Category: raf london

British Aerospace Harrier GR9A

The Harrier II resulted from a collaborative partnership between McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace to produce a second-generation Harrier based on the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B.

The project that eventually led to the AV-8B’s creation started in the early 1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom, aimed at addressing the operational inadequacies of the first-generation Hawker Siddeley Harrier. 

Because of budgetary constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975. Following the UK’s withdrawal, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B. While retaining the general layout of its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new, larger composite wing with an additional hardpoint on each side, an elevated cockpit, a redesigned fuselage and other structural and aerodynamic refinements. The aircraft is powered by an upgraded version of the Pegasus.

The UK, through British Aerospace, re-joined the improved Harrier project as a partner in 1981, giving it a significant work-share in the project. 

The Harrier II was derived from the AV-8B and incorporated an advanced wing design, improved avionics and increased bomb and missile-carrying capacity.

RAF variants started as the Harrier GR5, and were later upgraded as the GR7 and GR9. 

This Harrier GR9A was on display at RAF London.

Under the Joint Force Harrier organisation, both the RAF and RN operated the Harrier II under the RAF’s Air Command, including deployments on board the navy’s Invincible-class aircraft carriers. 

The Harrier II participated in numerous conflicts, making significant contributions in combat theatres such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The type’s main function was as a platform for air interdiction and close air support missions; the Harrier II was also used for power projection and reconnaissance duties. The Harrier II served alongside the Sea Harrier in Joint Force Harrier.

The RAF used them for attack and close air support duties in conflicts such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

There is also a BAe Harrier GR9A on display at RAF Cosford.

There is a BAe Harrier GR9A at the Imperial War Museum in London.

C-130 Hercules

This C-130 Hercules cockpit was on display at RAF London.

First flown as a prototype for the United States Air Force in August 1954, the C-130 Hercules, as a troop transport, disaster relief and aerial tanker aircraft has been a mainstay of the RAF transport fleet since the late 1960s (along with those of many other air forces); it has seen extensive operational use including the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

I’ve always liked the concept of gaming scenarios which include the C-130 Hercules, probably down to the Raid on Entebbe, which of course has been the subject of many films.

There are plenty of 1/72 model kits of the Hercules, but for 15mm or 28mm games there is less or no choice.

There is a Hercules C-130K Mk3 on display at RAF Cosford.

Buccaneer S2B

Buccaneer S2B XW547

Buccaneer S2B XW547 in Gulf War markings is on display at RAF London.

The Blackburn Buccaneer is a British carrier-capable attack aircraft designed in the 1950s for the Royal Navy (RN). Designed and initially produced by Blackburn Aircraft at Brough, it was later officially known as the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer when Blackburn became a part of the Hawker Siddeley Group, but this name is rarely used.

Designed for the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm as a carrier-borne attack aircraft, the Buccaneer S1 entered service in 1962.

As it proved to be underpowered, new production aircraft were fitted with Rolls-Royce Spey engines. The Buccaneer entered Royal Navy service in 1962.  The RAF adopted the Buccaneer in 1969 after the cancellation of TSR-2 and F111 long-range strike aircraft.

First deliveries of RAF Buccaneers were Fleet Air Arm aircraft, later aircraft were built specially for the RAF with larger fuel tanks, a strengthened undercarriage and provision to carry Martel anti-ship missiles.

The Buccaneer was originally designed in response to the Soviet Union’s Sverdlov-class cruiser construction programme. Instead of building a new fleet of its own, the Royal Navy could use the Buccaneer to attack these ships by approaching at low altitudes below the ship’s radar horizon. The Buccaneer could attack using a nuclear bomb, or conventional weapons.

The Royal Navy retired the last of its large aircraft carriers in 1978, moving their strike role to the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, and passing their Buccaneers to the RAF.

The ending of the Cold War led to a reduction in strength of the RAF, and the accelerated retirement of the remaining fleet, with the last Buccaneers in RAF service being retired in 1994 in favour of the Panavia Tornado.

There is a Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S2B at Duxford.

 

Sepecat Jaguar GR.1

This Sepecat Jaguar GR.1 was on display at RAF London.

The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force.

The aircraft served with the French Air Force as the main strike/attack aircraft until 1 July 2005, and with the Royal Air Force until the end of April 2007.

