Hawker Siddeley Harrier
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| Harrier / AV-8A/C | |
|---|---|
 An RAF Harrier GR3 on display at Bletchley Park, England |
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| Type | VTOL strike aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Siddeley |
| Maiden flight | 28 December 1967 (Harrier) |
| Introduction | 1 April 1969 |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force United States Marine Corps Spanish Navy Royal Thai Navy |
| Produced | 1967 - 197? |
| Number built | 718 [1] |
| Developed from | Hawker P.1127/Kestrel FGA.1 |
| Variants | BAE Sea Harrier AV-8B Harrier II BAE Harrier II |
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1/GR.3 and the AV-8A Harrier are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) capabilities. The Harrier was the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many that arose from the 1960s.
In the 1970s, the Harrier was developed into the radar-equipped BAE Sea Harrier for the Royal Navy. The Harrier was also extensively redesigned as the BAE Harrier II and AV-8B Harrier II, which were built by British Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas.
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[edit] Design and development
[edit] Background
The Harrier's lineage began with the Hawker P.1127. Design began in 1957 by Sir Sydney Camm, Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aviation and Stanley Hooker (later Sir Stanley) of the Bristol Engine Company. Rather than using rotors or a direct jet thrust the P.1127 had an innovative vectored thrust turbofan engine and the first vertical take-off was on 21 October 1960. Six prototypes were built in total, one of which was lost at an air display.
The immediate development of the P.1127 was into the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1, which appeared after Hawker Siddeley Aviation had been created. The Kestrel was strictly an evaluation aircraft, and only nine were produced, the first flying on March 7, 1964. (Note Kestrel and Harrier are birds of prey.)
These equipped the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron formed at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk of 10 pilots from the RAF, USA and West Germany. One aircraft was lost but the remainder transferred to the US for evaluation by the Army, Air Force and Navy, under the designation XV-6A Kestrel.
An order for 60 production aircraft was received from the RAF in 1966, and the first pre-production Harriers, then known as the P.1127(RAF) were flying by mid-1967.
At the time of the development of the P.1127, Hawker had started on a design for a supersonic version, the Hawker P.1154. After this was cancelled in 1965, the RAF began looking at a simple upgrade of the Kestrel as the P.1127(RAF).
In mid-1966, the P.1127(RAF) was ordered by the RAF as the Harrier GR.1, with the first preproduction aircraft flying the following year.
[edit] Production
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1 was the first production model derived from the Kestrel, it first flew on December 28, 1967, and entered service with the RAF on April 1, 1969. Construction took place at factories in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London and at Dunsfold, Surrey. The latter adjoined an airfield used for flight testing; both factories have since closed.
The ski-jump technique for STOVL use by Harriers launched from Royal Navy aircraft carriers was tested at the Royal Navy's airfield at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset. Their flight decks were designed with an upward curve to the bow following the successful conclusion of those tests.
The Harrier GR.3 featured improved sensors (such as a laser tracker in the lengthened nose), countermeasures and a further upgraded Pegasus Mk 103 and was to be the ultimate development of the 1st generation Harrier. This model saw extended service in the Falklands War.
The AV-8As of the United States Marine Corps were very similar to the early GR.1 version, but with the more-powerful engine of the GR.3. The aircraft was powered by a 21,500 lbf (95.6 kN) thrust Roll-Royce Pegasus Mk 103 (F402-RR-402) turbofan engine. One hundred and thirteen aircraft were ordered for the US Marines and the Spanish Navy. The AV-8A was armed with two 30-mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage, and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
The Harrier was also a very manoeuvrable and a potent air-to-air fighter, being able to out-manoeuvre any other fighter aircraft then in service. The air combat technique of vectoring in forward flight, or viffing, was formally developed by the USMC in the Harrier to outmanoeuvre a hostile aircraft or other inbound weapons.[2][3]
[edit] Controls and handling
- Further information: Harrier Jump Jet#Controls and handling
[edit] Operational history
The first major combat experience for the Harrier in British service was during the Falklands War where both the BAE Sea Harrier FRS.1 and Harrier GR.3 were used. The Sea Harrier, developed from the GR.3, was important to the naval activities. Twenty Sea Harriers were operated from the carriers HMS Hermes and Invincible mainly for fleet air defence. Although they destroyed 21 Argentine aircraft in air combat (in part due to using the American-supplied latest variant of the Sidewinder missile and the Argentine aircraft operating at extreme range) they couldn't establish complete air superiority and prevent Argentine attacks during day or night nor stop the daily flights of C-130 Hercules transports to the islands.
Harrier GR.3s were operated by the RAF from Hermes, and provided close support to the ground forces and attacked Argentine positions. but were unable to destroy the Port Stanley runway. If most of the Sea Harriers had been lost, the GR.3s would have replaced them in air patrol duties. Four Harriers GR.3s were lost to ground fire, accidents, or mechanical failure.[4] The RAF Harriers would not see further combat, as the Hawker Siddeley airframes were replaced by the larger Harrier II developed jointly by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace.
