Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Single-seat ground support fighter

Power Plant:

One 21,180 lbst Rolls Royce Pegasus 11 Mk 105 vectored thrust turbofan

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 25 mm Aden cannon, one each in ventral gun pod; two AIM-9L Sidewinder AAM missiles; seven BL755 cluster bombs; max external load 4,173 kg (9,200 lb)

History:

After many years of research into vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), on 21 October 1960 Hawker Siddeley flew, tethered, the P.1127 (XP831), a single-seat fighter designed around the Bristol Siddeley Pegasus engine which had four rotating exhaust nozzles to provide vertical and horizontal flight. The P.1127 series was followed by the Kestrel FGA Mk 1, nine aircraft being built for the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron from 1964, six known as the XV-6A being supplied to the United States of America for trials.

Tropical trials were flown in Sicily in August 1967. Production eventually commenced of the GR.1 for the Royal Air Force (RAF). This was the initial production model for the RAF and was for ground-support duties. Production comprised six pre-production aircraft and 78 production aircraft, delivery commencing from 1970. An improved model known as the GR.1A later appeared and 41 were delivered, along with a number of two-seaters.

The next main model was the GR.3, of which 36 were built (XZ128 to XZ139, XZ963 to XZ973, and XZ987 to XZ999), the first of this model flying on 9 January 1976. Fifty Mks 1 and 1A were converted, being fitted with the Pegasus 11 Mk 103 engine. Further development led to the AV-8A and TAV-8A for the United States Marine Corps (USMC), and the AV-8A (also Mk 58) and TAV-8A Matador for Spain, the Harrier T-4 for the Royal Navy and Sea Harrier FRS Mk 1, FRS Mk 51 and T Mk 60 for the Indian Navy.

In September 1969 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation (as it then was) signed an agreement with Hawker Siddeley Aviation for joint development of the Harrier and planned initially to commence production. In 1976 McDonnell initiated work on a series of aerodynamic improvements to the wing, fuselage and engine intake, resulting in the YAV-8B, the first of which flew on 9 November 1978. The AV-8 series was built in some numbers for the US Marine Corps and has seen combat in the Middle East. The Harrier saw combat with the Royal Navy in the Falklands War with a number of air-to-air victories being achieved over Argentine Air Force aircraft. The Kestrel series was developed to the Harrier, the first (XV276) flying on 31 August 1986.

Development of the type continued for some years through a succession of models, main customers being the RAF, Royal Navy (RN) and USMC. The Sea Harrier could operate off aircraft carriers, assault carriers and helicopter carriers, the aircraft’s performance with a load being improved by the installation of a “Ski jump” on most aircraft carriers from which it was flown.

Interest was shown in the Harrier by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on a number of occasions to operate from ‘HMAS Melbourne’ (ex ‘HMS Majestic’). This Majestic-class carrier with a displacement of 16,000 tons as completed on 8 November 1955 was built to carry ten aircraft and twelve helicopters. In June 1977 the carrier was in the United Kingdom as part of the Royal Navy Review of the Fleet at Spithead by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the Queens Silver Jubilee Review.

On 28 June RAN pilots tested the Harrier on board the carrier, with 16 landings and take-offs of the Sea Harrier being made off the English coast. The pilots were Lt Commander Barry Diamond and Lt Jack Mayfield. The flights involved two short take-offs, 14 vertical take-offs and 16 vertical landings. The tests, which were reported to be successful, allowed senior naval officers to put pressure on the Australian Government to buy a squadron of Sea Harriers to boost defence. Reports of the time stated the Government was looking very seriously at obtaining the type. However, none were obtained for operation by the Australian Navy.

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. ‘HMS Invincible’was the aircraft carrier offered to the RAN by the British Government, which was destined at one stage to become ‘HMAS Australia’ with a flight of Harriers, but the Australian Government decided not to replace ‘HMAS Melbourne’.

In 2005 a group associated with the Ashburton Aviation Museum in New Zealand obtained a Harrier GR.3 (XZ129) from the United Kingdom which was shipped to New Zealand. This aircraft spent most of its RAF career with No 1 Squadron and in the mid 1970s was shipped to the Falkland Islands as part of the RAF presence. It did not participate in hostilities and was shipped to Germany as part of the British NATO presence. It was then retired and became an instructional airframe at Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton Engineering School.

This machine was offered for sale by tender and acquired from the British Ministry of Defence via GJD Services. The Ashburton Aviation Museum was the successful tenderer. The aircraft was dismantled and shipped in two containers. It required some restoration work before being placed on display, including work on the wing section before the fuselage was re-fitted. It was finished in the colours of No 1 Squadron, RAF, with which it commenced service.

The Harrier has been displayed as a tribute to the type’s role in the Falklands conflict, the many New Zealand pilots who flew the type in RAF service, and as a tribute to the late Sir Kenneth Hayr, a New Zealander killed in an aviation accident, who was the commanding officer of No 1 Squadron, RAF, when it was first equipped with Harriers in 1969. Since its arrival in New Zealand a number of pilots who flew this aircraft with the RAF have visited the museum.

A further example of the Harrier arrived in New Zealand in March 2016. This machine, a Sea Harrier F/A.2 (c/n 912043/B37/P17), serial ZD580, was shipped from the United Kingdom for a private owner. This aircraft first flew in June 1985 and operated with No 819 Squadron RN. It was involved in a mid-air collision with a No 323 Squadron Royal Netherlands Air Force General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon (serial J-139) on 7 October 1996 off the Dorset coast during exercises. On this occasion it lost its radome, radar and port stabiliser but both aircraft recovered to Yeovilton, Somerset. It was not repaired at that time and was placed in storage pending repairs. It was still in storage in 2002 when the decision was made to retire the Sea Harrier and it was placed in storage at St Athan, Wales. It was struck off charge and sold to Everett Aero of Suffolk until it was exported to a private owner in New Zealand in October 2015.

In early 2016 it was announced a company Melbourne, VIC had obtained a retired Harrier XW271 from the United Kingdom. This aircraft was a T.4 which was displayed at the March 2017 Australian International Air Show at Avalon, VIC. XW271 was first flown on 26 May 1971 as a T.2 and was delivered to No 1 Fighter Squadron, RAF Wittering in Cambrideshire on 20 July 1971. It went through a number of upgrades during its life until it was converted to T.4 configuration in December 1973. These changes involved the installation of an up-rated Pegasus 103 engine, a Laser Rangefinder and Marked Target Seeker. It also served with No 233 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and later went to RAF Gutersloh in Germany.  After retirement it went to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall for use as an instructional airframe and later went to the Royal Navy School of Fire Fighting at RNAS Predannack in Cornwall. It was purchased by Advanced VTOL Technologies, a Victorian company, and was shipped to Australia, this company intending to restore the aircraft to ground running condition.