Sea Harrier to Flixton Museum

you take that picture Darren?

Yes I did.

I have loads more, as we had Tornado GR4’s and F3’s / Jags / Harrier GR-7 and the Sea Harriers “calling in” for fuel that day. I will post them when the oppertunity arrises as I dont want to hijack this thread.

Seems so DB. It was only delivered on the 21st so, looking at my other pictures now, I’d reckon that it’s still being put together by the crew. There are plastic bags containing “bits” hanging in various places (see pic bleow). I certainly hope the museum has the nozzels as well, but as I said in the other post “. . . unless these things are in the “pack-up” kit”. Going to be a huge hole where the engine was though, I mean, the Peggy is pretty obvious when you look at a SHAR from the front. 😀 Nevermind 😉 .

It’s a good effort by Flixton and NAM for acquiring these two newly “historic” aircraft. Now. . . who’ll be the first to get a PR.9? :rolleyes:

Les – all the parts which appear to be removed from the airframe appear to be directly connected with the wing/tailplane removal for road transport so I should imagine there is a large box of bits to fill the gaps.

Of course not!
I think ZA175 and 176 will be one of the lucky ones that survive, and not turned into saucepans.

The Newark machine has no kills.

So? :confused: Should it be trucked away and used for landfill then as being unworthy?

The Newark machine has no kills.

Would that be Dave Morgan’s?

Moggy

No.
Lt Morrell on 21/5/82
Lt Cdr Auld on 24/5/82

Flt Lt Morgan: dropped a CBU on the FIGAS Islander VP-FAY in ZA192 on 1/5/82; attacked the Narwal in ZA191 on 9/5/82; took part in an attack (with others) which resulted in the destruction of two Pumas and an A-109A in ZA192 on 23/5/82; and ‘splashed’ two A-4Bs in ZA177 on 8/6/82.

Info from Falklands – The Air War.

Flood.™

Harrier on the M4 28 July 04

Evening all

Returning westwardsfrom a meeting in Reading yesterday at about 3pm near Swindon, I saw a Harrier or SHAR stripped fuselage on a trailer heading East.

Could this have been the Flixton one or if not, any ideas ?

Regards

Chris

you take that picture Darren?

Well now they are historic, its an excuse to post a picture!

Taken from a Tristar last year

Makes you realise that a lot of aircraft in museums, no matter how complete they appear to the eye, are missing an awful lot of bits! (Not all as many as this Sea Harrier, obviously)

On 21 July the Newark Air Museum also took delivery of a SHAR – ZA176 – from Yeovilton.

And here it is. Taken this afternoon. Not much of it as you can see. No engine, no fin/tailplane, multi-panels missing, unless these things are in the “pack-up” kit.

XZ457 (a primo Falklands veteran: a Skyhawk by AIM-9L and another damaged so severely by cannon fire that the pilot ejected and the aircraft was eventually brought down by Argentine AA on 21/5/82; and two IAI Daggers by AIM-9L on 24/5/82) at Boscombe Down

Flood.™

Would that be Dave Morgan’s?

Moggy

On 21 July the Newark Air Museum also took delivery of a SHAR – ZA176 – from Yeovilton.

I’d have imagined that if India was a serious consideration then they would have acquired some of these early retirees, even if just for training purposes.
Anybody feel intrepid enough to post that question on the flame and destruction forum?

Flood.™

First Sea Harrier FA2 on public display is probably the right term – XZ499 (Falklands veteran with a Skyhawk downed on 8/6/82) has been with the FAAMs reserve collection in Cobham Hall (and therefore not on constant display) since 11/02; ZD578 (not a Falklands veteran!) has been on the gate of HMS Heron since 12/02 – although this is hardly preserved, and only displayed to the public through a chain-linked fence. XZ457 (a primo Falklands veteran: a Skyhawk by AIM-9L and another damaged so severely by cannon fire that the pilot ejected and the aircraft was eventually brought down by Argentine AA on 21/5/82; and two IAI Daggers by AIM-9L on 24/5/82) at Boscombe Down is not constantly on display to the public either.
ZA175 would be the first preserved SHar2 on constant display (subject to opening times).
What am I arguing about, again?

Flood.™

Good museum though. For a privately-owned, free-admission collection its certainly a good day out. Three or four hours of an afternoon is well spent at Flixton.

I was here last Wednesday afternoon, my 4th visit. This place oozes nostalgia, if you have never seen a Valetta aircraft, they have only one of the two remaining in the world and you can go inside it up to the cockpit area then view through a perspex sheet. The ‘new’ hangar has been completely refurbished after being brought up from the old Ipswich Airport.

This museum is unlike Duxford, there is no flying activity, but you will be made to feel welcome, if you are ex RAF then they have a lot to interest you, uniforms, log books, many newspaper cuttings, a good air sea rescue museum, a Royal Observer Corps building and a lot more.

There is no charge and I usually chip in a fiver then feel very guilty that it’s not enough! I hope you guys that go on Sunday find it all a worthwhile cause, those volunteers put a lot of effort in without getting the huge lottery grants that some get at the drop of a hat.

The Lightning is most likely the most significant aircraft in the collection and deserves to be indoors. I hasten to add that the Canberra B(I)8 nose is now the largest surviving piece in the U.K and desperately needs a roof over it’s head. As for the Sea Harrier – the Boscombe Down Museum example is probably the first (F/A.2) on public display as such although the opening times are quite restricted. Whilst these machines are certainly Falkland veterans they are quite a bit altered from when they sailed to the Islands in 1982.

I wish they’d put the Lightning inside instead of a mock-up Spitfire

Or indeed the ever-deteriorating Meteor. Seems crazy to have a mock-up of a common aircraft like the Spit inside (along with another replica (?) under construction) and have types like the Lightning, Meteor and Javelin rotting away.

Good museum though. For a privately-owned, free-admission collection its certainly a good day out. Three or four hours of an afternoon is well spent at Flixton.

Nice Museum

It’s one of my favorites wghen I’m in the U.K. Good selection and a nice casual atmosphere.
Nice displays on local B-24 unit and U.S. fighter groups.
I really enjoyed going into their Valetta…

PS…I do wish they’d polish the Lightning. 🙂