Just being pedantic here, but for the record,
The prototype P.1127, XP831, and thus prototype to the whole P.1127 / Kestrel / Harrier line, is displayed in the Science Museum in London.
Three of the six P.1127s survive, including XP980 at Yeovilton, and XP984 at Brooklands.
The first Kestrel, XS688, is the one previously mentioned as being preserved at Dayton.
Unbelievably given the hazardous nature of the trials of pressing this new beast into service, the next five aircraft are preseved and displayed in the US, and one stuffed away in a storage hangar at Cosford. Thats seven out of the nine Kestrels built.
There were no prototypes as such with the Harrier (P.1127RAF), just six Developement Batch aircraft, the first was lost, but the second, XV277, is preseved at East Fortune and is thus the oldest surviving Harrier. The next Five of the six aircraft are preserved.
The oldest Sea Harrier surviving is the second of three Developement Batch aircraft, XZ439, and is airworthy (N94422) in the States, which along with survivor XZ440 was unfortunatly converted into an FA.2.
The two GR.5 (British Harrier II) DB aircraft, ZD318-‘319 aircraft survive.
That has to be some kind of record, out of the twentysix prototype and DB aircraft, nineteen survive! Not bad for something so revolutionary.
A couple of years ago I visited Brooklands and there was an early Harrier on display there, does anybody know why that particular airframe was significant?
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