Real
Sea Harriers
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These are scans of photos I collected a long time ago in HMS HERMES and HMS ILLUSTRIOUS:
HMS HERMES - Sea Harrier Trials April 1981.
Hermes had just emerged from refit with her new "quasimodo" hump. At the time it was far larger than the ramp on INVINCIBLE, so extensive flying trials took place in the English Channel and South West Approaches. These culminated in some very memorable runs ashore in Falmouth and Torquay!
The aircraft with 38 on the tail is from Boscombe Down, the remainder from 800 NAS.
HERMES with a newly commissioned Type 22 (can't remember which, but think the flat bridge front makes it BRAZEN). Compare the size of the Flight Deck with today's toy Carriers!
First Ramp launch, by the Boscombe aircraft.
800 embark on their new ship for the first time.
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - JMC - North Sea & Med 1984.
800 again, this time in the post Falkland Dark Sea Grey Scheme. Note the unusually sized roundels on 127.
Approaching ILLUSTRIOUS to land. Half the size of HERMES !
In the hover, each waiting their turn.
A Sea King HAS5 over the ship.
A typically busy below decks scene. The Lynx is from AVENGER ("Purdy"), having a gearbox change.
Launch the Alert 5 Granny....
