A different approach to the Cold War theme - the era was not only about atom bombs and existential angst. There were some bright aspects, too.
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
Some background:The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands.
The Red Arrows have a prominent place in British popular culture, with their aerobatic displays a fixture of British summer events. The badge of the Red Arrows shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence".
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team. An RAF pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with teams from front-line biplane squadrons, and over the course of the years several display teams were formed from flying schools and active units. However, in 1964, all the RAF display teams were amalgamated, as it was feared pilots were spending too much time practising formation aerobatics rather than operational training. The new team name "Red Arrows" took the word "red" from the fact that one of the former display team's planes, the Yellowjacks, had been painted red (for safety reasons, as it was a far clearer and more visible colour in the sky) and "arrows" after the Black Arrows, another team. The official version, however, is that the red was a tribute to the Red Pelicans, even another display team. Another reason for the change to red was that responsibility for the team moved from Fighter Command to the Central Flying School, whose main colour was red.
Consequently, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the formal name of the Red Arrows, began life at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, then a satellite of the Central Flying School. The Red Arrows moved to RAF Kemble, now Cotswold Airport, in 1966 after RAF Fairford became the place of choice for BAC to run test flights for Concorde. When RAF Scampton became the CFS headquarters in 1983, the Red Arrows moved there. As an economy measure, Scampton closed in 1995, so the Red Arrows moved just 20 miles to RAF Cranwell; however, as they still used the air space above Scampton, the emergency facilities and runways had to be maintained. Since 21 December 2000, the Red Arrows have been based again at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln.
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
The first team had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat T1 jet trainer. The first display in the UK was on 6 May 1965, at Little Rissington for a press day. At the subsequent National Air Day display, three days later, at Clermont Ferrand in France, one French journalist described the team as "Les Fleches Rouges", confirming the name "The Red Arrows". By the end of their first season, the Red Arrows had displayed 65 times in Britain, France, Italy, Holland, Germany, and Belgium and were awarded the Britannia Trophy by the Royal Aero Club for their contribution to aviation.
In 1968, the team was expanded from seven to nine jets, in order to expand the team's capabilities and the permutations of formation patterns. During this season, the 'Diamond Nine' pattern was formed and it has remained the team's trademark pattern ever since. After displaying 1,292 times in the Folland Gnat, the Red Arrows took delivery of the BAE Hawk in the winter of 1979.
It was at this time that the nine aircraft formation was also joined by a single Hawker Siddeley Harrier Jump Jet as a solo and demonstration aircraft for four air shows until late 1980.
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, developed in the 1960s, was the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities and the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many that arose in that era. The Harrier was developed directly from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel prototype aircraft, following the cancellation of a more advanced supersonic aircraft, the Hawker Siddeley P.1154. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) ordered the Harrier GR.1 and GR.3 variants in the late 1960s. It was exported to the United States as the AV-8A, for use by the US Marine Corps (USMC), in the 1970s.
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
The first RAF squadron to be equipped with the Harrier GR.1, No. 1 Squadron, started to convert to the aircraft at RAF Wittering in April 1969. An early demonstration of the Harrier's capabilities was the participation of two aircraft in the Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race in May 1969, flying between St Pancras railway station, London, and downtown Manhattan with the use of aerial refueling.
Two Harrier squadrons were established in 1970 at the RAF's air base in Wildenrath to be part of its air force in Germany; another squadron was formed there two years later. In 1977, these three squadrons were moved forward to the air base at Gütersloh, closer to the prospective front line in the event of an outbreak of a European war. One of the squadrons was disbanded and its aircraft distributed between the other two, and two of these surplus machines were set apart for the participation in the RAF’s Red Arrows display team.
These two Harrier GR.1s, aircraft XV 764 and XV 811, retained their military equipment and capability (just like the Hawk trainers), but were outfitted to carry a smoke generator pod under the fuselage. They also received the Red Arrows’ trademark all-red livery, similar to the updated design of the new Hawk trainers.
The modernized and expanded team thrilled spectators with low-flying maneuvers performed in tight formations and by "keeping something in front of the crowds at all times". The Harrier solo aircraft provided the audience with low level flight interludes and hovering demonstrations while the rest of the team would re-group for new formations.
However, the Harrier's presence at Red Arrows displays was short since maintenance and fuel costs were high, and logistics for only two machines of the type within the Hawk team could not be justified, esp. outside of Western Europe. Consequently, after just a single season, the Harriers left the Red Arrows team again and the two aircraft were retired.
