RAF Harrier GR9 Mk 12H Ejection seat: Now Avaialble

An exciting new arrival at Jet Art: an ex RAF Harrier GR9 Jump Jet aircraft ‘Martin Baker’ Mk12H Ejection Seat. Now available for sale.

We offer the discerning aviation connoisseur  the unique opportunity to own a great piece of British life saving technology, with aircraft history!

This seat was removed from Harrier GR9 aircraft serial number ZG862 in 2011 after the UK Harrier Force was retired from service.  ZG862 was operated by 1 Sqn, 4 Sqn, 20(R) Sqn and 800 NAS throughout its service career. The seat has been decommissioned and is being sold for display / museum use. In very complete ‘as flown’ condition it looks stunning and would make a great addition to a contemporary office or entrance foyer. The ultimate collectors piece from the iconic British Harrier jump jet.

The Martin Baker Mk12H ‘Zero Zero’ capable ejection seat has been in service with the Royal Air Force for over 20 years, saving over 30 lives.  A rocket assisted escape system capable of safely ejecting the pilot from a stricken aircraft at zero airspeed and zero altitude.

Close up views to the left show the head box parachute container and the all important firing handle situated between the pilots legs.

The 2nd generation Harrier II is a highly capable and reliable VSTOL (Vertical Short Take Off and Landing) ground reconnaissance  and strike aircraft that was operated by the UK armed forces under the umbrella of ‘Joint Force Harrier’ with GR9 variant aircraft being operated by both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Pilots who flew the jets from both airfields and Invincible class carriers. The Harrier II aircraft saw action in  Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan with over 8500 combat sorties flown in Afghanistan alone.  In an incredible short sighted decision to prematurely retire the aircraft type from service as a cost cutting measure, the UK government retired the Harrier force in December 2010  prior to its replacement (the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) being anywhere near ready to enter service. This has left the RAF without an important strike capability and the Navy without any fixed wing carrier based aircraft at all. In my opinion short sightedness and clear incompetence by the powers that be, to say the least. The bulk of the Uk Harrier II fleet have now been sold to the US government to support the US Marine Corps Harrier Av-8Bs (a derivative of the UK operated GR5,7,9 variants) which will remain in service in the US until 2030. To me the fact the the USMC plan to operate the type until 2030 highlights how capable the Harrier II actually is and how prematurely the UK government have retired the type from service. Retirement of the RAF Harriers in 2010 brought to the end 41 years of UK Harrier operation.  A classic British aircraft that has proved itself in combat time and time again serving our county well.

End of an era……

A 1 Sqn Harrier in the Hover. Courtesy of Bob Walker

This seat is the most modern, high tech ejection seat we have every had in stock. A rare opportunity to acquire a serious piece of British Aviation History.