Harrier GR.1A XW765, 3.Sqdn.

[Pelomino]

Can anyone tell me, why Harrier GR.3 (apparently got it´s Mod from GR.1A to GR.3 in May 1974) was seen at Hopsten (photo of June 1977) and Gütersloh (photo of April 1977) (photos could be seen on 3 Sqn - Royal Air Force ? Die Geschichte des Flugplatz Gütersloh (http://sg-etuo.de/Visiting-Aircraft/RAF-No3-Sqn)) with the old Harrier GR.1/GR.1A nose? Has it been re-modified or got it the GR.3-Mod without the "dolphin" nose?

[Archimedes]

I believe that the designation of GR3 resulted from the change to the Pegasus 103 engine, not the change to the nose shape. From what I can recall, there were a number of airframes with the new engine which did not gain the new nose shape for some time, and I assume that this is the case with XW765 (if my memory isn't failing me completely). There will be some Ppruners who will know for certain, though, who'll hopefully be along shortly...

[RAFEngO74to09]

Some Harrier GR1A - which had the Pegasus 10 Mk 102 engine - also got the Laser Ranger & Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS) in the elongated nose from 1976.

The Harrier GR3 - re-engined GR1/GR1A and new build - had the Pegasus 11 Mk 103 engine, LRMTS, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) on the forward edge of the tail and retained the Port Facing Oblique F95 camera in the nose (to the rear of the LRMTS) from 1976 onwards. Conversions and new builds continued through to 1986.

http://www.harrier.org.uk/history/history_production.htm

Harrier GR3
http://www.fourfax.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Harrier_GR3_XV752S_Zetsche_tb.jpg

[Haraka]

Indeed, I arrived at Wildenrath April 76 and the first LRMTS noses were evident, the transition continued well after the "official " move to Gutersloh (at the beginning of '77) and the disbandment of 20 Sqn , when their aircraft were split between 3 and 4 Sqns.