Rolls Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (Flying Bedstead) (XJ314)  [@ London Science Museum]

Made of tubular steel and powered by two opposed Nene 101 engines the Flying Bedstead was purely a test rig.   With 92% of the available thrust directed downwards and the remainder being directed forwards and backwards, the first rig, later designated XJ314, first flew in the tethered hovering mode on the 9^th July 1953 and in the free flight mode on the 3^rd August 1954.   By December 1954 XJ314 having completed 224 tethered and 16 free flights was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Bedford for additional trials.  Following an accident on the 16^th September 1957 when the artificial stability control failed while hovering XJ314 struck the ground inverted but fortunately the pilot escaped.  Written off, XJ314 was rebuilt for display at the Science Museum.  A second rig, XK426, flew on the 12^th November 1956 but crashed on the 27^th November 1957 on a tethered hovering flight killing the pilot.

XJ314 was first flown in the tethered hovering position on the 9^th July 1953 and in the free flight mode on the 3^rd August 1954.

Short SC.1 (XG900)  [@ London Science Museum]

In 1952 the Air Ministry issued specification ER.143D for a conventional aircraft which would be capable of vertical and horizontal flight.  In 1954 Short Bros was awarded a contract for the manufacture of two prototypes, XG900 and 905.  Powered by five RB.108 engines of which four supplied the lift.   XG900 was completed and shipped to Boscombe Down for initial trials on the 2^nd April 1957 with only the propulsion engine fitted while XG905 was fully fitted by the September when the lift engines were run.  The first tethered hovering flight was on the 23^rd May 1958 with the first free flight taking place on the 25^th October.  Unfortunately XG905 crashed killing the pilot but after a rebuild joined XG900 at the RAE.  Although vector thrust technology had overtaken the dual engine approach the two aircraft remained on trials tasks until retired in 1971.

XG900 was first flown on the 2^nd April 1957 and retired to the Science Museum in June 1971.

The Harrier traces its lineage back to 1957 when Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Limited launched the concept of the P.1127 V/STOL aircraft.  Prior to the P.1127 project Hawker Aviation had been working on a replacement for the Hawker Hunter, the Hawker P.1121, however the P.1121 was cancelled shortly after the 1957 Defence Review.  The P.1127 design began in 1957 and was designed around the Bristol BE.53 vectored thrust engine, the forerunner of the Rolls Royce Pegasus.  In this revolutionary turbofan, air from the fan and the low- pressure compressor is divided is diverted to the front pair of vectoring nozzles, while remaining engine thrust is directed through the rear pair of rotating nozzles.  By 1960 the Ministry of Supply had issued ER.204D for the funding of two prototypes.  Hawker Siddeley had also undertaken considerable development work on a supersonic version of the P.1121, the P.1154, for use with both the RAF and Royal Navy. 

The P.1154 would replace the Hawker Hunters of the RAF and the de Havilland Sea Vixens of the Fleet Air Arm.  Following a Government Defence Review in 1964 the P.1154 project was also cancelled leaving the Royal Navy to acquire the McDonnell Douglas Phantom II and the future BAC TSR.2 for the RAF.  The photograph above shows a  BS100 engine that was been developed for the P.1154.  Derived from the British Siddeley Pegasus engine, the BS100 was first test run in 1964 and uses after-burning to raise the thrust to 35,000lbs.  Designed and built in Bristol the BS100 was never developed beyond the prototype stage and only a few were built.  In the photograph the engine is mounted upside down.  This was done during the test programme to simplify support requirements for the engine.

