O Hawker Siddeley Harrier, desenvolvido na década de 1960, foi o primeiro da série de aeronaves Harrier Jump Jet. Foi o primeiro avião de combate operacional de suporte próximo e reconhecimento com capacidades verticais/curtas de decolagem e pouso (V/STOL) e o único projeto V/STOL verdadeiramente bem sucedido dos muitos que surgiram naquela época. O Harrier foi desenvolvido diretamente a partir do protótipo hawker Siddeley Kestrel, após o cancelamento de uma aeronave supersônica mais avançada, o Hawker Siddeley P.1154. A Força Aérea Real Britânica (RAF) encomendou as variantes Harrier GR.1 e GR.3 no final da década de 1960. Foi exportado para os Estados Unidos como o AV-8A, para uso do Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais dos EUA (USMC), na década de 1970.
Fonte: Hawker Siddeley Harrier na Wikipédia
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The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British aircraft that was developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is the first operational jet fighter capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), meaning it can take off and land on short runways or even on ships. The Harrier uses four vectoring nozzles to direct its thrust downwards or backwards, allowing it to hover, fly backwards, or perform other maneuvers. The Harrier was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Navy, and several other countries, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The Harrier played a significant role in the Falklands War in 1982, where it proved its effectiveness against Argentine forces. The Harrier was also deployed in various conflicts in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. The Harrier was retired from service in 2011 by the RAF and the Royal Navy, and replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II. The USMC still operates the AV-8B Harrier II, a second-generation version of the Harrier that was developed jointly by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace.
Novo conjunto de 45 fotos de um Harrier II RAF GR.7