RAF Wittering, the Home of the Harrier, was once thriving with Harriers from a fighter squadron and conversion unit. We were given exclusive access into RAF Wittering to visit the Station Heritage Centre.
was once thriving with Harriers from a fighter squadron and conversion unit.
Today, inside RAF Wittering, is a special heritage centre, which has 4 Harriers, 2 cockpit sections, nostalgia and more from the Harrier era. There is even a Grob tutor inside to symbolise today’s activity at the base. The heritage centre is not open to the public but it relies on donations to keeping it maintained. The donations include actual sections of aircraft, refurbished parts and genuine parts that have been kindly donated. There is even a fifth Harrier belonging to the Heritage Centre but that is of course, todays gate guardian, but don’t worry I won’t mention her name. If you haven’t already, please watch The Home of the Harrier Part 1.
Maintaining the Heritage Centre is also a time consuming full time job. From filling the tyres with special foam to stop the tyres from deteriorating, to general upkeep. The Station Heritage Centre is a remarkable tribute to all ex and serving members of RAF Wittering, especially those associated with the Harrier.
The harrier was developed from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel. The Station Heritage Centre has a very early Harrier, one up from the Kestrel but it isn’t a Mk.1 Harrier but a pre production Mk.1 Harrier. There were only 6 of these ever made
There were so many slight differences between all the Harriers, for example, the tails, the noses were different between a GR1 and a GR3 and so on. Having them all around you gives you a chance to appreciate the Harrier’s evolution.
The GR3 here, used to be the gate guardian and had service in Belize from 1975-1993 with the 1417 Flt. As a gate guardian, it didn’t have a refuelling probe, but the generosity of donations allowed this GR3 to have a refuelling probe. It is actually a Sea Harrier probe but they are almost identical.
XV779 was originally built as a GR1 and delivered to the RAF in May 1970. It was subsequently converted to a GR3 when the Harrier fleet was upgraded. It operated with 3 Sqn at both RAF Wildenrath and Gutersloh in the 70s and 80s. It suffered a belly landing in 1974 after a hydraulic failure. It held the position of gate guardian for over 20 years before being replaced by a GR9 in April of 2011. And you know who has this position now.
The harrier can hover for a maximum of 90 seconds. In this amount of time, it would have used 50 gallons of water to keep the engine cool. This is why you could see water vapour from the thrust nozzles. The Harrier had only one jet engine (The Pegasus) but the four nozzles were able to direct the jet engine thrusts, making the aircraft hover.
The first flight of the harrier was in 1967. Being a VTOL aircraft of its kind, it has taken over 40 years for a VTOL aircraft to be in use, the F35B. Unlike the F35B, the Harrier was subsonic and did not have reheats. It was truly a one a kind.
The GR3’s of 1 Fighter Squadron served the Falklands War and were on the Atlantic Conveyor, on deck with the Sea Harrier. Serving us proudly in the Falklands, In June 1982, 12 GR3 Harriers of 1 (F) Sqn were flown from Wittering, via Ascension Island and mid-air refuelling with Victor tankers, on an 8,000-mile journey to the Falklands in 17 hours, which set an RAF record.
On 27 May 1982, Sqn Ldr (later Gp Capt) Bob Iveson was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and he ejected seconds before his aircraft exploded in mid-air near Goose Green. He evaded capture for two and a half days before being rescued by helicopter.
Special thanks, credits and references:
This video would not have been possible without the generosity of Chief Tech Pete Cross of RAF Wittering.
falklands35blog.wordpress.com...
www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisati...
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Негізгі бет Ойын-сауық Home of the Harrier Part 2 • RAF Wittering Station Heritage Centre • Harrier GR3 / GR7 / T4
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