Hawker Siddeley P.1127 (XP831)  [@ London Science Museum]

The first prototype P.1127, XP831, was delivered in July 1960 powered by a Pegasus 1 engine.  Testing began straight away and by the end of the year the aircraft had achieved both vertical take-off and horizontal flight.  The first tethered flight took place at Dunsfold Aerodrome on the 21^st October 1960 and free flight hover was achieved on the 19^th November.  The first conventional take-off was on the 13^th March 1961 and transition from vertical to horizontal flight was achieved in the following September.  A second prototype, XP836, made its first take off conventionally on the 7^th July 1961 also powered by the Pegasus 1 engine.  The test program also explored the possibility of use upon aircraft carriers with XP831 performing the first carrier vertical landing on HMS Ark Royal in 1963.  Four more prototypes (XP972 (first flown on 5^th April 1962) - Pegasus 2 engine, XP976 (first flown on 12^th July 1962) - Pegasus 3 engine, XP980 (first flown on 24^th February 1963)– Pegasus 3 engine, XP984 (first flown on 13^th February 1964) were ordered.  Apart from improvements in the Pegasus power-plant the first four prototypes were quite similar.  However, the fifth, XP980, introduced the taller fin and tail-plane anhedral (as seen later seen on the Harrier).  While the last P.1127, XP984, introduced the swept wing and the Pegasus 4 engine to became the prototype Kestrel FGA.1.   The first three P.1127s crashed, XP831 during the Paris Air Show on 16^th June 1963 but was fully repaired and resumed development flying and the second and third prototypes crashed during development.  XP836 crashed near RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, on 14^th December 1961 and XP972 crashed near RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, on 30^th October 1962 and both were scrapped following the crashes.  Fortunately all the pilots involved survived.  XP976 was scrapped in 1982 and XP984 crashed landed on 19^th March 1965 at Thorney Island, West Sussex.  XP984 was then rebuilt but crashed again on 31^st October 1975 at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Bedford, Bedfordshire, during development work for the Harrier.  It is presently at the  Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey.

The first prototype P.1127 to be built, XP831 was first flown in the tethered hovering mode on the 21^st October 1960 and in the free flight mode on the 19^th November 1960.  XP831 flew for the last time on 10^th October 1972.  First placed on display at RAF Hendon on the 13^th November 1972 and later moved to the Science Museum.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier P.1127 (XP980)  [@ Fleet Air Arm Museum]

Based upon the P.1127/Kestrel XP984 prototype nine Pegasus 5 engined evaluation aircraft were ordered as the Kestrel FGA.1 with the first, XS688 flying on the 7^th March 1964.  The Kestrel was evaluated by pilots of the RAF, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and the federal German Luftwaffe.  A special Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES) within the Central Fighter Establishment was formed on the 15^th October 1964 at RAF West Raynham, Norfolk.  XS688 was delivered to TES on 25^th June 1964, XS689 (first flown 28^th May 1964) on 15^th July 1964, XS690 (first flown 5^th August 1964) on 17^th September 1964, XS691 (first flown 5^th September 1964) on 11^th November 1964, XS692 (first flown 7^th November 1964) on 8^th January 1965, XS693 (first flown 25^th November 1964) on 29^th January 1965, XS694 (first flown 30^th January 1965) on 30^th March 1965, XS695 (first flown 19^th February 1965) on 26^th March 1965 and XS696 (first flown 5^th March 1965) on 26^th March 1965.  The evaluation was completed on the 30^th November 1965 and during the testing one Kestrel (XS696) was lost.  XS696 was written off on 1^st April 1965 when it caught fire and crashed on take-off from RAF West Raynham.  Classified as a Cat.5c, XS696 was Struck off Charge on the same day and scrapped after components recovery.  The crash happened on the tenth flight, just nine days later.  XS696 had been allocated USAF Serial 64-18270.  The Tripartite Squadron was disbanded on 30^th November 1965 and the Kestrels were returned to Hawker Siddeley at Dunsfold for inspection and overhaul.  Later Kestrel XS693 was transferred to Blackburn for modification to take the up-rated Pegasus 6 (Mk 101) engine.  Unfortunately, XS693 suffered an crash on 21^st September 1967 during a flight from Filton to Boscombe Down.  The engine surged and was badly damaged when the pilot failed to close the HP cock quickly enough.  Unable to relight the engine, the pilot was forced to eject at 200 feet at High Post near Stonehenge, Wiltshire, when he realised he had insufficient height to reach the airfield at Boscombe Down.  Written off on the same day as the accident, XS693 was finally Struck off Charge as a Cat.5c on 12^th December 1969.  XS693 had been allocated USAF Serial 64-18267 but the serial had not been taken up.

