Gate Guard Harrier at Cottesmore

Dick Everett had a GR.7 which had been ditched . I guess that will be preserved in due course . Apart from that not many! The one that should have been preserved in the U.K was ZD318 which effectively was the first U.K production Harrier II.

Hello David and all here,

I’ve just discovered this forum so please be gentle !

ZD 318 & 319 were always kept back as development aircraft, mostly at Dunsfold where they were built; ZD318 was the first British Harrier II to fly, in the hands of CTP Mike Snelling.

318 usually did avionics development, while 319 performed weapons & equipment trials, so software & hardware respecively; I usually went along to look after the onboard instrumentation cameras on ZD319, up to 16 could be carried in one go, 3 each side in modified CBLS200 practice bomb carriers, 2 wide angle facing forward by the airbrake, and 4 in each dummy mahogany gunpod, of which 3 faced outboard & 1 in each pod faced forward for gun, rocket & missile work.

ZD318 was retired because it was nowhere near production GR9 standard, through its’ testing career the aircraft was usually ahead but sometimes behind of or different to what the squadrons had, and nowadays there is an effort to avoid ‘fleets within fleets’ and to keep every aircraft to the same standard.

I heard ZD319 was overstressed while at Wart On, they tried flying it without pylons and it departed, at least that’s what I was told.

Both these aircraft, in my view especially ZD319, should be preserved and saved from the aeronautical National vandalism that the recent defence cuts represent.

I was one of two photographers at Dunsfold 1979-93, I loved it and left when I couldn’t stand what the bean counters were doing…

Hope the pics are of interest…

ZD318 Under build, Dunsfold; the chap leaning over the starboard side in a grey suit is Ted Fitton, in the words of John Farley ” the only person I know to survive a Mosquito engine failure on takeoff ! “…

ZD318 1st takeoff, 1st British Harrier II

ZD319 On Harrier II Rough Ground Trials, this is at Wittering on the PSP, camera gunpods and CBLS200’s.

ZD319 Rough Ground Trials Wittering, Test Pilot Graham Tomlinson. nb nose reaction control duct.

ZD319 landing on PSP, Rough Ground Trials Wittering ( these trials were also carried out at Boscombe ). Test Pilot Bernie Scott.

The GR1 DB is at Wittering in the Harrier shrine

Or as it’s officially known, the Harrier Heritage Centre…..

http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=52510

The GR1 DB is at Wittering in the Harrier shrine

Both F/A2’s are at Yeovilton

Sounds like they are trying to build up another squadron on the quiet.:D

Any idea what happened to the other old Harriers which were at Cottesmore such as the GR1 and a couple of FA2s?

Both F/A2’s are at Yeovilton

XW917 at her new home at Nats Swanwick

Any idea what happened to the other old Harriers which were at Cottesmore such as the GR1 and a couple of FA2s?

I suppose there must be P1127s or Kestrals in museums ?

P1127s at Science Museum, Yeovilton (fitted with Harrier wings) and Brooklands (although externally almoist identical to a Kestrel)

There are Kestrels in the US, two in Virginia (one ex-NASM), one at Wright-Patterson and one stored at Fort Rucker. There is also a surviving fuselage that was in Florida, but is now in Lebanon, Conneticut.

At least two of these were previously reported as scrapped and one as dumped in a river!

In the UK, the RAFM restoration centre at Cosford has XS695 under restoration (I beleive they ow have the correct wings – for many years she had P1127 wings fitted whilst a deck handling trainer with the FAA)

The 3 Sqn Harrier GR3 that used to be on display outside the Sqn HQ at RAF Cottesmore (now Kendrew Barracks) was moved to Coningsby several years ago and now guards the 3 Sqn HAS site . . .

Tony H

I suppose there must be P1127s or Kestrals in museums ?

Will post a pic of her at her new home tomorrow, been asked to hold off.

Easty

Cottesmore gate guard removal.

Not my pic, was emailed to me. If the owner is on here and wants it pulled, please let me know.

Yep recall XV281 well ! Had to unofficially rob at reb recepticle from her in 1991 to go on a GR.3 . She was a gutted GR.1 fuselage then.

Not so. The fuselage is all XV281

.

XV281

Yes Hybrid XV281 is around and about in the public domain but im not at liberty to say more just yet except to say, she is in safe hands.

The nose is GR1 XV281, the centre section is T4 and that tail section is unissued 1127.

Dave F86 -the East Fortune aircraft is from the same DB batch of six aircraft as XV279. They had design changes incorporated in them – the aux air doors being one of them . The hybrid fuselage of XV281 is still around too.

was told norfolk and suffolk, also asked a pilot at valley if the new 4 sqn wanted it, he’s going to ask if they have enquired. Apparently all the aircraft were to be disposed of with advice from the air historical branch. thats the line i got from cottesmores MCO but that was over a year ago.

Cottesmore

With the clearout from Rutland International carrying on, before the army take over. Has 4 Sqns Hunter moved off camp?

ZD318 and 319 were at cottesmore i helped unload them with crash and smash, they’ve been parked up on the far side for at least 2 years before coming back to the hangers to join the rest of the fleet in the last 6 months with sustainment fleet

Over on AiX, a post suggests that some sort of Harrier Heritage Centre is taking shape at Wittering including:

Here’s the thread LINK See Post #97

XV279 is NOT a GR1 – it’s a pre-production P1127(RAF) Development Batch aircraft. Unique in the UK as it still has it’s original intakes/side panels which diiffered from the production aircraft. The one presereved in Germany is also like that. XV277 at East Fortune has production ones.

I think ZD318/9/20 are still held by BAe at Warton.