1969 Air-race Harrier

Can’t help with the markings…..but I can still vividly remember the sight and sound as it blitzed very low and loud over our house on that sunny May day………the young lad who lived next door at the time ran in screaming to his Mum……:D

JagRigger et al,

The original Harrier OCU marking (before adoption of the Welsh wildcat flanked by bars) was actually of a gold coloured grasshopper (shown below).Northeagle is correct, the serial number was repeated on the nose.

XV741 and XV744 was seconded from the unit during initial staff training for use in the race ~before~ the acceptance by No.1 Sqdn of Harriers in late 1969.

Hope this clarifys things ?

Hi JagRigger,
Tried blowing them up…no good just a rectangle shape. However, the marking you are looking for appears to be just the aircraft number. Try here www.tricatus.co.uk/Harrier.htm Scroll down to the air race.

Best Wishes.
Robert.

Thanks for the pics – the one at Kings Cross is the best known and most seen. It appears from this shot that there is some kind of marking on the green portion at the nose, that is absent on the other aircraft ( 1 Sqn ‘bar’? ) It is this that especially interests me.

In the other shot the aircraft has what appears to be the Sqn badge over the fin flash which is not on 741……

From the RAF Museum website:-

11 May
An air race between London and New York is sponsored by the Daily Mail to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first transatlantic air crossing.

British military participation in the air race was co-ordinated by an RAF team under the codename Blue Nylon and included aircraft and crews of No.1 Squadron (Hawker Siddeley Harrier), No.55 and No.57 Squadrons (Handley Page Victor tankers), No.72 Squadron (Westland Wessex), No.543 Squadron (Victor SR2 reconnaissance aircraft) and No.892 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG1).

The shortest overall time between London and New York was achieved by Squadron Leader Tom Lecky-Tompson of No.1 Squadron (Harrier GR1) and the shortest time between New York and London was set by Lieutenant Commander Brian Davies (pilot) and Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard (observer) of No.892 Squadron (Phantom FG1).

Regards,

John.

From the RAF website:-

4-11 May 1969 – A Harrier of No. 1 Sqn wins the Daily Mail London – New York transatlantic air race. The flight involves 4 air-to-air refuellings and took 6 hr 11 min 57 sec.

Will try and find a link to some file footage when time permits:D .

John.

Was this the race from the top of the Post Office Tower to the Empire State Building when the Harrier pilot was taken by motorbike to the coal yard next to St Pancras station where the Harrier was already running, the ensuing take off spread coal dust over most of central London. I’m sure the event was covered by Tomorrows World and by the late great Raymond Baxter, they’ve probably got archive film of the event.
I’d forgotten about this, how many times would it have been refuelled over the Atlantic and by what, sounds a costly exercise to me, but presumably done to try and promote the sale of the Harrier worldwide, did it have any influence on the USMC purchasing the beast I wonder.
Just seen the pics after posting, I like the Class 45 leaving in the background, I bet the driver had a problem concentrating on the signals.

JagRigger,
Should be two pics here of the Harrier. One facing left is XV744 other one, over St Pancras Station is XV741. According to F. K Mason’s Harrier, both were of number 1 Squadron. Hope this helps.

Best Wishes.
Robert.