The fifth prototype P1127, XP980, was built at Kingston-upon-Thames and first flown on the 24^th February 1963.  After flight trials with the A&AEE and pilotless crash barrier trials at RAE Bedford, XP980 was used from August 1975 at Royal Aircraft Establishment Bedford for Sea Harrier restraining hook trials.  On the 9^th October 1980 XP980 was transferred to the School of Aircraft Handling at RNAS Culdrose as A2700 for dummy deck training.  Repainted in 1981 to look like a Sea Harrier XP980 was moved to the Fleet Air Arm Museum on the 9^th March 1989 for display.

Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 (XS695)  [@ RAF Cosford]

Similarly the T.2 was upgraded along the same lines as designated the T.4 variant (11 built + 14 T.2 or T.2A conversions) but reverted to the original lower fin of the early T.2 and was fully combat capable.  By deleting the laser nose, hence saving weight, the T.4A variant (1 built + 4 T.4 conversions) achieved a much greater range.  The last GR.3 was delivered in December 1986.  During the Falklands War in 1982 10 RAF GR.3s of 1 Squadron operated from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.  Although not designed for navel service the aircraft were modified against corrosion and a new deck-based inertial guidance aid was devised to allow the RAF Harrier to land on a carrier as easily as the Royal Navy Sea Harrier.  In addition transponders were fitted to guide the aircraft back to the carrier during night-time operations as well as flare and chaff dispensers.  The main role of the GR.3 was to provide close air support to the ground forces and was also used in ground-attack missions against the main airfield and runway at Stanley.  By modifying the outboard weapons pylons to take air-to-air Sidewinder missiles the RAF GR.3 was also used to support the Sea Harrier in fleet air defence and combat air patrols against Argentine fighters.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 (XZ133)  [@ RAF Duxford]

A Falklands veteran, XZ133 was first flown on the 4^th May 1976 and delivered to 233 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering on the 9^th July 1976.  Allocated to 1 Squadron on the 29^th March 1982, XZ133 was deployed to the British Fleet during the Falklands War.  Flown from RAF Wittering to RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall, on 28^th May 1982 and then directly to Wideawake, Ascension, on 29^th May 1982.  On the 1^st June 1982 XZ133 together with XV778 were flown directly from Wideawake directly to HWS Hermes with the support of 4 Handley Page Victor tankers.  For both “ferry flights” XZ133 was fitted with an In Flight Refuelling (IFR) probe, 2 x 100 gal tanks on the outer pylons and 2 x 330 gal ferry tanks on the inboard pylons.  The 330-gal ferry tanks were jettisoned prior to landing on Hermes but the 100-gal tanks being retained.  Operating from HMS Hermes and the temporary forward airstrip at Port San Carlos XZ133 flew at least nine ground attack sorties against Argentine forces between 2^nd and 14^th June 1982.  Following the surrender XZ133 transfer to RAF Stanley on 4^th July 1982 but unfortunately suffered Cat 4 damage on 28^th July when a portable hangar collapsed during a storm.  Airlifted by Chinook XZ133 returned to the UK aboard HMS Invincible and off loaded at by Chinook to RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, on 16^th September 1982.  Transported by road to RAF Wittering between 11^th and 13^th October 1982 for repair XZ133 went on to serve with 3 and 4 Squadrons at RAF Gütersloh, Germany, and 1 Squadron at RAF Wittering before entering RAF Duxford museum during 1993.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier AV-8A (159233)  [@ Imperial War Museum - Manchester]

The Harrier used 1950s technology in the airframe design and construction and in systems.  So by the 1970s, despite systems updates, this was restricting the further development of the aircraft's potential.  As a result of pressure from the USMC for a more capable aircraft the McDonnell Douglas was contracted in 1978 to develop the Harrier II.  In the meantime the RAF required a more capable aircraft and BAe designed a variant with a larger wing to specification ASR409.  By 1981 an agreement was reached for a common type to become the Pegasus 11-21 (Mk 105) powered AV-8B/GR.5.  A prototype AV-8B Harrier II first flew in November 1978 and was followed by the first development aircraft in November 1981 with production deliveries to the USMC beginning in 1983.  Spain became the first international operator by signing an order for 12 AV-8Bs in March 1983 and was designated the VA-2 Matador II by the Spanish Navy.

