How good is Harrier?

Like most successful military aircraft, it was very good at the job it was designed for. During the most notable conflict involving the Harrier, the Falklands War, the British essentially forced the Argentinian forces to fight on their terms, which took great advantage of the capabilities of the Harrier.

Is the Harrier difficult to fly?

Designed by the British and now flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Harriers also have an accident-prone track record and are notoriously difficult to fly.

Are Harrier jets dangerous?

They know this drill all too well because the Harrier is the most dangerous airplane flying in the U.S. military today. Over the last three decades, it has amassed the highest rate of major accidents of any Air Force, Navy, Army or Marine plane now in service. More than a third of the fleet has been lost to accidents.

What can’t the Harrier plane do?

The Harrier is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) plane, or “jump jet.” Built first in Britain and later in the US, this unusual fighter can take off by flying straight up and land by coming straight down. The Harrier can also hover like a helicopter, fly sideways, go backward, and even stop and turn in midair.

Can the Harrier dogfight?

The Harrier did achieve some 15–20 aerial kills but never engaged in a real dogfight since the only Argentine dogfighting “capable” plane was the Mirage 3, which never really engaged as air supressors but as an escort/decoy for the A4 Skyhawks in their bombing runs against the British fleet heavely loaded with external …

Can a Harrier shoot while hovering?

Technically speaking Harrier is not a VTOL aircraft, practically all the helicopters are however, so in that context yes, a lot of VTOL aircraft has fired on the enemy while in hover, though it’s not standard practice. You don’t want to be standing still while shooting at the enemy if they can see you.

How long can a Harrier hover for?

We’ve observed the Harrier hovering at airshows for periods of time on the order of 5 minutes or more. Based on these numbers, our best guess is that the maximum time limit over which the Harrier can maintain hover is probably around 10 minutes or so.

Is the Harrier Jump Jet Still in use?

A very rare aircraft. Only 46 of the first-generation Harrier Jump Jet trainers were ever built. None are flying today. This is the only one in private hands that is anywhere near capable of flight and is undergoing inspection for completion. The Harrier Jump Jet is being sold by courtesyaircraft.com and is virtually complete, with spares.

How does a Harrier jet land on a carrier?

Andy also talked about the “uniquely British” manoeuvre that the UK team at Pax River developed, the shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL). For a jet fighter like the Harrier or the F-35, the normal landing technique on an aircraft carrier is to fly over the designated spot, hover and gently set down.

How many generations of the Harrier jet are there?

There are two generations and four main variants of the Harrier family, developed by both UK and US manufacturers: The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is the first generation-version and is also known as the AV-8A Harrier; it was used by multiple air forces, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

What kind of flight control does a harrier have?

9) Unlike most aircraft, Harriers use two types of flight control systems. Conventional control surfaces for wing-lift flight, and bleed air reaction control valves for vectored-thrust flight. 10) The jet uses bleed air through four main nozzles in the fuselage, in addition to two vents in the wingtips, to maneuver during vectored-thrust flight.