这 小贩西德利·哈里尔(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)
作用
V/STOL Ground Attack / Reconnaissance
船员
1 (Pilot)
First Flight (Harrier)
December 28, 1967
动力装置
1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan
Thrust
21,500 lbf (95.6 kN)
最高速度
730 mph (1,176 km/h / Mach 0.95)
Combat Radius
200 miles (370 km) in lo-lo-lo profile
装备
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 thePegasus 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 theAV-8A 型, eventually leading to the heavily redesignedAV-8B 猎犬II.
Retirement:The original British Harriers were retired in 2010 (Navy) and 2011 (RAF), with theF-35B Lightning IIeventually taking over the role as the world’s premier STOVL fighter.
哈里尔二号皇家空军 GR.7 的新照片集 45 张照片