Harrier Question

[BillHicksRules]

Dear all,

I have a question.

Has anyone ever heard of a mark of the Harrier called the DB3?

I was at the National Museum of Flight Scotland at East Linton yesterday and they have a GR3 lookalike in camo but badged Royal Navy and the blurb says it is a DB3?

Can anyone help me with more info?

I have to say I thought I was reasonably clued up on the JJ but this has got me stumped. I have done a few online searches and not getting any joy.

Cheers

BHR

[ZH875]

From the Museum Of Flight Website: (http://www.nms.ac.uk/flight/index.asp?m=3&s=7)

"The world's first and most successful vertical take off and landing jet to enter service, the Harrier has matured into a formidable multi-role strike aircraft. After a series of concept development aircraft, the first of which hovered untethered for the first time in 1961, the pre-production Harrier first flew in 1966. XV277 was the second of these and is the oldest Harrier in existence. The Harrier has created a niche for itself as an affordable aircraft carrier based attack fighter, although developed for the RAF for use from dispersed sites; five other countries' Harriers are ship based. XV277 led a life of trials and testing, modified to GR.3 standard from the basic GR.1, it never saw operational service in either of the British armed forces that operate the type. The Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton used it as a ground instructional airframe before being sold to a private collector. It was purchased by the Museum of Flight in 2000. "

Other site info: The Royal Navy markings were picked up in the days when it was a ground instructional airframe. It was operated during its flying career by the manufacturer.

[Pilgrim101]

Bill

I think you might find it stands for "Development Batch Number 3" in other words the third prototype, the first being a tethered a/c ???

Pilgrim

[seand]

DB is normally the abbrevation for Development batch with regards to the Harrier Airframe, the aircraft in question could be one of the first 6 of DB - Harrier GR Mk 1's (XV276 - XV281)

[BillHicksRules]

Thanks to all who have replied.

Cheers

BHR

[John Farley]

Just to kill rumours and keep history straight.

DB3 (XV278) was indeed the third of the development batch Harriers.

Only the first P1127 XP831 was ever flown tethered. By the time the second of the 6 P1127s flew 831 had flown untethered. No Kestrels or Harriers were ever tethered. They all used the pit/grid to do their early VTOs in an 'out of ground effect' environment.

The X-35B was tied down over a grid for thrust and other checkouts. Its first lift was untethered again from the grid.

JF

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

A video of the X-35B first lift is on the Lockheed Martin web site.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/7138.mov

There are many excellent military aviation videos on that site, go to http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fnec&ti=106

Mik

[BOAC]

That is one steady hover! Just wish I had been able to do it like that.:D

[John Farley]

BOAC

Don't beat yourself up. You would have been just as steady if you had the advantage of the same flight control system.

JF

[BOAC]

Don't beat yourself up. - JF - you've taken all the fun out of the evening:D

Seriously, that was neat!

[bird99]

You're all wrong - it's actually the most gorgeous of the Aston Martins built... (DB = David Brown)