Constructed as an AV-8A by Hawker Siddeley, 159233 was delivered to the United States Marine Corps on 5^th April 1974 and entered service with the Marine Attack Squadron 513 (VMA-513) based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, on 31^st December 1974.  On 11^th July 1984 159233 was allocated to Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231) based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.  When Struck off Charge 159233 was presented to the Fleet Air Museum at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, and flown to the UK inside an RAF Hercules on 6^th June 1987.  In the photographs 159233 is displayed at the Imperial War Museum North.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier AV-8A/AV-8C  (159241)  [@ Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona]

Hawker Siddeley Harrier TAV-8A  (159382)  [@ Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona]

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 (XZ997)  [@ RAF Hendon]

Powered by the Pegasus 11-21 (Mk 105) engine the GR.5 (43 built) had a new composite wing of much larger area and a revised forward fuselage and cockpit for improved visibility as well as significantly improved avionics.  The wing had large slotted flaps linked with nozzle deflection at short take-off unstick to improve control precision and increase lift.   Leading-edge root extensions (LERX) were fitted to enhance the aircraft's air combat agility by improving the turn rate, while longitudinal fences (LIDS, or Lift Improvement) incorporated beneath the fuselage and on the gun pods to capture ground-reflected jets in vertical take-off and landing, gave a much greater ground cushion and reduce hot gas recirculation.  With eight under-wing hard-points and one under the fuselage this variant could carry 9,200 lbs of armaments plus two 25 mm cannon.  The prototype, ZD318, first flew on the 30^th April 1985 and the variant entered service in July 1987.   1 Squadron based at RAF Wittering became operational from the 23^rd November 1988.  Due to problems with production of the GR.5 the variant was seen only as an interim before the introduction of the GR.7.  The GR.5A variant (19 built) was similar to the GR.5 but with the GR.7 standard fitments and was immediately placed into storage for full conversion later; the first being ZD432. 

A Falklands veteran, XZ997 was first flown on the 21^st January 1982 and entered RAF service with 4 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh, Germany, on the 12^th February 1982.  Transferred to 1 Squadron at RAF Wittering, Lincolnshire, on the 12^th February 1982 and prepared for Falklands War service.  On the 4^th May XZ997 was flown from RAF St.Mawgan, Cornwall, to Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island - a tip 4,600 miles in 9 ¼ hours which was achieved with the use of additional fuel tanks (2 x 100 gal tanks on the outer pylons and 2 x 330 gal tanks on the inboard pylons) and Handley Page Victor refuelling tankers.  Transferred on the 6^th May to the “Atlantic Conveyer” for transportation to the Falklands but fortunately was transferred on the 18^th May to HMS Hermes.  From the 21^st May (initial British landings at San Carlos Water) until the 14^th June (Argentine forces surrender) XZ997 was involved in daily sortie operations with 1 Squadron flying from HMS Hermes.  XZ997 had returned to RAF Wittering by the 6^th October and was then transferred back to 4 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh on the 21^st February 1984.  However, XZ997 returned to the Falklands on the 14^th June 1984 to provide air defence with 1453 Flight.  Upon completion of the new airport at Mount Pleasant on the 12^th May 1985 1453 Flight was disbanded and so XZ997 returned to the UK.  XZ997 continued in RAF service with 233 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering, 1 Squadron also at RAF Wittering before returning to 4 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh on the 6^th December 1988.  The last flight was on the 21^st August 1990 when XZ997 flew to RAF St. Athan, Glamorganshire, for storage before finally entering the museum on the 4^th December 1991.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 (XZ968)  [@ Muckleburgh Collection]

Basically the GR.7 variant (53 built including the GR.5A conversions and 30 converted GR.5s) was similar to the GR.5 including the armament and power plant but had night attack capability.  This resulted in a slight change in the nose profile to accommodate forward-looking infrared imaging system (FLIR) in a fairing above the nose and two smaller bulges below the nose to house the forward Zeus ECM (Electronic Counter Measure) antennae.  The GR.7A variant was a GR.7 upgrade but with the more powerful Pegasus 11-61 (Mk 107) engine fitted. 

