Hawker Siddeley Harrier

Hawker Siddeley Harrier
Paese	Regno unito
Ruolo	V/STOL aereo da attacco al suolo
Primo volo	28 dicembre 1967
Costruito	278

Le Hawker Siddeley Harrier, sviluppato negli anni '60, è stato il primo della serie di aerei Harrier Jump Jet. Fu il primo aereo da caccia operativo a supporto ravvicinato e da ricognizione con capacità verticali/brevi di decollo e atterraggio (V/STOL) e l'unico progetto V/STOL di successo dei molti che sorsero in quell'epoca. L'Harrier fu sviluppato direttamente dall'Hawker Siddeley Kestrel, in seguito alla cancellazione di un aereo supersonico più avanzato, l'Hawker Siddeley P.1154. La Royal Air Force britannica (RAF) ordinò le varianti Harrier GR.1 e GR.3 alla fine degli anni '60. È stato esportato negli Stati Uniti come AV-8A, per l'uso da parte del Corpo dei Marines degli Stati Uniti (USMC), negli anni '70.

fonte: Hawker Siddeley Harrier su Wikipedia

Hawker Siddeley Harrier Walk Around
Fotografi	Luc Colin
Localizzazione	Museo dell'aria dello Yorkshire
Victor K.2 XL231	Lusty Lindy, allo Yorkshire Air Museum di York. Il prototipo per la conversione da B.2 a K.2. XL231 è uno dei due Vincitori attualmente in condizioni tassabili
Foto	108

Harrier GR.3 01

Harrier GR.3 02

Harrier GR.3 03

Harrier GR.3 04

Harrier GR.3 05

Harrier GR.3 06

Harrier GR.3 07

Harrier GR.3 08

Harrier GR.3 09

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Harrier II RAF GR.7 Walk Around
Fotografo	Cees Hendriks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	45

Harrier T.4 trainer Walk Around
Fotografo	Cees Hendriks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Harrier T.4	Versione da addestramento biposto per la Royal Air Force, equivalente al GR.3, con motore Pegasus Mk 103, cercatore laser e ricevitore di avvertimento radar. Ripristinato a pinna corta di monoposto
Foto	150

Addestratore Harrier T.4

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AV-8A Harrier Walk Around
Fotografo	Howard Mason
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	72

AV-8A Harrier

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Harrier GR.3 Walk Around
Fotografo	Michael Benolkin
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	23

Hawker-Siddeley AV-8A ‘Harrier’ Walk Around
Fotografo	Inconsapevole
Localizzazione
Foto	28

Hawker-Siddeley AV-8A 'Harrier'

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Defying Gravity

Le Hawker Siddeley Harrier (the “Harrier GR.1/GR.3”) was a revolutionary feat of British engineering. Developed from the P.1127 experimental aircraft, it was the only V/STOL (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) design to reach full operational status during the Cold War. Designed to operate from forest clearings and hidden roads if airfields were destroyed by nuclear strikes, the Harrier used “vectored thrust” to take off vertically like a helicopter but fly with the speed of a frontline jet fighter.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Harrier GR.3)
Ruolo	V/STOL Ground Attack / Reconnaissance
Equipaggio	1 (Pilot)
First Flight (Harrier)	December 28, 1967
Motopropulsore	1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan
Thrust	21,500 lbf (95.6 kN)
Velocità massima	730 mph (1,176 km/h / Mach 0.95)
Combat Radius	200 miles (370 km) in lo-lo-lo profile
Armamento	2 × 30mm ADEN cannons; 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinders; up to 5,000 lbs of bombs/rockets

Mastering the Hover

Vectored Thrust Nozzles: The heart of the Harrier is the Pegasus engine, which has four rotating nozzles. By moving a single lever in the cockpit, the pilot can angle the exhaust from fully rearward (for forward flight) to fully downward (for hover).
Reaction Control System (RCS): When hovering, traditional flight surfaces (ailerons/rudders) are useless because there is no airflow over them. The Harrier uses small “puffer ducts” in the nose, tail, and wingtips that bleed air from the engine to steer the plane.
The “Outrigger” Gear: Because the engine and nozzles occupy the center of the fuselage, the Harrier uses a unique bicycle-style landing gear with two main wheels under the body and two small “outrigger” wheels at the wingtips.
VIFFing: Pilots discovered they could “Vector In Forward Flight” (VIFFing). By slightly rotating the nozzles downward during a dogfight, the Harrier could suddenly slow down or change its flight path, forcing an enemy attacker to “overshoot.”

Operational Legend

The Falklands War (1982): The Sea Harrier (naval version) and the RAF’s GR.3 proved the V/STOL concept in combat. Operating from carriers in high seas, they achieved an incredible air-to-air kill ratio against faster Argentine supersonic jets.
Off-Base Operations: During Cold War exercises in Germany, Harriers were famously hidden in camouflaged hides in woods and refueled/rearmed from hidden trucks, proving they didn’t need vulnerable concrete runways.
Global Evolution: The design was so successful that the U.S. Marine Corps adopted it as the AV-8A, eventually leading to the heavily redesigned AV-8B Harrier II.
Retirement: The original British Harriers were retired in 2010 (Navy) and 2011 (RAF), with the F-35B Lightning II eventually taking over the role as the world’s premier STOVL fighter.