumb]

That's very strange.

I assume the GR1/3 ammo tanks (30mm rounds) were larger as we could get a lot more in them!

Also there was a certain type of beverage ( Approx70% proof) that happened to come in bottles that were approximately 67mm in diameter.

( At this point I think its prudent not to mention that the SNEB rocket used in the Matra 155 pod was a 68mm rocket.............!)

Selwyn

Hello Selwyn me old mucker, GR7 ammo tanks were actually quite small IIRC, plus the internal rollers made if not the best place to stash stuff!, I'd heard about the SNEB pods being "just the right diameter" but never saw it tried....

[IV(AC)Plumb]

IIRC only stations 2,3 5 & 6 were "wet" pylons

[Zaggy]

*wrong thread*

Edited March 27, 2016 by Zaggy