XZ968 first flew on the 31^st October 1980 and enter RAF service on the 10^th December 1980.  Later used as a ground instructional airframe at RAF Marham, Norfolk, XZ968 was delivered by RAF Chinook to the museum 1^st February 1995.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.5A/GR.7/GR.9 (XD461)  [@ Imperial War Museum - London]

The Pegasus 11-61 (Mk 107) powered GR.9 was the designation for the mid-life upgrade of the GR.7 but now with a terrain referenced navigation system and provision for the AIM-120 (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM).  ZD402 was the first GR.9 to be flown in 1989.  While the GR.9A variant was the avionics and weapons upgrade of the GR.7A.

ZD461 was built at Kingston-upon-Thames and first flew at Dunsfold, Surrey, on the 10^th October 1989 as one of twenty-one GR.5A airframes.  Delivered to 1 Squadron RAF on the 16^th November 1989, ZD461 was upgraded to a GR.7 standard during March 1992 and then to GR.9 standard in October 2008.  ZD461 later flew with the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering and with the Royal Navy Naval Strike Wing (NSW) based at RAF Cottesmore which was the Naval component of Joint Force Harrier.  ZD461 saw active service in Afghanistan with the Joint Harrier Task Force in 2006 as a part of "Operation Herrick"  and flew at least 40 combat missions.  Unfortunately, ZD461 suffered a CAT 3 (repairable) damage in January 2010 when a fire started after taxiing onto the ramp at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA, during exercise "Red Flag 2010-2".  Freighted back to the UK ZD461 arrived at RAF Cottesmore on the 19^th March 2010.  Due to budgetary cuts and the demise of the Harrier fleet ZD461 was struck off charge on the 15^th December 2010 and declared a Cat.5 i.e. damaged beyond economical repair.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.5 (ZD353)  [@ Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona]

 Following on from the T.4 was the Pegasus 11-21 (Mk 105) powered T.10 tandem trainer (13 built).  Built to accompany the GR.7 this variant, unlike its American counterpart the TAV-8B, was fully combat capable.  The prototype, ZH563, first flew on the 7^th April 1994.  Under the designation T.12 nine T.10 airframes were upgraded to act as trainers for the GR.9 but the variant retained the original less powerful Pegasus 11-21 (Mk 105) engine.  T.8 was the designation for two RAF T.4 trainers that were transferred to the Royal Navy when the T.10 became available.

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.5 Trainer  [@ Midland Air Museum]

The second generation Harrier IIs saw action in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.   In 2006 the Sea Harrier was retired from Fleet Air Arm service and the RAF Harrier fleet were tasked with the missions that it used to share with those aircraft.  The former Sea Harrier squadron 800 NAS reformed with ex-RAF Harrier GR7/9s in April 2006 and was later-joined by the re-formed 801 NAS in 2007.  These squadrons were later expanded to become the Naval Strike Wing.  On the 31^st March 2010 20 Squadron RAF, the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), was disbanded while 4 Squadron was also disbanded and reformed as 4 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Wittering. 

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.7/GR.9  (XG477)  [@ RAF Cosford]

