Hawker Siddeley Harrier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
This article is about a variant of the Harrier family of V/STOL aircraft. For other uses of "Harrier", see Harrier.
Harrier
RAF Harrier GR3, over Belize in 1982
Type VTOL strike aircraft
Manufacturer Hawker Siddeley
Maiden flight 28 December 1967 (Harrier)
Primary users Royal Air Force
United States Marine Corps
Spanish Navy
Royal Thai Navy
Produced 1967 - ?
Number built 718 [1]
Developed from Hawker P.1127/Kestrel FGA.1
Variants Sea Harrier
AV-8 Harrier II
BAE Harrier II

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1/GR.3 and the AV-8A Harrier are the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. The Harrier was the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many that arose from the 1960s, and the only truly successful V/STOL design period until the development of the F-35 Lightning II in the early 2000s.

The Harrier was extensively redeveloped, leading to the Harrier GR7/GR9 and AV-8B Harrier II, that were built by BAE Systems and Boeing.

Contents

[edit] Background

Main article: Hawker P.1127

The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 were the development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.

[edit] P.1127

The Harrier family was started with the Hawker P.1127. Design began in 1957 by Sir Sydney Camm, Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aviation and Stanley Hooker (later Sir Stanley) of the Bristol Engine Company. Rather than using rotors or a direct jet thrust the P.1127 had an innovative vectored thrust turbofan engine and the first vertical take-off was on October 21, 1960. Six prototypes were built in total, one of which was lost at an air display.

[edit] Kestrel FGA.1

The immediate development of the P.1127 was into the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1, which appeared after Hawker Siddeley Aviation had been created. The Kestrel was strictly an evaluation aircraft, and only nine were produced, the first flying on March 7, 1964.

These equipped the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron formed at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk of 10 pilots from the RAF, USA and West Germany. One aircraft was lost but the remainder transferred to the US for evaluation by the Army, Air Force and Navy, under the designation XV-6A Kestrel.

An order for 60 production aircraft was received from the RAF in 1966, and the first pre-production Harriers, then known as the P.1127(RAF) were flying by mid-1967.

[edit] P.1127(RAF)

At the time of the development of the P.1127, Hawker had started on a design for a supersonic version, the Hawker P.1154. After this was cancelled in 1965, the RAF began looking at a simple upgrade of the Kestrel as the P.1127(RAF).

In mid-1966, the P.1127(RAF) was ordered by the RAF as the Harrier GR.1, with the first preproduction aircraft flying the following year.

[edit] Variants

[edit] Harrier GR.1

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1 was the first production model taken from the Kestrel, it first flew on December 28, 1967, and entered service with the RAF on April 1, 1969. Construction took place at factories in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London and at Dunsfold, Surrey. The latter adjoined an airfield used for flight testing; both factories have since closed.

The ski-jump technique for STOVL use by Harriers launched from Royal Navy aircraft carriers was tested at the Royal Navy's airfield at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset. Their flight decks were designed with an upward curve to the bow following the successful conclusion of those tests.

The air combat technique of vectoring in forward flight, or viffing, was developed by the USMC in the Harrier to outmaneuver a hostile aircraft or other inbound weapons.

[edit] Harrier GR.1A

The GR.1A was an upgraded version of the GR.1, the main difference being the uprated Pegasus Mk 102 engine. Fifty-eight GR.1As entered RAF service, 17 GR.1As were produced and a further 41 GR.1s were upgraded.

[edit] Harrier GR.3

The Harrier GR.3 featured improved sensors (such as a laser tracker in the lengthened nose), countermeasures and a further upgraded Pegasus Mk 103 and was to be the ultimate development of the 1st generation Harrier. This model saw extended service in the Falklands War. (See Service History below)

The RAF ordered 118 of the GR.1/GR.3 series Harrier.

[edit] Harrier T.2

Two-seat training version for the RAF.

[edit] Harrier T.2A

The Harrier T.2A was an upgraded version of the T.2. The T.2A was powered by a Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 102 turbofan engine.

[edit] Harrier T.4

Two-seat training version for the RAF.

[edit] Harrier Mk 52

Two-seat company demonstrator. One aircraft only.

[edit] AV-8A Harrier

Single-seat ground-attack, close air support, reconnaissance fighter aircraft. The AV-8As of the US Marine Corps were very similar to the early GR.1 version, but with the engine of the GR.3. 113 aircraft were ordered for the US Marines and the Spanish Navy. The AV-8A was armed with two 30-mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage, and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The aircraft was powered by a 21,500-lb thrust Roll-Royce Pegasus Mk 103 turbofan engine. It was also a very manoeuverable and a potent air-to-air fighter, being able to outmanoeuvre any other fighter aircraft. Company designation was the Harrier Mk 50.