It was replaced by the Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF and the Dassault Rafale in the French Air Force.

Panavia Tornado GR1B

The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany.

The aircraft at RAF London carries the name ‘Bob’ from the popular television comedy series ‘Black Adder’.

The Turbo-Union RB199 is a turbofan jet engine designed and built in the early 1970s by Turbo-Union, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce, MTU and Aeritalia. The only production application was the Panavia Tornado.

Modified to a GR1B in 1994 to carrying the Sea Eagle anti-shipping missile.  The Tornado GR1B was a specialised anti-shipping variant of the GR1, replacing the Blackburn Buccaneer. 26 aircraft were converted and were based at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland. Each aircraft was equipped to carry up to four Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles.

Last served with No.2 (AC) Squadron. Delivered by road to RAF Museum London in July 2003.

A Panavia Tornado GR1 is on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Sopwith Triplane

The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It has the distinction of being the first military triplane to see operational service.

The triplane concept had a brief life and in less than two years it had been eclipsed by the new and more powerful biplane fighters on both sides.

The arrival of the Triplane on the Western Front in early 1917 made such an impression on the Germans that they produce their own triplane fighters, this lead to the Fokker Dr1 which the infamous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen flew. 

Both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service ordered the type but policy changes led to the Triplane only being used by the Royal Naval Air Service fighter squadrons on the Western Front.

The Sopwith Triplane at RAF London is one of only two known survivors.

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was one of the fastest aircraft of the war, while being both stable and relatively manoeuvrable. 

A formidable fighter, second only to the Sopwith Camel in reputation, the S.E.A was the most successful Royal Aircraft Factory design.

Wartime urgency meant five companies produced 5,125 S.E.5 aircraft in less than 18 months.

The S.E.5a at RAF London was one of a fleet of Hendon-based S.E.5a aircraft operated by the Savage Skywriting company from 1924 to 1930. It was built in Birmingham In 1918 and flew with the RAF Occupation Forces In Germany In 1919.

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E. 2b

The F.E. 2b was originally introduced as a two-seat fighter on the Western Front in late 1915, escorting unarmed reconnaissance aircraft in patrols over enemy lines.

German fighter aircraft could outperform F.E.2s by late 1916. Later F.E.2s were adapted for night bombing.

The fuselage frame of this composite reconstruction at RAF London is the largest original F.E.2b component known. It survived unfinished in the maker’s factory near Lowestoft. It is marked as F.E.2b A6526, which served in three squadrons until being written off by a forced landing on a night bombing sortie on 8 October 1918.

Sopwith F.1 Camel

This Sopwith F.1 Camel was on display at RAF London.

The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the best known fighter aircraft of the Great War.

The Camel was powered by a single rotary engine and was armed with twin synchronized Vickers machine guns. The Camel was the highest scoring British fighter of the First World War. It took its name from the hump over the breeches of the two machine guns.

It was challenging to fly well, it could kill an unwary pilot. Though difficult to handle, it was highly manoeuvrable in the hands of an experienced pilot. Camel pilots have been credited with downing 1,294 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter of the conflict.  It was ideal for daylight combat but versatile enough to allow it to be used for night fighting and ground attack, especially towards the end of the war when newer aircraft had better dogfighting capabilities.

This aeroplane was probably built by Boulton & Paul at Norwich. Sold as war-surplus, it briefly flew re-engined with a 45hp Anzani engine in 1923 and was part of the renowned Nash Collection from 1936. Restored at Heathrow airport 1958-1962.

Bristol F.2b Fighter

The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, “Brisfit” or “Biff”.

Although the type was intended initially as a replacement for the pre-war Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c reconnaissance aircraft, the new Rolls-Royce Falcon V12 engine gave it the performance of a fighter.

This particular example has been re-built to represent the aircraft flown by Captain W.F.J. Harvey and Captain D.E. Waight, No.22 Squadron, from Agincourt on 1 July 1918. The aircraft was modified, by the squadron, to take an extra Lewis machine gun on the centre section of the top mainplane.

Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitive F.2B version proved to be a manoeuvrable aircraft that was able to hold its own against single-seat fighters while its robust design ensured that it remained in military service into the early 1930s. Some surplus aircraft were registered for civilian use, and versions with passenger cabins were converted.

There was also a Bristol F.2b Fighter at Duxford.