infomation on SEPECAT JAGUAR XZ118 and BAe SEA HARRIER ZE695

[AA27]

The SEPECAT JAGUAR XZ118 first flew in 12/051976 as a GRI. In 2005 the aircraft was taken to St.Athan for spares recovery and disposal. The aircraft was operated by the Royal Air Force and was part of 41 squadron. In the Gulf war the aircraft was named, 'Buster Gonad and his Unfeasibly Large Testicle'. The name of a pilot who flew the aircraft is still visible on the cockpit. His name was FLT LT A J King. I would like to get in contact with A J King or with anyone who has any information on the aircrafts history.
The BAe SEA HARRIER ZE695 was operated by the Royal Navy in squadron 899. The aircraft first flew on 02/02/1988 as a FRS1.In 2000 on returning from Dunsfold to yeovilton the aircraft was involved in an accident. The aircraft last flew in 2002.
I am keen to get as much information on both aircrafts as possible.

[MATELO]

Not sure if you have seen this, but it may help out a little. Nothing on what happend to 118 but a little bit more info.

Target Lock: Jaguar : Squadron Service : Royal Air Force (http://www.targetlock.org.uk/jaguar/service_uk.html)

[Jackonicko]

Re XZ118.

http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/mod/jage.jpg

It's testicles, not testicle.

Her regular Gulf War pilot was Flt Lt 'Frog' (real name long forgotten, Phil? Pete? Paul?) Tholen (surname quite possibly misspelt), possibly shared with Steve Thomas (who was the chap shot down by the RAFG Phantom, IIRC).

She was the subject of the gatefold centrespread in World Air Power Journal No.11 which may give more detail on her Gulf War service.

She is MOST unlikely to have stayed her whole life with 41 - Jag's move around, though the recce ones less so. I have a dim recollection that she was with II (AC) out in Germany, though.

Her individual record card will be held by AHB or the National Archive, and it would detail all her moves, mods and changes of ownership.

She was one of the Granby jets (one of the second batch of 5, arrived in theatre on 2.11.90), of course, but was also one of the initial 12 Jags flown to Gioia del Colle on 12 July 1993 as part of a NATO force made available to support UN operations in the former Yugoslavia.

She was later one of the four that flew to Turkey in September 1998 to relieve Tornado GR.1s on Operation Warden (as a J96R).

By the time of the Gulf War she was a recce capable GR1A (FIN 1064, not NAVWASS, and Adour 104s), she subsequently became a J96 Recce (GR3) and finally a J97 (GR3A).

[AA27]

Thanks for the link Matelo. Very helpful

[Jackonicko]

http://www.targetlock.org.uk/seaharrier/shar-15.jpg

Though built as an FRS1 and flown as such on 02 February 1988, ZE695 was converted to FA2 standards in 1990. She was the second conversion, and never served as an FRS1. On 2nd April 1993 ZE695 was the first FA.2 airframe to be handed back to the Fleet Air Arm.

After conversion to FRS2 she became part of the FRS2 OEU (in 899 markings as 711), later serving with 800 Squadron (as 124?).

She had a 'spill' at Yeovilton on 26 July 2000.

The nose wheel tyre burst when the aircraft touched down in the undershoot area at Yeovilton, Somerset at the end of a delivery flight from Dunsfold to 899 NAS. The aircraft slewed off the runway onto the grass causing the nose wheel to collapse. It continued to slide across the grass and caught fire at which point the pilot ejected. It came to rest at the edge of the 847 NAS dispersal and suffered CAT 4 damage. With the announcement that the Sea Harrier fleet was to be withdrawn it was withdrawn from use earlier than expected it was declared CAT 5 and departed St. Athan on 24th September 2002 for scrapping.

She wasn't looking well at St Athan in September 2002!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iangpics/4327419936/sizes/l/

[AA27]

You information has been a great help. I will look up the Journal and will contact the the National Archive and the AHB

many thanks again and sorry for the miss spelling of testicles

[Gainesy]

who was the chap shot down by the RAFG Phantom, IIRC

Fingers Faff Jacko, t'was Steve Griggs shot down by the Phantom, not the Welsh Wizard, Steve Thomas.

I can't rememember Froggy's real name either.:)

[Jackonicko]

Of course it was! Silly me!

There was a time when every other Jag mate seemed to be named 'Steve' - all of them smashing chaps.

Best wishes to those mentioned, and to the excellent Steve Brownlow if he's reading.

Wonder if Steve Dalton and Jock (should have been Steve) Stirrup have 118 in their logbooks?

[Valiantone]

It was Pete Tholen and the spelling is correct.

V1

[peppermint_jam]

Why the hunt for information fella? Have you bought the cockpits of these birds?

[AA27]

No such luck. I am researching the service history of a few aircrafts and the jag and the sea harrier are two of them.

[Mactor]

XZ118 was on 41(F)'s inventory during the 80's. I flew her many times during my tour.