[edit] AV-8C

Upgraded AV-8A aircraft for the US Marine Corps.

[edit] AV-8S Matador

Export version of the AV-8A Harrier for the Spanish Navy. Later sold to the Royal Thai Navy. Spanish Navy designation VA-1 Matador. Company designation Harrier Mk 53 for the first production batch, and Harrier Mk 55 for the second batch.

[edit] TAV-8A Harrier

Two-seater training version for the US Marine Corps. The TAV-8A Harrier was powered by a 21,500-lb Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 103 turbofan engine. Company designation Harrier Mk 54.

[edit] TAV-8S Matador

Export version of the TAV-8A Harrier for the Spanish Navy. Later sold to the Royal Thai Navy. Spanish Navy designation VAE-1 Matador. Company designation Harrier Mk 54.

[edit] Controls and handling

Further information: Harrier Jump Jet#Controls and handling

[edit] Service history

The major combat experience for the Harrier in British service was during the Falklands War where both the Sea Harrier and Harrier GR.3 were used. The Sea Harrier, based on the GR3, was important to the naval activities. Twenty Sea Harriers were operated from the carriers HMS Hermes and Invincible mainly for fleet air defence. Although they destroyed 23 Argentine aircraft in air combat (in part due to using the American-supplied latest variant of the Sidewinder missile and the Argentine aircraft operating at extreme range) they couldn't establish complete air superiority and prevent Argentine attacks during day or night nor stop the daily flights of C-130 Hercules transports to the islands. Three Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and another three due to operational accidents, none to enemy aircraft. The Harrier GR.3 was operated by the RAF from Hermes and provided close support to the ground forces and attacked Argentine positions but were unable to destroy the Port Stanley runway. If the Sea Harriers had been lost they would have replaced them in air patrol duties.

The RAF Harriers would not see further combat, the Hawker Siddeley airframes would be replaced by the larger Harrier II developed by McDonnell Douglas.

The Sea Harrier FRS.1 saw combat during the Bosnia conflict, with one aircraft of 801 NAS flown by Lt Nick Richardson being shot down by Serbian defences in 1994. These missions continued as the Sea Harrier force was updated to the FA2 standard. During the Kosovo War, combat patrols were flown, but no weapons were fired. The Sea Harrier patrolled over Iraq during the 12 years of enforcing no-fly zones.

The Sea Harrier and Harrier GR7 forces were merged to formed Joint Force Harrier in 2000. With the retirement of the Sea Harrier in 2006 the RAF and RN will share the GR9 fleet until the introduction of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

[edit] RAF service

Squadrons

Flights

  • No. 1417 Flight RAF - Deployed to the Central American nation of Belize from 1981 to 1993.
  • No. 1453 Flight RAF - Deployed to Port Stanley, in the Falklands Islands from June 1982 to 1985.

Locations

[edit] Royal Thai Navy Service

Squadrons

[edit] Spanish Navy Service

Squadrons

  • No. 008 Escuadrilla - AV-8S & TAV-8S Matador

[edit] United States Marine Corps Service

Squadrons

[edit] Operators

[edit] Specifications (Harrier GR.1)

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 45 ft 7 in (13.90 m)
  • Wingspan: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
  • Wing area: 208ft² (18,68 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,190 lb (5,530 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 17,260 lb (7,830 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 25,350 lb (11,500 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Pegasus 101 turbofan with four swivelling nozzles, 19,000 lbf (84.5 kN) Four vertical flight puffer jets use engine bleed air, mounted in the nose, wingtips, and tail, and provide up to 1,000 lbf (4 kN) of thrust.

Performance

Armament

  • 2x 30 mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
  • A variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods, AS-37 Martel or AIM-9D guided missiles on five hardpoints.

[edit] Popular culture

The Harrier's unique characteristics have led to it being featured a number of films and video games.

Main article: Harrier Jump Jet in popular culture

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=609 British Aircraft Directory

[edit] External links

[edit] Related content

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence

See also

v • d • e
Harrier Jump Jet family and related aircraft

Predecessors: Hawker P.1127 · Hawker Kestrel · Hawker Siddeley P.1154

First Generation: Hawker Siddeley Harrier · BAE Sea Harrier

Second Generation: McDD/Boeing AV-8B Harrier II · McDD-BAE Harrier II

v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation

Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft


Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../h/a/w/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier_02d5.html"