Sea Harrier
These were fun. Re-built for Imperial War Museum Duxford, in Brickain, these two Sea Harriers had been salvaged from the Arizona desert, where they had been standing idle for thirty-four years. Odd that they should be found in America perhaps, but not when one realises that the American Marines operated these as close support craft for many years.
A build on the standard issue Marine Harriers (MB 9709), these had the additional supports and equipment to qualify them as the carrier operated variant so popular with the Brickish, and in keeping with the addition of an operational aircraft carrier to the superb set of exhibits administered by the Duxford people in 2012.
The American livery was retained in respect for the American Marines who had managed to preserve flyable specimens long after all the Brickish examples could no longer be kept airworthy.
These pictures were taken shortly before the two planes flew from the Yard's Port Block works.
Note the stylish use of snot-wise fairings around the rear of the fuselage, and the elegant cockpit arrangement. In contrast to many of the Port Block Yard's refits, these are entirely built from the original trimegabrikium - none of these pieces have been substituted with the higher quality legonium alloys of which the engineers are so fond. Here the work order said that authenticity was the key not glorious function (though the engineers made some little improvements here and there anyway).
In their day, weapons included unguided rocket pods with anti-armour or anti-personnel sets, and either anti-ship or anti-air missiles, but for the sake of the museum, the Yard's only provided non-firing replicas.
An interesting design, surprisingly cheap and durable. A lot of fun for the test pilots too. There had been some talk about taking two more and fitting them for operations from HES Valhalla, but it was decided instead to stay with the emphasis on heavy lifting rotary wing aircraft.
