Retro Harrier tribute – Marking the end of a glorious era
Welcome to the latest edition of Corgi Die-cast Diaries, your regular blog review of all the news, updates and topical stories from the captivating world of Corgi die-cast model collecting.
When it comes to British aircraft types that managed to captivate the imagination of the British public, arguably the only aircraft that comes close to matching the iconic Spitfire in our affections is the Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace Harrier. An incredible and technologically advanced post war British aircraft type, the Harrier was as much at home performing at an Airshow, as it was patrolling the German border looking for signs of Eastern Bloc incursion, and how we loved them for it. With its ability to operate from small, roughly prepared and easily concealed sites, the Harrier was an aviation nightmare for potential enemies, with its fighting credentials confirmed during the Sea Harriers domination of air combat during the Falklands War. That being the case, why were Britain’s last Harriers withdrawn from service with undue haste and without a replacement aircraft type to take its place?
In this latest edition of our Corgi project development blog, our lead feature will be looking at an impending model release intended to commemorate the legacy of the Harrier, a rather distinctively presented example of the aircraft which was finished in a smart retro scheme in honour of the first Harriers to enter Royal Air Force service. We follow this with a real Breaking News update, and a Head Office development which is linked to another impending model release, one which has enjoyed widespread media coverage over recent weeks and months. If we were to tell you that this feature involves pictures of a beautifully turned-out Ford Escort Mk.2 RS2000 being shoehorned into our WonderWorks display area, how could you possibly not want to see that?
With a little festive competition for us all to take part in and a handsome website spend war chest awaiting our lucky winner, please join us as we delve once more into the wonderful world of Corgi models.
A Harrier fit for Cottesmore’s Commanding Officer
For those hardy enthusiasts huddled together along the length of the airfield boundary fence at RAF Cottesmore on a cold and snowy December morning in 2010, they could hardly believe what they were all gathered there to do. Just two months earlier, the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review had included the announcement that Britain’s remaining Harrier force was to be withdrawn, and today was the day that RAF Cottesmore was going to be paying a final tribute to this incredible aircraft. With Britain in the grip of a cold spell and with low cloud and even snow forecast, would the Harrier get the send-off it deserved, and the one all the enthusiasts gathered at Cottesmore were hoping for?
The changing face of the political landscape in Europe and around the world during the 1990s also brought with it a change in the perceived military threats Britain was now facing, however, they did have a proven aviation asset flexible enough to meet any such threat. The operational flexibility and close air support capabilities of the British Aerospace Harrier made this incredible aircraft one of the most useful assets available to any world air arm and with its ability to operate from both ships and land sites with all but the most basic of facilities, would usually see the Harrier as one of the first aircraft to be deployed should a military response be required.
Despite being fully aware of the Harrier’s unique capabilities, when the UK Government announced their Strategic Defence and Security Review in October 2010, the cost saving measures they were proposing included the early retirement of the highly capable Harrier force, something many people thought must surely be a mistake, and one to be rectified well before this proposed date of retirement. Despite vociferous lobbying by Harrier pilots and RAF commanders alike and the clear acceptance that such a drastic move would essentially leave Britain without a naval surface strike capability for many years to come, all protestations fell firmly on deaf ears and incredibly, the proposed withdrawal date for Britain’s Harrier force was actually brought forward.
The images used to illustrate this project update all feature an advanced production example of this beautiful new model.
What happened next is still a source of disbelief amongst military observers and aviation enthusiasts alike, as less than two months after the announcement of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in Parliament, Britain’s hugely capable BAe Harrier was unceremoniously wrenched from service.
In a situation which seemed to be expedited with unpalatable haste, the December 2010 is a date that will live long in the memory of the UK aviation enthusiast. Whilst most of the country was preoccupied with last minute Christmas shopping, several hundred aviation enthusiasts solemnly headed for the boundary fence at RAF Cottesmore, determined to be present at the final service flights of British operated Harriers, and pay their own personal respects to an aircraft many of them had known for the majority of their lives. The weeks leading up to that day had seen Britain enveloped in a long period of cold, miserable weather, a situation which resulted in Joint Force Harrier flight operations being seriously curtailed throughout.