Built by BAe at Dunsfold and powered by a Pegasus 105 turbofan as a GR.7.  Fitted with both BAe and McDonnell Douglas components ZG477 entered RAF service on 5^th November 1990 with 4 Squadron based at RAF Gutersloh, Germany.  Prior to being transferred to 3 Squadron based RAF Laarbruch, Germany, ZG477 received Phase 4 Modifications at RAF St Athan during August 1992.  During 1993/94 ZG477 was reassigned to "Operation Warden" with 4 Squadron and was based at Incirlik, Turkey.  Three Harrier Squadrons, 1, 3, 4, were rotated on a regular basis until 1995 to police the Northern Exclusion (No-fly) Zone in Iraq.  From 1995 until 1998 ZG477 was based mainly with 3 Squadron at RAF Laarbruch, however, ZG477 was involved with GBU-24 Paveway III trials at Boscombe Down during the autumn of 1996.  During 1999 ZG477 on detachment with 1 Squadron at Gioia Del Colle, Italy, for "Operation Allied Force", which was the NATO military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War.  In 2000 ZG477 moved with 1 Squadron to become a part of newly established Joint Force Harrier based at RAF Cottesmore, Leicestershire.  Between 2001/03 ZG477 served again with 3 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore and participated in "Operation Telic" – the codename of the UK military operations in Iraq which started with the Invasion of Iraq on 19^th March 2003.  During the Autumn of 2003 ZG477 was converted from to GR.7A standard and then from 29^th Jan 2004 converted to GR.9A standard.  Between September 2005 and December 2007 ZG477 was based either at Boscombe Down, BAe Warton or RAF Cottesmore.  In the December 2007 ZG477 was allocated to the Naval Strike Wing (NSW) and served with them until February 2008.  Equipped with Harrier GR.7s and GR.9s NSW was based at RAF Cottesmore and was the Naval component of Joint Force Harrier.  Formed on the 9^th March 2007 from elements of 800 NAS and 801 NAS, NSW reverted to 800 NAS on 1^st April 2010 flying the Harrier GR.9s and GR.9As.  From July 2008 ZG477 served with 4 Squadron in Afghanistan as a part of "Operation Herrick" until being replaced by the Tornado GR.4s of 12 Squadron during July 2009.  Following servicing ZG477 was reallocated to 1 Squadron and became one of the four last Harriers to fly from a Royal Navy carrier, HMS Ark Royal, on the 24^th November 2010.  The final flight of ZG477 was on the 15^th December 2010.  Following serviceable storage at RAF Cottesmore ZG477 was transported by road to the RAF Cosford on 19^th December 2011 and placed on display on 30^th January 2012.

All RAF GR.7s were retired by July 2010.  On the other hand, the GR.9 was expected to stay on in service until at least 2018.  However, to the dismay of many, the British government announced the dreadful decision on the 19^th October 2010 that the remaining GR.9s would retire by April 2011.  Harrier GR.9s made the last ever flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, on 24^th November 2010 and in December the GR.9s made their last operational flights. At the end of November 2011, the British government announced the sale of the final 72 Harriers to the USMC for use as spare parts. 

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.9 (ZG501)   [@ RAF Waddington]

Following the agreement with McDonnell Douglas in 1982 four AV-8B full scale development aircraft were and were, in turn, followed by 162 production aircraft between 1983 and 1989.  The TAV-8B was a two-seat trainer variant with 23 being built between 1986 and 1992.  As well as for the USMC the AV-8B Harrier II+ was built for the Spanish Navy and Italian Navy.  Similar to the Night Attack variant but with the addition of APG-65 radar 72 were converted from existing AV-8Bs together with 43 newly builds from 1993 to 1997.  In total 12 EAV-8B Matador IIs were built between 1987 and 1988 and were followed by 19 EAV-8B Matador II+ aircraft (including 11 EAV-8B conversions) between 1995 and 1997 for the Spanish Navy.  For the Italian Navy two TAV-8B Harrier II+ two-seat trainers were built between 1990 and 1991 and these were followed by an order for sixteen AV-8B Harrier II+ aircraft.  The last 13 aircraft were assembled in Italy by Alenia Aeronautica from kits delivered from the USA.

ZG501 was first flown 13^th December 1990 and entered RAF service on the 20^th December 1990.  Withdrawn from use at RAF Cottesmore on the 15^th December 2010.

The Royal Air Force will eventually replace the Harrier GR.9s with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II which is the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant.  This will give the RAF a multi-role all weather, day and night capability fighter. 617 Squadron will be the first operational Royal Air Force Squadron to receive the F-35B.  The photograph below shows a full sized model of a F-35A, which is the is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant.

Lockheed Martin F-35A  [@ RAF Hendon]