Sea Harrier Aircraft Museum, Visakhapatnam.
Andhra Pradesh Government and Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA). Had conceived a very ambitious plan to transform an ordinary Rama Krishna Beach Road, RK Road for short, into a world-class tourist attraction.
The Indian Navy has played a stellar role in turning that vision into reality. The Indian Navy brought its decommissioned war machines, which in their heyday had served valiantly in defending the sovereignty of the Nation, to Visakhapatnam, disassembled them in the Naval Station, and transported them to RK Road and reassembled them on the land allotted to create four magnificent museums with these war machines as their respective themes.
le Thanks to the Indian Navy, today, RK Road is a world-class and a must-visit tourist attraction of Visakhapatnam.
Sea Harrier Museum is one of the four Naval Museums. It is dedicated to the British Aerospace-manufactured Sea Harrier V/STOL, Vertical/ Short Take-Off and Landing, Jet Fighter aircraft.
The famous 300 Squadron, Snow Tigers, was the first to be equipped with this versatile aircraft in 1983 and operated from the Indian Navy aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramaditya.
After 33 years of service, the fleet took its last official flight on May 11, 2016, making way for more capable multi-role fighter aircraft, the naval variant of Mig 29. Today, retired Sea Harriers are preserved as monuments and museum displays across the country, including sites in Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Lothal.
The museum is well maintained and has a large number of information boards with beautiful photographs and excellent write-ups giving its history and various operations, including the 1999 Kargil conflict.
The crowning touch is the display of a real Sea Harrier airframe hanging high near the roof of the great hall of the Museum, giving the impression of the beautiful and lethal aircraft in flight.
Very informative and absorbing visit for the general civilian population, normaly nor aware of the Naval aircraft and Naval Air Operations.
Sea Harrier Museum. INAS 300 and INAS 552. INAS stands for Indian Navy Aviation Squadron.
INAS 300, Snow Tigers, is the oldest Air Squadron of the Indian Navy. 1st to be equipped with the Sea Hawk Jet fighter aircraft.
IANS 552, initially equipped with Sea Harrier, after IANS 300. Later changed to Sea Harrier Conversion Squadron. Currently involved with flight testing of aircraft and systems for the Indian Navy.
A bank of Golden Duranta with brilliant yellow leaves. Looked amazingly beautiful in the rays of the setting Sun.
At the Sea Harrier Museum. Museum.
Display panel at the Sea Harrier Museum.
Text of the main panel given below:
HARRIER
The genus circus was introduced by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799. This type of species was subsequently designated as the western marsh harrier. Most harriers are placed in this genus. The word Circus is derived from the Ancient Greek kirkos, referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (kirkos, "circle"), probably the hen harrier.
The name harrier is thought to have been derived either from Harrier (dog), or by a corruption of harrower, or directly from Harry.
The Harrier, or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. This bird inhabits in prairies, open areas, and marshes. A Harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks sometimes placed in the sub-family Circinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae.
Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. The young of the species are sometimes referred to as ring-tailed harriers. They are distinctive with long wings, a long narrow tail, the slow and low flight over grasslands and skull peculiarities.
The HARRIER BIRD is a handsome creature, synonymous with its agile reflexes (an ability to change it's position quickly using a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, and endurance), powerful wing-beats and low level flying capabilities.
The Harrier bird's effective aerial pursuits result in surprise and overwhelm the prey over open wet environment. These eagles are symbols of imperial power and war.
Text of the in-set panel given below:
HARRIER BIRD and the JUMP JET AIRCRAFT
The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier Jump Jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing operations (V/STOL). Named after this bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many attempted during that era.
It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable air bases. Later, the design was adapted for use from Aircraft Carriers.
One of the display panels gives details of various Naval Chiefs.
This panel is about the 18th Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash.
Arun Prakash and I did the No. 5 PTP (Production Test Pilots Course) together and were neighbours in Indira Nagar, Bangalore in 1976.
One of the display panales giving details of various Naval Chiefs.
This panel is about 18 Chief Of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash.
Arun Prakash and I did No 5 P T P (Production Test Pilots Course} together and were neighbours in Indira Nagar, Bangalore in 1976.
Sea Hawk Scale Model at the Sea Harrier Museum.
Photographs and descriptions on the boards mounted around the scale model of Sea Hawk details the association and the contributions of this versatile war machine in the defence of the country and 1971 war for liberation of Bangla Desh.
The Hawker Sea Hawk was the Indian Navy's first jet fighter, serving as the mainstay of its carrier aviation from 1960 to 1983. Flown primarily from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the British-built aircraft played a crucial role in maritime strike and ground-attack missions during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
After more than two decades of reliable service, the Sea Hawks were gradually phased out and replaced by the vertical take-off Sea Harrier in the early 1980s.
Sea Harrier Scale Model at the Sea Harrier Museum. The British Aerospace/
Hawker Sidley Sea Harrier was a short/vertical take-off and landing (V/STOL) jet fighter famously operated by Indian Naval Air Squadron 300, nick named The White Tigers, from 1983 to 2016. These iconic jump jets played a crucial role in naval combat operations before being formally retired and replaced by the MiG-29K.
Scale Model of Mig 29 Naval Variants. at the Sea Harrier Museum.
Indian Navy is currently equipped with this multirole combat aircraft.
Beautiful display of Sea Harrier taking off from the aircraft carrier.
Amazing photographs depciting Naval Sea and Airpower in all its forms.
at the Sea Harrier Museum.
Sea Harrier on Display at the Sikorsky UH-3H Museum.
Below, on the ground floor, The Engine, main shaft and other engine components installed on Sea Harries are displayed.
Photograph of personnel of Naval Air Squadrons with their aircraft.
at the Sea Harrier Museum.
The Last Jump Jetters.
Most probably, the Photograph taken before Sea Harriers were phased out of service.
at the Sea Harrier Museum.