With the impending withdrawal of these incredible aircraft now looming on the wintery horizon, it seemed as if even the weather was conspiring against the Harrier, as it appeared to be doing its level best to prevent Harrier pilots from giving the aircraft the spectacular send-off it undoubtedly deserved. With stunning pictures in great light from an official photoshoot now in circulation, and rumours of a formation flypast over bases linked with Harrier operations planned as a last hurrah, hundreds gathered in the early morning at RAF Cottesmore on 15th December 2010. There was a problem though – it was absolutely freezing and there had been no let-up in the poor weather.
An aircraft fit for the final Station Commander of a British Harrier unit.
After a wait which seemed like an eternity and many fearing the day would end in disappointment, some kind soul at the base took pity on us and kindly drove over to deliver the good news – all the Harriers would be launching soon. Even though the weather was still less than ideal, RAF Cottesmore was intending to launch 17 Harriers that day, the majority of which would later be forming up to fly a spectacular diamond formation over several airfields and locations linked with the Harrier during its service life. All aircraft would then return to Cottesmore, where it was planned they would be making a couple of formation passes, before breaking up into flight sections for landing and with it, the symbolic end of Harrier operations in the UK.
Even though there was little improvement in the weather, the sound of Rolls Royce Pegasus engines starting up on the far side of the airfield was a welcome development indeed, and everyone prepared to secure their photographs of this sad, but historic occasion. The first aircraft to take to the grey skies was a two seat Harrier T12 under the callsign ‘SATAN 1’, which was sent up to assess the weather situation, however, the aircraft was well into cloud by the time it reached the threshold of the airfield and everyone knew this was not going to be a day for spectacular photographs.
With the symphony of sixteen Rolls-Royce Pegasus engines accompanying the take-off of all aircraft in the intended retirement formation, the aircraft headed off to embark on their flypast route, leaving those gathered at Cottesmore to pray for an improvement in the weather and the hope of some spectacular photo opportunities when they returned. As it transpired, conditions across the rest of the country were little better than those at Cottesmore and for safety reasons, the planned formation flypasts were cancelled, leaving the pilots to enjoy their final Harrier flights in the clear skies well above the wintery clouds.
Just over an hour after take-off, the Harriers returned to Cottesmore not in the hoped-for diamond formation, but in groups of four aircraft, which immediately broke into the circuit for landing. With dignitaries, station personnel and pilot’s families all gathered on the airfield concourse for the occasion, the majority of the aircraft landed short and didn’t run down to the end of the runway where the enthusiasts were gathered, however, the one or two which did trundle down were met with enthusiastic applause from those on the fence line. Those actually on the airfield were treated to one final display from specially presented Harrier GR9A ZG506, including one of its trademark hovering bows in their direction, before the final engine fell silent and Britain entered the post Harrier era.
For those in attendance, this day will never be remembered with any particular fondness and despite their best efforts, pictures taken on this final day of UK Harrier operations were certainly nothing to write home about. At least a hard core of enthusiasts were there to duly pay their respects. To add insult to injury, the remaining British Harrier fleet of some 74 aircraft, plus spares, were sold as a single lot to the Americans in 2011, with the US intending to use the aircraft to keep their own Marine Corps Harriers flying for the foreseeable future.
With many of the Britain’s Harriers having only recently benefitted from upgrade and re-fit at significant expense to the UK Treasury, the American’s clearly knew they were getting something of an aviation bargain. At the time, one knowledgeable commentator described how the US were definitely taking advantage of this situation, particularly bearing in mind all the money the UK had only recently spent on their Harriers. ‘It’s like they were buying a classic car with only 15,000 miles on the clock’, and with a deal price of just £116m, America certainly bagged themselves a bit of a bargain with our Harriers!
With the anticipated withdrawal of Britain’s Joint Force Harrier force looming large in late 2010, those currently charged with operating this exceptional aircraft were in no mood to let the legacy of the Harrier pass without ceremony. Four of the aircraft currently in airworthy condition were to benefit from the application of special paint schemes, representing the final three units operating the Harrier, Nos 1 and 4 Squadrons Royal Air Force and No.800 Naval Air Squadron – the fourth aircraft to enter the paint shop was on a different level from an appearance perspective. The fourth aircraft was intended to commemorate the 41-year service life of Britain’s Harrier, with GR9A airframe ZG506 benefiting from a smart retro Harrier GR.1 gloss camouflage scheme, similar to the one worn by the first Harriers in RAF service, and didn’t she look the part!
