Sea Harrier FRS Mk1

The Sea Harrier (SHAR) first entered service with the Royal Navy in 1979 as the maritime version of the then, ground attack Harrier flown by the RAF.  Other than their shared VSTOL capability the similarities really end there. Being the only fixed wing aircraft available to the Royal Navy, the SHAR was designed to perform a multi FRS (Fighter, Reconnaissance, Strike) role against ships, aircraft and land based targets. In the right hands, its state of the art Blue Fox radar could pick up surface vessels at a 100 miles and a head on air target at just over 20 miles. It had waterproofing and a raised seating position, to provide all round visibility.

Sea Harrier XZ457 Black 14  

During the 1982 Falklands War a total of 28 SHARs made their way, as part of Operation Corporate, to the South Atlantic to protect the British Taskforce from Argentine aircraft attack. Maintaining a near permanent CAP (Combat Air Patrol) above the fleet, armed with the latest Sidewinder AIM-9L, air to air missile, the SHAR was instrumental in enabling the successful landing of British Army troops to reoccupy the Falkland Islands. Although 6 SHARs were lost during the campaign, 2 from ground fire, none were a result of air to air combat. 

1/72 scale Sea Harrier FRS Mk1 kit, from the Italian model maker ESCI,

I have finished this 1/72 scale model of the Sea Harrier FRS Mk1, as XZ457/14, which, during the 1982 Falklands War as Black 14, earned the distinction of the highest-scoring aircraft of the conflict by bringing down a total of 4 Argentine military aircraft. First flown in December 1979 and wearing the code 104, XZ457 was delivered to 700A NAS (Naval Air Squadron) Fleet Air Arm Yeovilton in January 1980. 700n NAS were the Intensive Flying Trials Units formed to prepare for new aircraft types coming into service; 700A NAS at Yeovilton had responsibility for the Sea Harrier. XZ457/104 was then assigned the aircraft number 14, as in the model, when 899 NAS was made the operational Sea Harrier squadron and took over from 700A NAS. 

Built and painted for the diorama 

When in April 1982, 899 NAS's Sea Harriers boarded HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible to be incorporated into the ranks of 800 NAS and 801 NAS for Operation Corporate, XZ457/14, was assigned to the Taskforce’s Flagship, HMS Hermes. 

It was Black 14, which following an attack on HMS Ardent on 21st May, with Lieutenant Clive (Spag) Morrell at the controls, shot down one A-4Q Skyhawk A-307 with a Sidewinder and another with 30mm cannon fire, both pilots, Capitan de Corbetta Philipi and Teniente de Navio Arca, ejected safely. On 24 May, Lt Cdr Andy Auld, flying Black 14, destroyed two Daggers C-419 and C-430 of Grupo 6 with two AIM-9Ls; both pilots, Mayor Puga and Capitan Diaz, ejected safely. 

Black 14 in the finish and markings of those she returned to the UK on 21st July 1982

The finish and markings I have used depicts Black 14 as she during the conflict itself in May/June 1982, with one exception being the 4 white aircraft kill silhouettes which were apparently added on her return to the UK on 21st July 1982. In April 1982, however, when she sailed south on HMS Hermes, XZ457/14 was in the peacetime dark sea grey and white underside scheme. The white undersides, the 899 NAS fin markings of a black and white winged fist and the Royal Navy lettering on the fin were all over-painted during the voyage.  

While this kit, from Italian model maker ESCI, made for a very enjoyable build, especially pleasing being the fit of the upper wings across the back of the aircraft, the Martin Baker ejector seat was the poorest interpretation I've seen, and the instruction for mounting the yaw vane, off centre in front of the cockpit, was woefully incorrect. With the kit being released in 1983, just months after the SHAR’s returned from the war, I’m happy to excuse them these couple of flaws, in what is otherwise a nicely crafted kit.

Here’s a nice picture of the real Black 14 aboard HMS Hermes with her first pilot Lt Simon Hargreaves ... 

Lt Simon Hargreaves, the youngest pilot with 800 NAS with Black 14 on Hermes 

Simon Hargreaves spent 20 years in the Royal Navy as a Sea Harrier pilot and at the time of the Falklands War he was the youngest and most inexperience pilot with 800 NAS and only out of training a couple of months. On 21st April 1982 he was scrambled to intercept an unidentified radar contact approaching the Taskforce from 20,000 feet. The contact was an Argentine airforce Boeing 707 reconnaissance aircraft, searching for the British fleet and Hargreaves became the first pilot to engage with the enemy. 

The continued sorties by the 707, requiring the launch of a SHAR to shepherd it away, finally resulted in the British Government warning the Argentines, that the next time, it would be fired on without warning. It was not seen again. 

In 1996 Hargreaves was appointed Commanding Officer of 899 NAS, the same one Black 14 joined Hermes from before sailing to the Falklands.

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The Model

Brand:  ESCI

Title:  Sea Harrier FRS MK1

Number:  9030

Scale:  1:72

Type:  Full kit

Released: 1983 | Initial release - new tool