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Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
There have been many requests for pictures of the HHC inhabitants, here for your enjoyment are some I took on Friday.
Four Harriers in one place!
GR1 Facsimile XV279 AKA The PLSTIC PIG!
The previous RAF WITTERING Gate Guard XV779
Newly arrived ZD318
A Mk 10 Ejection Seat
T4 XV779
The two Cockpit sections
A recent arrival behind 4 Sqns old hangar
They are absolutely crammed in the small corner of the old missile hangar and the lighting is abismal!
Four Harriers in one place!
GR1 Facsimile XV279 AKA The PLSTIC PIG!
The previous RAF WITTERING Gate Guard XV779
Newly arrived ZD318
A Mk 10 Ejection Seat
T4 XV779
The two Cockpit sections
A recent arrival behind 4 Sqns old hangar
They are absolutely crammed in the small corner of the old missile hangar and the lighting is abismal!
Last edited by XPLUMBER on Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
- uppergreen1
- Posts: 322
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
nice pics mate,is this place open to the public?
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
uppergreen1 wrote:nice pics mate,is this place open to the public?
Not that I'm aware of!
But you could contact RAF Wittering on 01780 783838 and ask to be put through to the HOLDING FLIGHT who are the custodians of the collection, that might just get you a visit! GOOD LUCK!
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
You found it then Dave
- uppergreen1
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 12:31 pm
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
thanks for the info,ill give it a try,cheers............ .
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
romeo bravo wrote:You found it then Dave
Oh yes, it would appear to have been used in wind tunnel work as a sleek GR1 at a guess, will be interesting to see what its identity really is!
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
It's not a GR.1 - intakes are different for a start (compare relief door positions). I'd guess a Kestrel fuselage that's been progressively modified to test intake and nose configurations for the Harrier (nose shape an early stab at the Sea Harrier?).XPLUMBER wrote:romeo bravo wrote:You found it then Dave
Oh yes, it would appear to have been used in wind tunnel work as a sleek GR1 at a guess, will be interesting to see what its identity really is!
Fascinating pics!
TSR2 - Britain's Lost Bomber - NOW OUT: http://www.tsr2.info
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Must try and get in touch with them at some point would love to go and have a look at this.....
Another minor small question I have is, whatever happened to that 2 seat Harrier which was for sale on ebay but had to be withdrawn due to the weapons issue?
Another minor small question I have is, whatever happened to that 2 seat Harrier which was for sale on ebay but had to be withdrawn due to the weapons issue?
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
is there a posabilty its this one?? XS694DamienB wrote:It's not a GR.1 - intakes are different for a start (compare relief door positions). I'd guess a Kestrel fuselage that's been progressively modified to test intake and nose configurations for the Harrier (nose shape an early stab at the Sea Harrier?).XPLUMBER wrote:romeo bravo wrote:You found it then Dave
Oh yes, it would appear to have been used in wind tunnel work as a sleek GR1 at a guess, will be interesting to see what its identity really is!
Fascinating pics!
http://www.demobbed.org.uk/image_view.p ... =xs694.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
the resent cover plates and new nose ,could have been done after the photo in the liken were taken? (2009)
its the only one i can find that would fit the bill.. all the other Kestrel fuselages are acounted for in the UK..this one was last to be found in Lebanon
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
DamienB - you say they are different, but according to John Farley's 2000 Lecture, intake design was changed twice during the development of the Harrier from the Kestrel.
Farley says "The intake design was changed twice in the pursuit of better specific air range in the cruise allied with good high altitude handling, without prejudice to the hovering performance. First 12 and then 16 auxiliary intake doors were fitted round the intake lip and also various boundary bleed door configurations were flown. The reaction controls were refined and to add a bit of polish to the V/STOL handling a new low authority pitch and roll autostabiliser was developed." http://www.harrier.org.uk/history/history_farley.htm
This fuselage has 12 doors so could be a hybrid/development of the P1127 (RAF), like the Plastic Pig. Don't think its XS694, damage shown in 'demobbed' photo isn't present on this particular fuselage, in fact the windscreen is intake, but taped.
Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this particular jet I'm with Xplumber on this, a testbed fuselage for some reason
Farley says "The intake design was changed twice in the pursuit of better specific air range in the cruise allied with good high altitude handling, without prejudice to the hovering performance. First 12 and then 16 auxiliary intake doors were fitted round the intake lip and also various boundary bleed door configurations were flown. The reaction controls were refined and to add a bit of polish to the V/STOL handling a new low authority pitch and roll autostabiliser was developed." http://www.harrier.org.uk/history/history_farley.htm
This fuselage has 12 doors so could be a hybrid/development of the P1127 (RAF), like the Plastic Pig. Don't think its XS694, damage shown in 'demobbed' photo isn't present on this particular fuselage, in fact the windscreen is intake, but taped.
Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this particular jet I'm with Xplumber on this, a testbed fuselage for some reason
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Gentlemen
A lot of the top of the airframe in that last picture is formed from POLYSTYRENE and PLYWOOD, it has no great strength and that is my reasoning for a wind tunnel model!
I too am VERY interested in finding out the story of this particular piece of Harrier history!
A lot of the top of the airframe in that last picture is formed from POLYSTYRENE and PLYWOOD, it has no great strength and that is my reasoning for a wind tunnel model!
I too am VERY interested in finding out the story of this particular piece of Harrier history!
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
XPLUMBER
Thanks for posting these. If nothing else at least they are warm and snug (lets hope the blasted bean counters don't find out).
p.s we're still being told that GSA will out of Wittering by April and that's it flying days are over????
Thanks for posting these. If nothing else at least they are warm and snug (lets hope the blasted bean counters don't find out).
p.s we're still being told that GSA will out of Wittering by April and that's it flying days are over????
Cheers,
Chris
Chris
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Chris
Not sure about the GSA, I presume you mean the Gliding and Soaring Association, I'll nip up and have a chat and hopefully have a go!
Not sure about the GSA, I presume you mean the Gliding and Soaring Association, I'll nip up and have a chat and hopefully have a go!
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
May it have something to do with the rumour of 5AEF coming in from Wyton It's still be mentioned around the bazaars and that would have a knock-on to the 4 Counties GSA.CH2 wrote:p.s we're still being told that GSA will out of Wittering by April and that's it flying days are over????
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
One contender could possibly be P.1127 XP976. This 'frame was reported scrapped at Faygate in 1994, with the tail section going to XV281. The question is was it scrapped? After all, many airframe sections from machines long since thought scrapped or lost have turned-up many years later.
Actually, no- cancel that statement, i've found images of it on the 'web', and it was in a shocking state in 1990, so doubt it is XP976
Actually, no- cancel that statement, i've found images of it on the 'web', and it was in a shocking state in 1990, so doubt it is XP976
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Well, they are different - the intakes on the example above are, as you say, 12 doors (6 each side) - by the time genuine Harrier (GR.1) production had begun it was 16 doors, so it isn't a GR.1 as most would understand the term (I understand some call the P.1127(RAF) the "GR.1(DB)" - DB for development batch). Looking at more photos the P.1127(RAF) fuselage looks closest, but of the ones that flew, five are accounted for (XV277-281), leaving only XV276, which crashed in 1973 and presumably would look a bit more battered than this example... I'd say it's probably a static/fatigue test airframe that got used for various other purposes once its useful life was up. Is Tim still on here, the research for his Harrier book may have turned up something on this?romeo bravo wrote:DamienB - you say they are different, but according to John Farley's 2000 Lecture, intake design was changed twice during the development of the Harrier from the Kestrel.
TSR2 - Britain's Lost Bomber - NOW OUT: http://www.tsr2.info
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Here is a closer view from as far to the port side as is possible to get to.
Another general shot.
A closer shot of the nose and intake areas.
It would be good to find someone who knows what it is, rumoured to have come from Warton!
Another general shot.
A closer shot of the nose and intake areas.
It would be good to find someone who knows what it is, rumoured to have come from Warton!
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
deleted
Last edited by Hawks922 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
- HaveQuick2
- Posts: 119
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Re: Harrier Heritage Centre - RAF Wittering
Thanks HQ2
So it is from Warton, how come it never got a Serial No?
Do you know anything more about it?
Dave
So it is from Warton, how come it never got a Serial No?
Do you know anything more about it?
Dave
CANONs carried by an ARMOURER!
hangars are for shirts!
hangars are for shirts!
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