Flown by Joint Force Harrier Commander and RAF Cottesmore Station Commander Group Captain Gary Waterfall OBE, Harrier ZG506 would be the lead aircraft of a formation of 16 Harriers taking to the air on the 15th of December 2010, for a planned commemorative flypast across the nation. Using the callsign ‘Ninja 1’, this aircraft would subsequently also be the final Harrier to land back at RAF Cottesmore following the flypast sortie, but not before she had made one final trademark Harrier hovering bow of acknowledgement towards the dignitaries and family members gathered at Cottesmore on the day. Such a beautiful aeroplane, it was a real shame that more people didn’t have the opportunity to marvel at this aircraft before Harrier was withdrawn from service, due to a combination of the speed of that withdrawal, and the poor weather which shrouded the nation throughout December 2010. Without doubt, had the situation been different, the Harrier would have left service in a blaze of public affection, with tens of thousands making the effort to bid farewell to an aircraft they held so dear.
In order to right some of those withdrawal wrongs of 2010, this beautiful new 1/48th scale Aviation Archive model release of Harrier GR9A ZG506/P77, Callsign 'Ninja 1' will not only allow us to add this unique looking aircraft to our collections, but also to mark the end of the Harrier era in style. It will also mark the enduring affection the British public had for this incredible aircraft.
A BIG Vanguard pops into WonderWorks
There’s a bit of a story behind this picture, and its safe to say that this particular Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 is currently on its holidays!
Although the launch of any new Corgi model range is a time for die-cast collectors to allow themselves to get just a little bit excited, our latest September – December range included details of a collaboration which certainly had Vanguards collectors getting a little hot under the collar. Only confirmed in the days leading up to the catalogue being sent off for printing, we were delighted to be able to include the latest release from our Ford Escort Mk.2 tooling, a scale representation of a car which belongs to a rather famous motoring celebrity.
The Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 modelled here was first registered on May 10th, 1979, in Leicestershire. It was exported to the Isle of Man on April 16th, 1981, and spent 33 years there, although for some of that period it had a hard life as it was modified for road rallying. In November 2014 it was sold to an enthusiast in Ireland who had a collection of fast Fords. He placed it in a classic car auction in Herefordshire in May 2021, and the current owner, Herefordshire-based TV presenter Richard Hammond, won the bidding. Richard’s intention was that it would become a show car for his then fledgeling classic car restoration business, ‘The Smallest Cog’.
Unsurprisingly given its years as a rally car, Neil Greenhouse and the ‘Cog’ team found it to be in much worse shape than anticipated, especially at the front end, which required a huge amount of Neil’s famously excellent fabrication work. During this process Richard made the curious decision to fit a new tan interior instead of the black the build-plate showed it had been produced with. The finished car was shown at Hampton Court Concours to general acclaim, although the tan interior was considered unwise.
When CORGI got in touch, Richard decided the car needed to match the model’s factory specifications. With the help of Ford expert Mark Pinnigar, it has now been restored to its original build specification, including the black interior!
Founded by Richard Hammond in August 2021, The Smallest Cog is a classic car restoration business based in Hereford, Herefordshire. Neil Greenhouse and his son Anthony ran their own workshop in Hereford, and after Richard saw the quality of Neil and Anthony’s work restoring a few of his own cars, he asked them to join him in a new business in a new workshop, and thus The Smallest Cog was born.
Richard Hammond’s Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 alongside the prototype CORGI model at his home.
Richard Hammond paints the model RS2000 prototypes under close supervision behind the scenes here at Hornby Hobbies in March 2024.
The business restores cars for private individuals as well as taking on some special projects – the most recent of which was the restoration of Field Marshal Montgomery’s Rolls Royce Wraith on behalf of The Royal Logistic Corps Museum. The car was the first civilian vehicle to disembark in Normandy after D-Day and served as Montgomery’s Staff Car in France and Germany. The restoration saw Richard and The Cog team travel to Normandy with the car as part of the 80th anniversary commemorations in June 2024.
As we all look forward to this really interesting new model taking its place in our collections, last week saw yet another interesting development in this story and the ongoing collaboration with Mr Hammond and The Smallest Cog. Taking a rather late call from our Head of Marketing David Mather one evening last week, I asked him why he was still in the office? After a moment’s silence, and probably with David looking behind him, reminiscent of a scene from an episode of Dad’s Army, he whispered, ‘We’ve got a special delivery coming!’ He followed this with, ‘Oh, I think they’re here …. I’ll have to go’, and with that, he was gone!
