Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Harrier>HA4104
Sea Harrier FA.2 ZH809 No. 899 NAS "Admiral's Barge" 25 Years Anniversary Special, England, 2004
General Background
The BAe Sea Harrier FRS1 first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980. The aircraft is a naval VTOL/VSTOL jet fighter designed for reconnaissance and attack roles. In 1993 an improved variant of the Sea Harrier was produced as the FA.2 with a more powerful engine, improved air-to-air capabilities and weapons options. The FA.2 was produced until 1998 and continued in service until 2006 when it was replaced by the Harrier GR9. 56 FA.2 Sea Harriers were produced for the Royal Navy.
The Aircraft
To mark the No. 899 Squadron’s 25 years equipped with the Sea Harrier ZH809 was given
a special paint scheme. The color was supposed to be Dark Sea Gray but it wasn’t
available but Roundel Blue was and ZH809 was named “The Admiral’s Barge” and became
the star at air shows. ZH809 joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1998 and withdrawn from service in
2006 with only 1,073 flying hours. The aircraft went to Culdrose to train flight deck crews
and eventually went to a museum in Athens Greece.
Specifications :
| Crew: | 1 X pilot |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 46 ft. 6 in. (14.2 m) |
| Wingspan: | 25 ft. 3 in. (7.6 m) |
| Height: | 12 ft. 2 in. (3.71 m) |
| Wing Area: | 201.1 ft². (18.68 m²) |
| Performance | |
| Power Plant: | 1 X Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan producing 21,500 lbf (95.64 kN) |
| Maximum Speed: | 735 mph (635 kt. / 1,182 km/h) |
| Combat Radius: | 620 mi. (540 nmi. / 1,000 km) |
| Ferry Range: | 2,000 mi. (1,740 nmi. / 3,600 km) |
| Service Ceiling: | 51,000 ft. (16,000 m) |
| Rate Of Climb: | 50,000 ft./min. (250 m/s) |
| Weights | |
| Empty: | 14,052 lb. (6,374 kg) |
| Maximum Take-Off: | 26,200 lb. (11,900 kg) |
| Armament | |
| Guns: | 2 X 30 mm (1.18 in.) ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage – 130 rounds each |
| Hardpoints: | 2 X auxiliary drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time |
| 4 X under-wing pylon | |
| 1 X fuselage center-line pylon + 2 X attach points for gun pods capable of carrying 8,000lb (3,630 kg) | |
| Rockets: | 4 X Mantra rocket pods capable of carrying 18 X SNEB 68 mm rockets each |
| Missiles: | (1) X GAU-12U "Equalizer" 25 mm (0.98 in) cannon with 300 rounds of ammunition. |
| Air-To-Air | |
| AIM-9 Sidewinder missile | |
| AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) (pronounced "am-ram") | |
| Air-To-Surface | |
| ALARM (ARM) anti-radiation missile | |
| Martel (ARM) anti-radiation missile | |
| Anti-ship | |
| Sea Eagle missile | |
| Bombs | |
| Numerous types of unguided bombs |