[jimgriff]

XZ118- possibly the only aircraft in RAF history to destroy a lorry (Large articulated fuel tanker) with a sidewinder missile.
GW1- Returning from a sortie-
All cannon rounds, bombs and CVR7's had been used when the tanker was seen. Pilot got a lock on the exhaust stack and loosed one off- straight down the tube.
Jag mate 1 - Iraqi tanker 0

Or was this just a nasty rumour?:cool:

[WebPilot]

XZ118

First flight 12 May 1976. Allocated to No 41 Sqd. Upgraded to GR.1A in Oct 1986. In 1990 it received the Gulf mods and the ARTF desert pink scheme, and was deployed to Thumrait on 02 Nov 1990. It carried the 'Buster Gonad' nose art and collected 38 mission symbols. It returned to the UK on 13 Mar 1991. It was one of the first eight aircraft to deploy to Incirlik under Operation 'Warden' on 04 Sep 1991. It was used extensively on UN peacekeeping operations. It was upgraded to GR.3 in late 1998 and GR.3A in Apr 2004. It was flown to St Athan on 29 Sep 2005 for spares recovery. The fuselage was disposed of to Everett Aero at Bentwaters by Mar 2006.

[AA27]

Mactor

I am very excited to find someone who flew the XZ118. Do you have any stories or interesting facts on the XZ118? What was it like to fly the jaguar? I am keen to get an insight of the XZ118 from a pilot’s point of view. Could you tell me when you flew her? Do you have any info on the Jaguar nose art? who came up with 'Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles'?

[XV410]

JAGUAR GR3A: XZ118
FLYING HOURS: 6301:20
LANDINGS – ARRESTED: 0
LANDINGS - FULL STOP: 4653
LANDINGS – ROLLER: 916
LANDINGS – TOTAL: 5568
WEIGHT: 7745.49 KGS
AIRCRAFT NOW OWNED PRIVATELY

[BOAC]

It was Pete Tholen and the spelling is correct. - and Mrs T 'dentists' nearby while Mr T works as 'occasional cabin crew' for BA:).

[Pontius]

I remember the early days, as an FRS2, of ZE695. She was the first of the new toys we got to get our hands on, when she was based at Boscombe Down with the OEU.

Unfortunately, the wrinkles had definitley not been ironed out and, I believe, the RN (one officer in particular....no names, no pack drill etc) were so keen to get the over-budget and way, way, late machines into FAA hands that they accepted a crock. The SHAR TP at the time, a very good mate of mine, was equally scathing and had a toilet roll list of things to put right on the machine. Of course, these eventually got done and the FAA ended up with a very good weapons platform, in the guise of the FA2.

I flew ZE695 a couple of times at the end of June 1993, when she was on the OEU. Comments in my logbook include better radar pick-ups by the target FRS1 than I was getting with the still very early days Blue Vixen radar. Also, decidedly unimpressed by the 'new' pitot/static system that had the head down altimeter climbing and descending +/- 700' by simply wiggling the stick back and forth, whilst remaining in level flight (important to remember that at this point in time, the head down instruments were still the primary ones as the 'kit' was prone to topple at a moments notice and, therefore, could not be relied upon to provide a reliable platform and horizon). Moving Target indications in the air to ground mode were unusable. Did like having the RPM/JPT indications in the HUD :)

As I said, this really was the first time we saw the FRS2 and it was very much early days for us (shouldn't have been but, then, we are talking about British Aerospace :rolleyes:), so there was a lot of new stuff to play with, if and when it worked. ZE695 gave us our first glimpses of the potentially excellent radar, which then went on to prove itself to be just that.

[Pink&Ginger]

That's a superb exhibition, many thanks from all of us who have flown / worked-on those two aircraft !!! Although I don't recall ever managing to get that Jag that shiny!!

[Bob Viking]

Well b#gger me! I've flown her 9 times. Last time was 21 Mar 05. Dropped a few bombs from her near Thumrait the month before as well.
Makes you feel old doesn't it?!
BV:(

[Adour]

Bob,

You are old, where are you now? PM me as I am back from sunny SD.

On topic, flew XZ118 first on 12 Sep 01 and last on 4 Apr 05 and 16 times in between, a PWY 3 drop in Oman and one logbook entry which just reads 'Friday War' i don't think we have done those for a while.

I will be heading down to London to have a look at the exhibit, I think it will be interesting to see her again.

LJ

[Double Zero]

Re. ' Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles ' this was of course based on the character from 'Viz' magazine ( I particularly liked one edition which had the heading " new price, pay up or p*** off ! " ).

As for comments on the FRS2 / FA2, you'll hopefully not be surprised to learn that the engineers - of every kind - involved at Dunsfold were pretty dismayed by the difference between the original plan, and the actual FRS2; remember this was not exactly assisted by the Admiralty, who thought aeroplanes are nasty silly things even after 1982.

I photographed the proposed FRS2 cockpit rig ( PM me for a copy by e-mail ) and it had everything a modern - to this day - fighter pilot could wish for, also larger Lithium alloy wing and bubble canopy among other things.

I was at the range when the pitot problem was discovered; I'm amazed such aircraft were delivered, I know the T.P. You mean, he'll never be my best friend but he knew his stuff all right, and we all agreed the head down instruments were crap but couldn't exactly do anything about it; the politicians and bean counters were beginning to take over.

I was horrified when a previous ( not Navy or famous ) T.P. told me once that the HUD gyro was inclined to topple, so if recovering to ship at night & it happened, and one followed the roll bars on the HUD, Good Night Vienna !

The days of trying to produce the best result for 'UK Ltd' had just gone, I knew some chiefs of important departments who didn't give a toss about quality, just as long as the boxes were ticked and they did nicely...

When the pitot was moved to the fin as in it's Kestrel ancestor, it was a genuine embarassment to those who cared, I got the impression with a touch more funding / work a better solution could have been acheived.

The same obviously goes for the Ministry...