Flightline: 69/TBD

"user314" (user314) 10/30/2020 at 11:00 • Filed to: flightline, Planelopnik, planelopnik history

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A Hawker Siddeley AV-8A atached to VMA-231 “Ace of Spades”, wearing a rare white and green camo pattern

After the cancellation of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the RAF went back to the drawing board, and issued a new requirement for a subsonic V/STOL strike aircraft. Hawker Siddeley advanced an upgraded Kestrel, designated P.1127 (RAF), and awarded a contract for six preproduction Harrier GR.1 in 1965, with the first taking flight on 31 August 1966. The RAF ordered 60 production Harriers in early 1967, which officially entered service in 1969. During the same year, Hawker Siddeley formed a partnership with McDonnell Douglas to produce aircraft for the US, though, through that decision was later reversed and the USMC’s order of 102 AV-8A and 8 TAV-8A trainers were produced on Hawker Siddeley’s Kingston upon Thames and Dunsfold factories.

RAF Harrier GR.1 (the best looking version, don’t @ me) fitted with SNEB rocket pods.

The P.1127/Kestrel KGA.1 and Harrier GR.1/AV-8A are broadly similar in appearance, but the two designs share less than 10% commonality. The Harrier was powered by the more powerful Pegasus 6 engine, and new air intakes with auxiliary blow-in doors were added to produce the required airflow at low speed. Its wing was modified to increase area, and the landing gear was strengthened. Several hardpoints for weapons or drop-tanks were installed, two under each wing and one underneath the fuselage, and provisions for two 30 mm (1.2 in) !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! gun pods were added to the underside of the fuselage. The Harrier was outfitted with updated avionics to replace the basic systems used in the Kestrel: a navigational-attack system incorporating an inertial navigation system, originally for the P.1154, was installed and information was presented to the pilot by a head-up display and a moving map display. USMC Harriers were further differentiated in that they were built without magnesium components, which were subject to corrosion. They were also fitted with American radios and IFF avionics, and the outer wing pylons were wired to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for self-defense.

A USMC AV-8A from VMA-513 (The Flying Nightmares) preparing to land at NAS Whiting Field in 1982

Development of the Harrier continued, with the GR.3 variant being introduced in the early 1980s. Featuring an uprated Pegasus engine, chisel nose incorporating a laser tracker, upgraded avionics and ECM equipment, 62 were converted from earlier GR.1/.1As, while an additional 40 new aircraft were built. In the US, the AV-8As were upgraded to AV-8C specs, mainly involving strengthening the structure and replacing earlier models of the Pegasus engine. During air-combat trials against USMC Phantoms, the Harrier’s pilots developed the concept of “viffing”: rotating the nozzles forward during a turn, which allowed the AV-8s to engage faster targets at close range.

An RAF GR.3 at Stanley Airport in 1984

In the early 1970's the Royal Navy faced the cancellation of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which would have replaced the Centaur - and Audacious -class full-deck carriers, and as a result began to seek a V/STOL replacement for its Sea Vixen and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! fighters. The answer came as a result of RN Lt. Cdr. D.R. Taylor’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! thesis which postulated that an angled ramp would allow a V/STOL aircraft like the Harrier to take off on smaller decks while still carrying a combat load. Initial testing with various ramp angles was carried out at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , using the two-seat Harrier demonstrator G-VTOL during 1976 and ‘77, and proved that the more the ramp was angled the more of a performance boost was added. As a result, the RN commissioned the new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! light carriers, which incorporated the newly-christened !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! deck. To fly from these ships, Hawker Siddeley developed the Sea Harrier FRS.1.

A lineup of Sea Harriers (In this camo, the second best looking Harrier, don’t @ me) in 1980

Based on the upgraded Harrier GR.3, the Sea Harrier was further modified with a raised bubble canopy for improved visibility and a longer nose to incorporate the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! radar. As with the American AV-8A, different alloys were used to prevent corrosion.

FRS.1 and GR.3 Harriers were soon pressed into service during the Falklands Islands War. Sea Harriers operated from the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes , acting as the primary air defense, shooting down 20 Argentine aircraft. The RAF’s GR.3s, meanwhile, were operating from two commandeered merchant container ships, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which were modified with temporary flight decks. Ten more GR.3s operated from the Hermes .

Newsweek coverage of the Falklands conflict, showing HMS Hermes carrying Harrier FRS.1

Along with the US and UK, Spain operated a force of ten Harriers, based on the USMC’s AV-8A, known as the VA-1 Matador, and the Indian Navy ordered a force of 30 (25 fighters and five trainers) Sea Harrier FRS.51 to operate from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (ex- !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (ex- !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ).

An AV-8S (VA-1) Matador of the Spanish Navy.