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
General characteristics: Crew: One
Length: 46 ft 10 in (14.27 m)
Wingspan: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
Height: 11 ft 11 in (3.63 m)
Wing area: 201.1 ft² (18.68 m²)
Empty weight: 13,535 lb (6,140 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 25,200 lb (11,430 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan with four swiveling nozzles, rated at 21,500 lbf (95.6 kN)
Four vertical flight puffer jets use engine bleed air, mounted in the nose, wingtips, and tail.
Performance: Maximum speed: 730 mph (635 knots, 1,176 km/h) at sea level
Combat radius: 230 mi (200 nmi, 370 km) lo-lo-lo with 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) payload
Ferry range: 2,129 mi (1,850 nmi, 3,425 km)
Endurance: 1 hr 30 min (combat air patrol – 115 mi (185 km) from base)
Service ceiling: 51,200 ft (15,600 m)
Time to climb to 40,000 ft (12,200 m): 2 min 23 s
Armament (not carried by the display machines): 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg)
and provisions to carry combinations of:
- 4× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
- 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders Air-to-air missiles
- A variety of unguided iron bombs, BL755 cluster bombs or laser-guided bombs
- A reconnaissance pod under the fuselage
- 2× drop tanks for extended range/loitering time
The kit and its assembly:The “Cold War” Group Build is a good occasion to finally tackle the Red Arrows Harrier project which had been on my project list (together with kit and decals in stock) for some time. I found this model to be a very appropriate submission, since Cold War is/was more than just nuclear threat and NATO vs. Warsaw Pact.
The idea for this model had been around for some time, when I was searching for a use for a Fujimi Harrier GR.3 in my stash which had donated its laser rangefinder nose to a G.91Y. I found the idea of a Red Arrows machine quite charming, and in the meantime, I also got hands on a bulk of various 1:72 Red Arrows decals (all from Hawks, but from different periods) which eventually found their destination.
Well, the Fujimi Harrier turned out to be a disappointment. Fit is mediocre at best, and the nose section is IMHO rubbish. The mold designers obviously wanted to have the option to graft different nose sections (e. g. the Sea Harrier’s cockpit) onto the same basic fuselage. But, as a result and in combination with separate air intake sections and the lack of locator pins or any orientation help for the internal details, the whole nose section is a wobbly guess which results in gaps and misalignment. Massive PSR was necessary to blend the air intake/Cockpit section into each other (with the loss of most of the soft, engraved surface details), and even on the rest of the kit PSR was necessary almost everywhere. Not a pleasant build at all.
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) - WiP by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
However, the kit was almost built OOB, just the flaps were lowered for a more lively appearance. No armament was fitted and the respective attachment points for the pylons under the wings and the fuselage disappeared under more PSR.
Painting and markings:Well, with the Red Arrows theme there’s hardly a surprise. As a beneficial coincidence, Humbrol recently released an official “Red Arrows Red” tone (#238) which I used for this occasion, even though I found the tone to look rather disturbing: it’s a deep orange-ish pink (blood orange, maybe?), not a bright, pure red like RAL 3000, for instance, what I expected??? Well, I stuck with it, since Airfix recommends in its Red Arrows Hawk instructions Humbrol 174 for the tone, and this color comes close to the new 238, it is just slightly duller. Still, the tone looks weird?
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) - WiP by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) - WiP by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) - WiP by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
The cockpit interior became dark grey while the air intakes and the landing gear were painted in a very light grey (I used RAL 7035 instead of the classic RAF Light Aircraft Grey).
The decals became a bit of a challenge, and I eventually was happy that I had so much Red Arrows material at hand. I used the Hawk’s initial livery as benchmark and puzzled the Harrier’s decoration together as good as possible – especially the long, white cheatline along the whole fuselage took material from three(!) Hawk sheets, and the Harrier’s fissured flanks did not make application easy, either.
Some warning stencils (e. g. the white frame around the dorsal jet engine bay opening) were improvised, and I think these additional markings make the Harrier more convincing.
Almost no weathering was done, just some panel lines were emphasized with black ink and a thin, soft pencil. And finally everything was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish (Italeri).
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
1:72 Hawker Siddeley "Harrier" GR.1, aircraft "XV 764" of the "Red Arrows" Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, summer 1980 (Whif/Fujimi kit) by
dizzyfugu, on Flickr
Well, while not a spectacular build or whif, I think that the Red Arrows Harrier somewhat catches the "Cold War" theme. And I must say that the all-red Harrier does not look bad at all!
