The sky was the limit for aviation enthusiast Chris Wilson when he decided to put his latest pride and joy up for auction.

Bids for the jet on eBay, starting at just 99p, took off last weekend finishing shortly before 10pm on Sunday, landing the former Red Arrows engineer from Queensbury £26,100 – despite the “odd scratch” and the fact it will never fly.

There were 48 bids in total for the 46ft-long decommissioned Sea Harrier, which is believed to have flown over Yugoslavia and the Gulf.

The aircraft, which lost its original nose in 1998 when it was taxied into an airfield culvert in the dark, was restored by Mr Wilson as part of his Jet Art business, making it ideal as a museum exhibit or “a truly stunning garden feature” according to its sales blurb.

Now its new owner can choose whether or not to go for the optional extras which could see the stripped-out cockpit made 90 percent complete with stick, throttle box, display screens and instruments.

For an additional expense, Mr Wilson told potential buyers he would also be able to supply real engine nozzles, a flight seat and gun pods – empty, of course.

Chris, who has got another Sea Harrier for sale, said he was not ready to confirm the sale had been completed until he had received the cash.

He said: “I’m just going to sit back and see what happens. The guy has got five days to get in touch if he’s genuine, you never know on e-Bay.

“We’ll wait to get the money in the bank before it’s considered sold for real.”

The “sold” harrier got 500 hits in just five minutes and 1,500 in total.

It is not the first time Mr Wilson has pieced together a Harrier Jet – last year he sold one that had been assembled in a field near his home, which is going to a private collector.

That jet had completed 53 combat missions in the Falklands War and dropped three 1,000lb bombs on Port Stanley airfield. Other items more recently for sale on e-Bay from Mr Wilson’s furniture making and collectables on an aviation theme business, include a coffee table made from an RAF Harrier jet engine for £1,500 and a World War II RAF Vickers Wellington Warbird propellor for around £800.