Aviation History - March 2016 USA

26 AH march 2016

LEFT: ©CLOVER B. CHRISTENSEN/EPA/CORBIS; RIGHT: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM FKD 2300

Boeing) were of enormous consequence. MacDac turned the

original Harrier from “an airplane that couldn’t carry a ciga-

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and a machine with capabilities and sophistication that make

early Harriers look like airshow toys.

Just as the English Electric Canberra became the Martin

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frame as well as a substantially upgraded Pegasus engine.

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15-percent larger yet 330 pounds lighter all-composite wing

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caused by the larger and thicker wing’s increased drag. The

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lateral air dam that help to localize and contain the column of

thrust from the downward-rotated nozzles.

T

he Harrier was origi-

nally intended to be a

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that would carry the name

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combat aircraft could claim

legitimacy without being able

to seriously bust the Mach.

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failure as an export item.

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Harrier was sold only to the

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far as the rest of the world was

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and the Harrier was transonic

at best.

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perfect Harrier customer. It

was a small country with few

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its concerns and allowed a

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high-pressure fuel cock rather

than the nozzle control and

shut down the engine. The

Har rier dropped like a rock

while he ejected.

This despite the fact that

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THE HARRIER WAS

ORIGINALLY

INTENDED TO BE

A SUPERSONIC

FIGHTER TO TUSSLE

WITH THE

SOVIETS FOR AIR

SUPERIORITY.

ALMOST THERE Flight

directors on USS Essex watch

an AV-8B Harrier II land

during Operation Enduring

Freedom in October 1991.