<p>Built 1965
The Kestrel was a refined P.1127 and a stepping stone to the Harrier. Nine were built, six of which were later transferred to the US military for trials. This is the sole example in the UK, probably largely due to a serious accident at Boscombe Down in 1967 when it rolled over on landing. Various uses as a ground instructional airframe and visits to at least two fire dumps followed, before safely going into RAF Museum store at Cardington in 1994. The wing was fitted to P.1127 XP984 at Brooklands, but an unflown P.1127 wing became available so a swap took place and XP984s wing returned to Cosford. After years in storage restoration finally commenced in 2012 and the completed airframe was unveiled at Cosford in January 2014 where she remains on display in the ‘Test Flight’ hangar.
RAF Museum, Cosford, Shropshire, UK.
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9th June 2018
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/65001151@N03">Alan Wilson</a> from Peterborough, Cambs, UK
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/32112991187/">Hawker Kestrel FGA.1 ‘XS695’</a>