The AV-8As of the US Marine Corps were very similar to the early GR.1 version, but with the engine of the GR.3. 113 aircraft were ordered for the US Marines and the Spanish Navy. The AV-8A was armed with two 30-mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage, and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The aircraft was powered by a 21,500 lbf (95.6 kN) thrust Roll-Royce Pegasus Mk 103 turbofan engine. It was also a very manoeuvrable and a potent air-to-air fighter, being able to out-manoeuvre any other fighter aircraft then in service.[citation needed] The air combat technique of vectoring in forward flight, or viffing, was developed by the USMC in the Harrier to outmanoeuvre a hostile aircraft or other inbound weapons.[2][3]
[edit] Variants
- Harrier GR.1
- The first production model derived from the Kestrel
- Harrier GR.1A
- The GR.1A was an upgraded version of the GR.1, the main difference being the uprated Pegasus Mk 102 engine. Fifty-eight GR.1As entered RAF service, 17 GR.1As were produced and a further 41 GR.1s were upgraded.
- Harrier GR.3
The Harrier GR.3 featured improved sensors (such as a laser tracker in the lengthened nose), countermeasures and a further upgraded Pegasus Mk 103 and was to be the ultimate development of the 1st generation Harrier.
The RAF ordered 118 of the GR.1/GR.3 series Harrier.
- Harrier T.2
Two-seat training version for the RAF.
- Harrier T.2A
The Harrier T.2A was an upgraded version of the T.2. The T.2A was powered by a Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 102 turbofan engine.
- Harrier T4
Two-seat training version for the Royal Air Force.
- Harrier T4N
Two-seat training version for the Royal Navy.
- Harrier Mk 52
Two-seat company demonstrator. One aircraft only.
- AV-8A Harrier
Single-seat ground-attack, close air support, reconnaissance fighter aircraft; similar to the early GR.1 version, but with the engine of the GR.3. 113 aircraft were ordered for the US Marines. Company designation was the Harrier Mk 50.
- AV-8C
Upgraded AV-8A aircraft for the US Marine Corps.
- AV-8S Matador
Export version of the AV-8A Harrier for the Spanish Navy. Later sold to the Royal Thai Navy. Spanish Navy designation VA-1 Matador. Company designation Harrier Mk 53 for the first production batch, and Harrier Mk 55 for the second batch.
- TAV-8A Harrier
Two-seater training version for the US Marine Corps. The TAV-8A Harrier was powered by a 21,500-lb Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 103 turbofan engine. Company designation Harrier Mk 54.
- TAV-8S Matador
Export version of the TAV-8A Harrier for the Spanish Navy. Later sold to the Royal Thai Navy. Spanish Navy designation VAE-1 Matador. Company designation Harrier Mk 54.
[edit] Operators
- Spanish Navy
- No. 008 Escuadrilla - AV-8S and TAV-8S Matador
- Royal Thai Navy
- Squadron 1 Wing3 (HTMS Chakri Naruebet Flying Unit) - AV-8S and TAV-8S
- Royal Air Force
- No. 1 Squadron RAF
- No. 3 Squadron RAF
- No. IV Squadron RAF
- No. 20 Squadron RAF
- No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
- No. 1417 Flight RAF - Deployed to the Central American nation of Belize from 1981 to 1993.
- No. 1453 Flight RAF - Deployed to Port Stanley, in the Falklands Islands from June 1982 to 1985.
[edit] Specifications (Harrier GR.1)
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 45 ft 7 in (13.90 m)
- Wingspan: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
- Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
- Wing area: 201 ft² (18.68 m²)
- Empty weight: 12,190 lb (5,530 kg)
- Loaded weight: 17,260 lb (7,830 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 25,350 lb (11,500 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Pegasus 101 turbofan with four swivelling nozzles, 19,000 lbf (84.5 kN) Four vertical flight puffer jets use engine bleed air, mounted in the nose, wingtips, and tail, and provide up to 1,000 lbf (4 kN) of thrust.
Performance
- Maximum speed: 735 mph (Mach 0.97) (1,185 km/h)
- Range: 1200 mi (1900 km)
- Combat radius: 260 mi (418 km) on strike mission without drop tanks (hi-lo-hi)
- Service ceiling 49,200 ft (15,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 2 min 23 sec to 40,000 ft or initial climb (VTOL weight) 50,000ft/min (15,240 m/min[5])
- Thrust/weight: 1.10
Armament
- 2x 30 mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
- A variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods, AS-37 Martel or AIM-9D guided missiles on five hardpoints.
[edit] Popular culture
The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured a number of films and video games.
[edit] Survivors / museum exhibits
- Type GR.3 is on display at the Flugausstellung Leo Junior at Hermeskeil in Germany
[edit] See also
- Harrier Jump Jet, an overview of the Harrier family
Related development
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
- ^ Hawker Siddeley Harrier, British Aircraft Directory
- ^ a b Nordeen, pp. 33-34.
- ^ a b Spick, Mike; Bill Gunston (2000). The Great Book of Modern Warplanes. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Company, 382-383. ISBN 0-7603-0893-4.
- ^ Harriers lost in the Falklands
- ^ Modern Air Combat: The Aircraft, Tactics and Weapons Employed in Aerial Warfare Today, by Bill Gunston, Mike Spick (New York: Crescent Books, 1983) p. 84.
- Norden, Lon O. Harrier II, Validating V/STOL. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59114-536-8.
[edit] External links
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