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Harrier FRS1 Falklands War


steve4428

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Am about halfway through my build of the above Kinetic 1/48 kit, and have decided to build it as part of a small diorama.

I have a couple of questions which I hope someone can help me with?

 

When the jet is on the ground, are the engine nozzles pointing downwards towards the deck?

As before, when on the deck, are the flaps fully extended and do the undercarriage doors stay open?

And finally, is there anything else that I have overlooked to build a jet on the ground?

Did the Falkland jets carry double Sidewinders on each wing, or was it just a single missile on each side?

 

Many thanks in advance for any help given

 

Steve

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As far as I am aware,nozzles aft,flaps up and gear doors closed,but the gear doors could be opened for servicing.Falklands war fit was one sidewinder per wing.

Edited by fatalbert
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In the Falklands they parked with the nozzles down to try and restrict wind flow through the turbine 

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205190563

 

rear doors usually up, forward could be both but often seen down

 

https://www.iwmprints.org.uk/image/743121/royal-navy-official-photographer-armourers-bombing-up-a-sea-harrier-on-board-hms-invincible-during-the-falklands-war-1982

 

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From what I read the sidewinder fit was one per wing.  The double fit did not come in till after the campaign I think.  I wonder what a difference it would have made to the air to air combats had they each had 4 winders instead of 2.  The A-4's and Daggers might have had an even worse time of it.

 

Useful info from Dave there

 

 

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17 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

In the Falklands they parked with the nozzles down to try and restrict wind flow through the turbine 

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205190563

 

rear doors usually up, forward could be both but often seen down

 

https://www.iwmprints.org.uk/image/743121/royal-navy-official-photographer-armourers-bombing-up-a-sea-harrier-on-board-hms-invincible-during-the-falklands-war-1982

 

I never knew that about the nozzles,one learns new stuff every day.

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40 minutes ago, Junchan said:

On page 207 of FALKLANDS The AIR WAR, there is a photo of the FRS. 1, ZA194/251 from 809 Squadron armed with two Sidewinders under each wing.

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

 

That's from the post-war Illustrious deployment. The dual AIM9 rail was developed and employed in time for that

Edited by Dave Fleming
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What Dave hasn't mentioned is that on HMS Hermes, the deck crews often wedge a broom handle into the intake to stop the turbine blades turning in the wind, the SHARs were usually parked facing partially forward as the photos Dave has provided links to confirms.

 

As for the Winder's they would be AIM-9L model on Hermes and Invinc, once the battle was joined. On the journey south they practiced with Ds, maybe Gs. The guard SHARs on Atlantic Conveyor carried D/Gs. 

 

On the Harrier SIG website's modelling page: http://www.harriersig.org.uk/models/index.htm you'll find a lot of notes which may help you, even though they are not about the Kinetic kit.

 

Please note that an overall Extra Dark Sea Grey SHAR did not have white paint anywhere in the intake interior; the intake and auxiliary intake door opening interiors were overall EDSG overall; even for the lower two aux doors, where the original white was overpainted. I have seen too many otherwise excellent overall EDSG or EDSG/White FRS1 models on these pages and elsewhere spoilt by having white intake interiors. 

 

Drop me a PM Steve and I'll send you something which will be very helpful for you.

 

Cheers

 

Nick 

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The team looking after one of Dave Morgan's SHARs on Hermes played a nice joke on him... They cut up a broom handle to look like lots of draughts and dropped them under the front nozzles, telling him they'd found a new way to make pieces for Uckers when he did his walk around.

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Are there any pictures of the broom handle trick? And  was it just the handle or the whole broom, presumably with the head stopping it slipping down the intake?

 

Cheers,

Gareth

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No pictures of the broom handle that I'm aware of; I'm sure someone will prove me wrong, one day!

 

PWII yes, the guidance and fin units fitted to a standard UK 1,000lb-er.

 

Usually carried by GR.3s but on 31 May, Lt Clive Morrell piloted FRS1 ZA191/18 on one sortie carrying two PWIIs with GR3 XZ989/07 flown by Sqn Ldr Peter Harris as the designator aircraft. SHAR FRS1s XZ455/12 flown by Lt Andy McHarg and XZ460/26 flown by Lt Cdr Rod Frederiksen accompanied them; the two SHARs each carrying two 1,000lb bombs. The original target was on Mount Usbourne, but was deemed too close to British positions, so an unknown target in Port Stanley was selected instead. The results of the attack are not known. This was the only LGB attack carried out by a SHAR.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers

 

Nick

 

Edited by NG899
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2 hours ago, NG899 said:

No pictures of the broom handle that I'm aware of; I'm sure someone will prove me wrong, one day!

