NAVY870 Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Shipmates As my Kinetic Sea Harrier approaches the bung the decals on stage I'd like to complete it as one of the aircraft that visited NAS Nowra for the 75th anniversary of the RAN in 1987 As you can see side numbers are easy but no idea of the serial numbers Any assistance gratefully accepted. Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 this is likely to be a @NG899 question, as Nick is "Leader - Harrier Special Interest Group, IPMS(UK)" HTH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junchan Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 The first photo is XZ492 of No. 800 Sqn. https://www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/25134620555/in/photolist-2jMXVvC-2ivRVX9-bz6b4A-QavBYN-2hTPQm5-pxQ9Um-Ei4v1P-bEhbzP-pgv6Xr-99nfFx-cjnnKh-244hB56-7auVfX Jun in Tokyo https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 16 hours ago, Junchan said: The first photo is XZ492 of No. 800 Sqn. https://www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/25134620555/in/photolist-2jMXVvC-2ivRVX9-bz6b4A-QavBYN-2hTPQm5-pxQ9Um-Ei4v1P-bEhbzP-pgv6Xr-99nfFx-cjnnKh-244hB56-7auVfX Jun in Tokyo https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums Champion. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Monday Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) This is not a Sea Harrier or even a Royal Navy Harrier but it is at sea and does carry "Royal Navy" titles! So technically it is a "Sea Harrier" of sorts. The photo caption online says this is XV281 but I am not so sure. The letter or numeral above the fin flash looks like a "5" instead of an "E" that XV281 carried during the HMS Eagle trials. It does appear to be a P1127(RAF) pre-production aircraft and not a GR3 or even a GR1. The vessel in question is apparently HMS Hermes. Can anyone offer any further information in relation to this aircraft, its identity and its markings? A clearer photo would be appreciated. I am researching early-production and trials Harriers (original and Harrier IIs) and this looks like an interesting scheme. Thanks. BM. Edited December 27, 2020 by Blue Monday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junchan Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 On 12/28/2020 at 1:01 AM, Blue Monday said: This is not a Sea Harrier or even a Royal Navy Harrier but it is at sea and does carry "Royal Navy" titles! So technically it is a "Sea Harrier" of sorts. The photo caption online says this is XV281 but I am not so sure. The letter or numeral above the fin flash looks like a "5" instead of an "E" that XV281 carried during the HMS Eagle trials. It does appear to be a P1127(RAF) pre-production aircraft and not a GR3 or even a GR1. The vessel in question is apparently HMS Hermes. Can anyone offer any further information in relation to this aircraft, its identity and its markings? A clearer photo would be appreciated. I am researching early-production and trials Harriers (original and Harrier IIs) and this looks like an interesting scheme. Thanks. BM. This is a GR. 1, XV281/B (not V as stated in IWM photo caption) on board HMS Hermes in the 1977 trial. On this occasion, three other Harriers participated in the trial as shown in this photo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_world_2011/5932723369/in/gallery-39411748@N06-72157626999028999/ Jun in Tokyo https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NG899 Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Happy New Year folks! @NAVY870 - The two SHARs are, depending on the exact dates of your two photos - ZD578 was 125/N with 800 NAS from 4 March 1987. As your photo has a fin code letter, I'd say it was ZD578. - XZ492 was 125 with 800 NAS up to that date. - 003/N is proving elusive. XZ451 was 003/R in Dec-85. XZ495 was 003/N when 801 NAS visited Ohakea in NZ in Nov-83; the photo shows the fin code clearly being N. On its visit to NZ XZ495 had the name of LT CDR M W WATSON RN in white under the windscreen on the starboard side only. If you can confirm the exact dates of the visit, I will dig further. (Source: Air Britain's Fleet Air Arm Serials) Both overall Dk Sea Grey SHARs have natural metal front nozzles, with Light Aircraft Grey intake interiors, white airbrake and wheel bays but the inside of the AB would be DSg with a white number 5 or 3 inside it. On the Hermes deck trials of 1977, Jun is correct! As you can see from one of the photos in the link all had white photo-marking stripes on the intake sides and just under the tailplane on the stbd side; the markings being different for each Harrier involved in the trials. The markings enabled "fixed-speed" cameras to be used to calculate the exact speeds of the Harriers over the deck and at take-off. Bye for now Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted January 5, 2021 Author Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, NG899 said: - ZD578 was 125/N with 800 NAS from 4 March 1987. As your photo has a fin code letter, I'd say it was ZD578. Nick The photo was taken at NAS Nowra 75th anniversary airshow in late 87. That would make it ZD578 me thinks. Many thanks Edited January 6, 2021 by NAVY870 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 @NAVY870 Steve, I’m interested in this topic as I have an FRS.1 in my stash. Reading up on the history of HMAS Albatross on the navy.gov.au site, it lists the 75th Anniversary air show as 6 October 1986 which from @NG899 Nick’s dates above suggests XZ492 again. Regards the other photo, I found this extract from an article on aeropedia which may help date the other photo as 1983. “Harriers have visited this region on a number of occasions on board Royal Navy carriers. One was the 75th Anniversary of the RAN for an airshow at ‘HMAS Albatross’ at Nowra in October 1986; another was the visit of ‘HMS Invincible’ in December 1983 to Sydney, four of its aircraft from No 801 Squadron being flown off for exercises with the RAN from Nowra; and the Bi-Centennial Air Show at RAAF Richmond, NSW in October 1988. https://aeropedia.com.au/content/hawker-harrier/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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