ZD 667 - BAe Harrier GR. 3, 4(AC) Squadron, RAF Gütersloh, W. Germany

ZD 667 at the Bentwaters Cold War Museum in Suffolk.

 

ZD 667 was the first of a batch of four Harrier GR.3's built for the RAF as a stop-gap whilst the second generation Harrier GR.5, later converted to GR. 7 and GR. 9, were entering service in the late 80's. As a consequence of this, ZD 667 was actually a newer aircraft than several of the Harrier GR.9's that were in service with the RAF up until December 2010.

 

ZD 667 only spent 8 years in frontline service with the RAF before being retired. Following it's retirement from flying with the RAF in 1994, ZD 667 was transferred to the Royal Navy at the School of Aircraft Handling (SAH), RNAS Culdrose.

 

In 1999 ZD 667 was used by 2 School of Flight Deck Operations (SFDO) for training Fleet Air Arm groundcrew in the art of handling aircraft on carrier decks. With the loss of the Fleet Air Arm’s fixed wing component, due to the retirement of the BAe Sea Harrier, there was no longer a requirement for fixed wing deck handling training.

 

During May 2007, ZD 667 was moved to Culdrose’s satellite airfield at RNAS Predannack where it was used by the Fleet Air Arm Fire School for fire and crash rescue training.

 

In December 2012 ZD 667 was purchased by Everett Aero and subsequently bought by the Bentwaters Cold War Museum in February 2013.

 

ZD 667 has been re-painted in the markings it wore whilst assigned to IV (AC) Sqn. at RAF Gütersloh in West Germany during the late 1980's.

 

HISTORY.

Construction number: 712228

Place of manufacture: BAe Kingston

First flight: 26th. September 1986

Delivery date: 5th. November 1986

 

ASSIGNMENTS.

14th. November 86 to 1990: IV(AC) Sqn, RAF Gütersloh, West Germany, coded 'U'

1992: 233 OCU, RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire, coded '3F'

1993: 1417 Flight, Belize International Airport, Belize City, coded '3B'

1994: SAH, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, coded '3B'

1999: SFDO, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, coded 2, later changed to 67

May 2007: FFA Fire School, RNAS Predannack, Cornwall

8th. December 2012, Everett Aero, Bentwaters, Suffolk

February 2013, Bentwaters Cold War Museum, Suffolk

 

TECHNICAL SPECS.

Crew: 1

Length: 46 ft. 10 in. (14.27 m)

Height: 11 ft. 11 in. (3.63 m)

Wingspan: 25 ft. 5 in. (7.75 m)

Wing area: 201.1 sq. ft. (18.68 m2)

Empty weight: 13,535 lb. (6,139 kg)

MTOW: 25,200 lb. (11,431 kg)

Internal fuel capacity: 5,060 lb. (2,295 kg)

Combat drop-tanks: 2 x 790 lb. (358 kg - 100 UK gal. - 450 litres)

Ferry drop-tanks: 2 x 2,608 lb (1,183 kg - 330 UK gal. - 1,500 litres)

Engines: 1 x Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk. 103

Thrust: 1 x 21,500 lb. (96 kN)

Max speed at sea level: 635 knots (731 mph - 1,176 km/h)

g limits: +7.8 −4.2

Service ceiling: 51,200 ft. (15,600 m)

Combat range hi-lo-hi with 4,400 lb (1,996 kg) payload: 360 nm (410 miles - 670 km)

Combat range lo-ho with 4,400 lb (1,996 kg) payload:

200 nm (230 miles - 370 km)

Ferry range with 2 x 330 UK gal. drop-tanks: 1,850 nm (2,130 miles - 3,430 km)

 

WEAPONS

Guns: 2 x 30 mm (1.18 in.) ADEN cannon pods

Hardpoints: 4 x under wing & 1 x under fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 5,000 lb. (2,268 kg)

Rockets: 4 x Matra rocket pods with 18 x SNEB 68 mm (2.7 in.) rockets each

Missiles: 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinders air-to-air missiles

Bombs: A variety of unguided iron bombs, BL755 cluster bombs or laser-guided bombs

Others:

1 x Reconnaissance pod

 

 

 

Done