 

PWII yes, the guidance and fin units fitted to a standard UK 1,000lb-er.

 

Usually carried by GR.3s but on 31 May, Lt Clive Morrell piloted FRS1 ZA191/18 on one sortie carrying two PWIIs with GR3 XZ989/07 flown by Sqn Ldr Peter Harris as the designator aircraft. SHAR FRS1s XZ455/12 flown by Lt Andy McHarg and XZ460/26 flown by Lt Cdr Rod Frederiksen accompanied them; the two SHARs each carrying two 1,000lb bombs. The original target was on Mount Usbourne, but was deemed too close to British positions, so an unknown target in Port Stanley was selected instead. The results of the attack are not known. This was the only LGB attack carried out by a SHAR.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers

 

Nick

 

They attempted to designate the target using the GR3 Laser Rangefinder and Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS), but as this laser worked on a different wavelength to the Paveway Seeker the bomb failed to guide.

 

Selwyn

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Thanks Selwyn. That explains the cryptic comment in Burden et al’s Falklands Air War book about why after that sortie it was decided that a Forward Air Controller with a (right - my word) designator had to be present on the ground for all future LGB attacks carried out by the GR 3s. Their wording implies that the attack may have failed due to bad weather.

 

Selwyn, thank you for fitting another piece in the jigsaw!

 

Cheers

 

Nick

Edited by NG899
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35 minutes ago, NG899 said:

Thanks Selwyn. That explains the cryptic comment in Burden et al’s Falklands Air War book about why after that sortie it was decided that a Forward Air Controller with a (right - my word) designator had to be present on the ground for all future LGB attacks carried out by the GR 3s. Their wording implies that the attack may have failed due to bad weather.

 

Selwyn, thank you for fitting another piece in the jigsaw!

 

Cheers

 

Nick

The LRMTS was the only Laser system that they had in the Falklands at the time  (This was long before the RAF/RN had anything like a Targeting Laser pod in service). 

The Harrier system  I understand was designed as its title says -  A Laser to rangefind -  its purpose to make its own bombing system more accurate.  If a ground FAC was present for a close support mission and he was equipped with a  laser designator he could Laser illuminate a hard to see ground target, the reflection of which  would been seen by the aircraft laser sensor which would indicate the target position on the ground to the pilot in the  HUD display.   By pointing the aircraft  ranging Laser at the target and trying to use it as an airborne designator for a Paveway they were effectively trying to make the system work in reverse.

 

If I recall correctly they sent some ground based designators down to the Falklands along with the Paveway bomb kits but the bomb kits arrived first, I understand that the ground designators Laser did not arrive until the day after the war ended. Hence the attempt to use the LRMTS to designate. 

 

Selwyn

Edited by Selwyn
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1 hour ago, Selwyn said:

The LRMTS was the only Laser system that they had in the Falklands at the time  (This was long before the RAF/RN had anything like a Targeting Laser pod in service). 

The Harrier system  I understand was designed as its title says -  A Laser to rangefind -  its purpose to make its own bombing system more accurate.  If a ground FAC was present for a close support mission and he was equipped with a  laser designator he could Laser illuminate a hard to see ground target, the reflection of which  would been seen by the aircraft laser sensor which would indicate the target position on the ground to the pilot in the  HUD display.   By pointing the aircraft  ranging Laser at the target and trying to use it as an airborne designator for a Paveway they were effectively trying to make the system work in reverse.

 

If I recall correctly they sent some ground based designators down to the Falklands along with the Paveway bomb kits but the bomb kits arrived first, I understand that the ground designators Laser did not arrive until the day after the war ended. Hence the attempt to use the LRMTS to designate. 

 

Selwyn

 

There were a few FACs with laser designators but they were never in the right place. The first successful LGB mission was on 13th June. Peter Squire attacked a position marked by a FAC with two LGBs. Later the same day, Jerry Pook did the same to a gun emplacement. There were further attacks underway on 14th when they were told to abort the attack due to white flags over Stanley

Edited by Dave Fleming
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