This aircraft was the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close support and reconnaissance fighter
aircraft with a Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing capability(VSTOL).

Initial flight of the Harrier GR.1 was on 31 August 1966 The first production Harrier GR.1 was flown on 28 December 1967.

The Harrier was a unique aircraft that offered capabilities and challenges no combat pilot had ever been given before, so a two-seat conversion trainer version was ordered. This featured a stretched fuselage to accommodate two seats in a tandem fashion.

The most visible change to the GR.3 relative to the GR.1 was the addition of an elongated nose ‘thimble’ to house a Laser Ranger & Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS). This gave the Harrier a ‘Pinnochio’ nose, or as the RAF called it, a ‘Snoopy nose’.

The Museum Harrier XW934 (C/N 212017) was flown to RAE Farnborough in 1990 at the end of its service life and was used as an Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) test vehicle. It was donated by QinetiQ to FAST in 2009 and is complete with all its systems.

Technical Specifications

Crew : 2
Length : 14.27m (46ft 10in)
Wingspan : 7.7m (25ft 3in)
Height : 3.63m (11ft 11in)
Engine : Pegasus 11 Mark 103
Thrust : 95.6kN (21,500 lbf)
Maximum Speed : 1,175km/h (730mph)
Service Ceiling : 16,800m (55,000ft)
Empty Weight : 6,140kg (13,535 lb)
Loaded Weight : 11,430kg (25,200lb)
Range : 670km (415 miles)