The special delivery in question had just completed a 5 hour journey from Herefordshire in a special, covered trailer, pulled by a powerful 4 x 4 truck and once the pair had been driven into the main Hornby warehouse at Margate via a delivery entrance, the trailer revealed its secret. Carefully reversed out of its protective cocoon, Richard Hammond’s beautiful Midnight Blue Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 of The Smallest Cog fame had been passed to the care of Corgi/Hornby and was about to take its place within our WonderWorks display.
Operation ‘The Smallest Cog’ completed, Richard Hammond’s beautiful Midnight Blue Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 is now in the WonderWorks at Margate.
The display has a fascinating story to tell and allows visitors to see the various stages required to allow this beautiful car to take its place in the Vanguards range.
If you fancy a little Christmas treat, the actual car that inspired our The Smallest Cog Vanguards release is waiting to make your acquaintance at WonderWorks. This is better than any Santa’s Grotto!
Before that could happen though, the car had to negotiate several fixed hazards and tight turns in order to take its place in the main display area, manoeuvres which it performed under its own power, in the expert hands of the accompanying ‘Cogger’. Once on position, everything they had just moved was put back in position and some bespoke display items brought in to welcome this illustrious four-wheeled attraction. Central to this display is a cabinet which not only provides details of this project, but also a selection of models and scale body shells which illustrate the various stages this model had to negotiate before it could take its place in the Vanguards range. There is even an advanced production sample of the model in all it’s The Smallest Cog packaging glory in there.
A real must for Corgi Vanguards fans and those who enjoy Richard Hammond’s work, he has kindly allowed us to display his beautiful RS2000 in WonderWorks until early February, so if you find yourself in the area and are looking for a Corgi model versus real vehicle Christmas treat, why not drop in and discover this and the many other delights at WonderWorks.
The first in an exciting future range of Vanguards model releases, what do you think the next release announcement in the series will be?
A Corgi model’s not just for Christmas
As a collector community, even though our friends and family members may not quite understand our passion for the subject, we all know just how much the models we have in our collections mean to us, and how spending a little time immersed in our hobby quickly sees the pressures of everyday life fading away, for a few precious moments at least. We also know that our collecting habits are very personal to us and whether our collection is still growing, or our display cabinets are now sealed, most of the models in our collections undoubtedly have stories to tell.
As we’re now in the middle of November and can probably just about allow ourselves to start thinking about a certain day in December, we thought it might be a nice idea for the DCD community to have a little fun over the next few weeks, by promoting their favourite model of 2024. Importantly, there are prizes available!
With some fantastic models joining the range over the past twelve months, all we’re looking for is for readers to nominate their favourite model of 2024 and to tell us why, it’s that simple. If you want to send us a picture of said model in your collection, that would be great, as we intend to feature a couple of submissions in each edition of the blog for the remainder of the year, but please remember, this is all just a bit of fun amongst die-cast collecting friends.
For those who might describe themselves as lapsed collectors, you’re more than welcome to join in, even though we know your model will be of a slightly older vintage, however, in these cases, a story behind the nomination and perhaps a picture or two would definitely be preferable please.
One lucky respondent will be selected at random, and they will be the lucky recipients of a handsome £200.00 web spend on the Corgi website and in line with competitions of this nature, there is no cash alternative available under any circumstances. We will have a couple of new Batmobile models as runners up prizes and all winners will be notified by email, with their good fortune confirmed by publication in a forthcoming edition of DCD. We will accept submissions up to and including New Year’s Day, after which time this community initiative will end.
All you have to do to be involved and be in with a chance of featuring in a forthcoming edition and scooping one of the prizes on offer is to send your nominated model suggestion to us at diecastdiaries@corgi.co.uk
We do hope you get involved, because after all, it is Christmas!
I’m afraid that's all we have for you this time, however, please join us again in two week’s time for another exclusive insight into the wonderful world of Corgi model collecting. Between editions, we are always interested to hear your views on all things Corgi, so if you feel like dropping us a line to comment on anything blog, collecting or Corgi model related, or perhaps to suggest a topic you might like to see us cover in a future edition, please do get in touch at diecastdiaries@corgi.co.uk.
If you can’t wait for the next blog, you will find plenty of Corgi model collecting discussions taking place on our official social media channels, access to which can be obtained by clicking on the respective links at the foot of the Corgi website homepage.
Link access to Corgi social media sites.
Thank you for continuing to support your Die-cast Diaries blog. Our next edition is scheduled to be published on Friday 29th November, and we look forward to seeing you back here then.
Related Products
Further Reading
