Harrier FA 2

They won’t be any good if we lack a CVS to operate them from, or indeed other Harriers to keep needed skills.

🙁

FA2 dummy deck

there’s 12 FA2s and 2 T8s at the dummy deck capable of running for ground crew training and 1 FA2 as a fire and rescue aircraft, non runner. There is also 1 FA2 at Predannack airfield.

Well there’s about twenty still in MOD hands..

So can anyone answer the question – is there really “about twenty” Sea Harriers at Culdrose? Presumably none are at Shawbury now?

Not as many as 20 Sea Harriers at Culdrose. Around half that number noted.

http://www.wattisham.org.uk/visit-culdrose-20090223.htm

http://www.targetlock.org.uk/seaharrier/production_uk.html

http://forum.scramble.nl/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=47003

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=547

TJ

So can anyone answer the question – is there really “about twenty” Sea Harriers at Culdrose? Presumably none are at Shawbury now?

Sorry forgot the smiley and here was me assuming that it was some new arty type livery for luvvies, maybe a nice lilac colour luvery 😀

He also thinks
Any idea what ‘luvery’ is?

Be nice if the SHars are still there, might have to pop down.

As the “u” is the first letter to the left of the “i” on a standard keyboard, he likely just mis-hit the key, then failed to catch it before posting.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/livery

1liv·ery
noun ˈli-və-rē, ˈliv-rē
plural liv·er·ies
Definition of LIVERY

2:
a : the distinctive clothing or badge formerly worn by the retainers of a person of rank
b : a servant’s uniform
c : distinctive dress : garb
d : chiefly British : an identifying design (as on a vehicle) that designates ownership

He also thinks

Another 2nd World War aircraft the Consolidated PBY5 Catalina seen here in U.S. luvery

Any idea what ‘luvery’ is?

Be nice if the SHars are still there, might have to pop down.

Obi

Do you know how many Shars are at Culdrose? This guy thinks that there are about twenty there.

See also the RN Fighters thread.

There’s 8-10 at the SFDO (School of Flight Deck Operations) RNAS Culdrose that are ‘runners’, that is kept in taxiable condition to provide trainee groundcrew on the dummy deck with realistic operating conditions (Noise/jet blast). A handful more in storage and bucketloads of spares on shelves. So we could probably regenerate a sqn of 10 -12 SHARS at a push.

With the proviso that several months would be needed, so good intelligence that a crisis is brewing would be needed, as would the political will to act upon it.

Considering that:

a)The SFDO Sea Harriers are maintained.
b)India wanted to buy some of the stored (at Shawbury?) ones, so they must have thought that they would be airworthy.
c)India will keep the Sea Harrier FRS51 going beyond 2020 if needs be.
d)Parts are being made for India, and could be built to print
e)Many ex Sea Harrier fliers are flying Harrier GR9s.
f)Arts Nalls has proved that the AV8B simulator can be used to simulate a Sea Harrier.
g)All sorts of things become feasible in a crisis, they did in 1982!
h)Adapt, improvise and overcome is part of the culture of the Royal Navy.

I would agree with OWR that the answer is yes, but it is a cautious yes. And it would not be as good as it would be had it not been removed from front line service. Hopefully the possibility of regenerating them is at least a minor deterrent.

See the PPRuNe Sea Jet thread. The possibility of regeneration is mentioned specifically from page 100 onwards.

With the cuts they’re looking for we could see brand new squadrons of them soon.

The first privately owned Harrier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szmYTeiHaIY

There’s 8-10 at the SFDO (School of Flight Deck Operations) RNAS Culdrose that are ‘runners’, that is kept in taxiable condition to provide trainee groundcrew on the dummy deck with realistic operating conditions (Noise/jet blast). A handful more in storage and bucketloads of spares on shelves. So we could probably regenerate a sqn of 10 -12 SHARS at a push.