INS Vikrant circa 1984 carrying a unique complement of Sea Harriers, Sea Hawks, Allouette & Sea King helicopters and Alize ASW aircraft

The GR.1, GR.3, AV-8A, -8C and Sea Harrier FRS.1 were all retired in the 1980s, and the Spanish Navy sold their VA-1 Matadors to the Thai Royal Navy in 1998. The Thai Harriers were retired in 2008, while the Indian FRS.51 were replaced in 2016 by MiG-29K aircraft. 

But the story doesn’t end there....

For Sweden > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:10

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nice

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:21

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I couldn’t find one on the internet, but in the 70s, my brother — Ttyymmnn — had a poster on his bedroom wall from the Marine Corps and a picture of a Harrier and a Marine Corps pilot, and The Marine Corps is looking for a few good men to fly it. I thought of Harrier as the services were working out the kinks in their Osprey program. I read somewhere that the Corps concluded they needed to stop putting “nuggets” in the Harrier, nuggets being newly minted aviators. I’ve also read that Harrier is about the least survivable from combat damage of anything flying.

facw > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:28

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Along with the US and UK, Spain operated a force of ten Harriers, based on the USMC’s AV-8A, known as the VA-1 Matador.

In addition to the above and Thailand (who didn’t receive all of Spain’s Harriers, and I believe mostly operated 1st-gen UK models), Italy also has AV-8 Harriers.

Also as long as we are talking Spanish Harriers, I’d like to register my continuing disappointment that the Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo (ex-USS Cabot), the last surviving WWII light carrier survived into the 2000s but ultimately was scrapped, while we have so many preserved Essex class carriers (none of them in anything close to WWII configuration):

And of course India also flew Harriers (UK versions )

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:37

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I think my most fond memory of an air show was watching a Harrier do a vertical take off. That takes a lot of thrust.

also this:

user314 > facw 10/30/2020 at 11:44

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Italy operated AV-8B Harrier IIs, which I'll cover Monday.  I did however forget to include the Indian Navy's Sea Harrier FRS.51.

facw > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:46

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Fair enou gh! I just added the Indian’s to my post as well.

Chariotoflove > user314 10/30/2020 at 11:47

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ARE there any other examples of the American armed forces buying foreign made airplanes and not buying domestic  (excluding foreign parts like engines built domestically under contract)?

user314 > Chariotoflove 10/30/2020 at 12:02

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Aside from the AV-8A, I can’t think of any. The Canberra was license built by Martin, with their own twists, and the VH-71 Kestrel (based on the AgustaWestland AW101 ) would have been built here also.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 10/30/2020 at 12:06

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I would imagine the survivability issue has a lot to do with the complicated Pegasus engine system. I would imagine damage to just about any component could result in unbalanced thrust and all sort of other problems that could quickly turn into an out of control aircraft. 

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 10/30/2020 at 12:20

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I don’t remember that poster, but it sounds on brand. There is a very interesting article from a few years ago about the Osprey, and I think that the general theory is that people with airplane training, or no training (nuggets), did better than helicopter guys.

“One of the biggest problems we’ve had in the community is getting past the idea that it’s a helicopter that flies fast,” Leonard said. “It’s not. It’s an airplane that hovers. And if you fly the airplane like a helicopter, yes, it’s very difficult to fly as a helicopter. And if you do that, you have a very good chance of having a problem with controllability because of the way the aircraft operates. If you fly it like an airplane and you are willing to take the time to understand the capabilities of it in helicopter, it’s a very, very easy airplane to fly.”

Future next gen S2000 owner > user314 10/30/2020 at 12:23

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VTOL is a dumb idea for fixed wing aircraft. It needs to be said.

Chariotoflove > user314 10/30/2020 at 12:26

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Fascinating how this happened then.

Kid Cobalt > Chariotoflove 10/30/2020 at 14:14

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Well there is the case of the Israeli Kfirs that were used for a time by the Navy for dissimilar air combat training. During World War II, USAAF squadrons flew Spitfires and also Beaufighters. de Havilland of Canada transports have been flown by the US Army and the USAF. The USCG has operated several European-made aircraft types, including the current HC-144 Ocean Sentry.

InFierority Complex > Chariotoflove 10/30/2020 at 15:08

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The Italian Alenia C-27 Spartan was used by the Air Force for a few years but got mothballed because of budget cuts. I think a few made their way to the Coast Guard and Forest Service

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alenia_C-27J_Spartan

I’m sure back in WW1 there was a prevalence of foreign made aircraft in the fleet as well.

Chariotoflove > InFierority Complex 10/30/2020 at 16:27

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Interesting. Yeah, I’m thinking of the modern Air Force, really.