Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier FD.1 806NAS HMS Centaur late 1969

[TallEng]

Following the prolonged and successful sea trials with XP831 aboard HMS Ark Royal, including the
first VTOL flights from any ship, It was not suprising that the Admiralty should express an interest
in what was later to become the Harrier.
That they became the second British operator (see here http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,39849.0.html for the first  )
of the new fangled jump jet can only have rubbed salt into the wounds of the Air Ministry as the RAF waited in vain for the P1184,
Winner of NATO Basic Military Requirement 3 to start follow-on testing and enter production. Unfortunately for the RAF the P.1154
did not proceed as a result of political strife amongst the NATO partners.
So much for history....
To the pictures  
Which show Sea Harrier FD.1 XV749 '192' of 806NAS based on HMS Centaur in late 1969
Although these pictures appear to have been taken at RAF Hiding-in-the-Hedges, possibly during the annual RAF 'At Home day'
sometime in September.....









And seen here together with  Harrier GA.1 XV792 'K' From The AAC MTU



There's a kind of build thread here http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,39951.0.html should you be interested

Regards
Keith

[PR19_Kit]

Excellent stuff. 

I specially like the 'Tallerised' fin. 

[NARSES2]

Now that is elegant 

[Thorvic]

I Like it, probably could have done with Anti-flash blue codes and titles but those can be tricky to find and are designed for Buccs rather than Harriers

[DogfighterZen]

Both look great but i really prefer that big nose! 

[zenrat]

I'm ignorant of Harrier stuff and so probably don't appreciate this as a whiff like those above do.
I do appreciate it as a great build though.  Very well done.
I must get myself a Harrier and abuse it.

[Captain Canada]

Beauty. She looks so sleek like that. The changes really do change the look of her. Love it. The markings really suit it as well. Great job ! Love the pic of them together.

[Devilfish]

One of the development batch (DB) Harriers was fitted with a similar nose to house guidance hardware for Martel like that.  So not that far off reality.
By the way, with the underside intake, they are Sea Eagles, about 20 years too early.  Well, for the real world anyway....

[ChernayaAkula]

So cool!  That nose looks really good on the Harrier! 

[KiwiZac]

Lovely job and looks right for the period. Bravo.