AV-8 Harrier VTOL Jump Jet PDF eBook & Aircraft Flight Manuals

Boeing AV-8B Harrier II Plus

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot
• Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m)
• Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
• Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.55 m)
• Wing area: 243.4 sq ft (22.61 m²)
• Airfoil: supercritical airfoil
• Empty weight: 13,968 lb (6,340 kg)
• Loaded weight: 22,950 lb (10,410 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: **
  • Rolling: 31,000 lb (14,100 kg)
  • Vertical: 20,755 lb (9,415 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus F402-RR-408 (Mk 107) vectored-thrust turbofan, 23,500 lbf (105 kN)

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 0.9 (585 knots, 673 mph, 1,083 km/h)
• Range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km)
• Combat radius: 300 nmi (350 mi, 556 km)
• Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
• Rate of climb: 14,700 ft/min (75 m/s)
• Wing loading: 94.29 lb/(sq ft) (460.4 kg/m²)

Armament

• Guns: 1× General Dynamics GAU-12 Equalizer 25 mm (0.984 in) 5-barreled Rotary cannon mounted under-fuselage in the left pod, with 300 rounds of ammunition in the right pod
• Hardpoints: 6× under-wing pylon stations holding up to 9,200 lb (4,200 kg) of payload:
• Rockets: ** 4× LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19× CRV7 or APKWS 70 mm rockets)
• Missiles: ** Air-to-air missiles:
  • • 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder or similar-sized infrared-guided missiles
    • 6× AIM-120 AMRAAM (on radar equipped AV-8B Plus variants)
  • Air-to-surface missiles:
    • 6× AGM-65 Maverick; or
    • 2× AGM-84 Harpoon; or
    • 2× AGM-88 HARM
• Bombs:
  • CBU-100 cluster bombs (CBUs)
  • Mark 80 series of unguided bombs (including 3 kg [6.6 lb] and 14 kg [31 lb] practice bombs)
  • Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs)
  • Joint Direct Attack Munitions (GBU-38, GBU-32, and GBU-54)
  • Mark 77 fire bomb
  • B61 nuclear bomb
• Others:
  • up to 4× 300/330/370 US Gallon drop tanks (pylon stations No. 2, 3, 4, & 5 are wet plumbed)
  • Intrepid Tiger II electronic jammer

Avionics

• Raytheon APG-65 radar
• AN/AAQ-28V LITENING targeting pod (on AV-8B Night Attack and radar-equipped AV-8B Plus variants)

Variants

• YAV-8B – Two prototypes converted in 1978 from existing AV-8A airframes (BuNos 158394 and 158395).
• AV-8B Harrier II sans suffix – The initial “day attack” variant.
• AV-8B Harrier II Night Attack – Improved version with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera, an upgraded cockpit with night-vision goggle compatibility, and the more powerful Rolls Royce Pegasus 11 engine.  This variant was originally planned to be designated AV-8D.
• AV-8B Harrier II Plus – Similar to the Night Attack variant, with the addition of an APG-65 radar and separate targeting pod. It is used by the USMC, Spanish Navy, and Italian Navy. Forty-six new-built aircraft were assembled from 1993 to 1997.
• TAV-8B Harrier II – Two-seat trainer version.
• EAV-8B Matador II – Company designation for the Spanish Navy version.
• EAV-8B Matador II Plus – The AV-8B Harrier II Plus, ordered for the Spanish Navy.
• Harrier GR5, GR7, GR9

Hawker Siddeley GR.3 Harrier

General Characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 46 ft 10 in (14.27 m)
• Wingspan: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
• Height: 11 ft 11 in (3.63 m)
• Wing area: 201.1 ft² (18.68 m²)
• Empty weight: 13,535 lb (6,140 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 25,200 lb (11,430 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan with four swivelling nozzles, 21,500 lbf (95.6 kN) Four vertical flight puffer jets use engine bleed air, mounted in the nose, wingtips, and tail.

Performance

• Maximum speed: 730 mph (635 knots, 1,176 km/h) at sea level
• Combat radius: 230 mi (200 nmi, 370 km) lo-lo-lo with 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) payload
• Ferry range: 2,129 mi (1,850 nmi, 3,425 km)
• Endurance: 1 hr 30 min (combat air patrol – 115 mi (185 km) from base)
• Service ceiling: 51,200 ft (15,600 m)
• Time to climb to 40,000 ft (12,200 m): 2 min 23 s

Armament

• Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
• Hardpoints: 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Rockets: 4× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
  • Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders Air-to-air missiles
  • Bombs: A variety of unguided iron bombs, BL755 cluster bombs or laser-guided bombs
  • Others:
    • 1× Reconnaissance pod
    • 2× drop tanks for extended range/loitering time

Variants

• Harrier GR.1, GR.1A, GR.3 – Single-seat versions for the RAF. The RAF ordered 118 of the GR.1/GR.3 series,  with the last production aircraft delivery in December 1986. 122 built.
• AV-8A, AV-8C Harrier – Single-seat versions for the US Marine Corps. The USMC ordered 102 AV-8As (company designation: Harrier Mk. 50). The AV-8C was an upgrade to the AV-8A. 110 built.
• AV-8S Matador  – Export version of the AV-8A Harrier for the Spanish Navy, who designated them as VA-1 Matador; later sold to the Royal Thai Navy. 10 built.
• Harrier T.2, T.2A, T.4, T.4A – Two-seat training versions for the RAF, with a stretched body and taller tail fin. 25 built.
• Harrier T.4N, T.8, T.60 – Two-seat training versions for the Royal Navy and Indian Navy with avionics based on the Sea Harrier.
• TAV-8A Harrier  – Two-seat training version for the USMC, powered by a Pegasus Mk 103.
• TAV-8S Matador – Two-seat training version for the Spanish Navy and later sold to the Royal Thai Navy.

Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m)
• Wingspan: 22 ft 11 in (6.99 m)
• Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
• Empty weight: approximately 9,800 lb (4,445 kg)
• Loaded weight: for VTO 14,500 lb (6,580 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: for STO, approximately 17,000 lb (7,700 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Siddeley Pegasus 5 vectored-thrust turbofan, 15,000 lbf (67 kN)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 710 mph, Mach 0.92 (1,142 km/h) at sea level
• Service ceiling: (service) approximately 55,000 ft (16,750 m)
• Rate of climb: approximately 30,000 ft/min (150 m/s)
• Thrust/weight: 1.04

Variants

• P.1127 – Experimental V/STOL fighter, two prototypes and four development aircraft.
• Kestrel FGA.1 – Aircraft for the tripartite evaluation squadron, nine built, six later transferred to the United States where they were designated XV-6A.
• P.1127 (RAF) – Development V/STOL ground attack and reconnaissance fighter, six built as pre-production evaluation aircraft before the type was ordered into production as the Harrier GR.1. First aircraft flew from Dunsfold on 31 August 1966.
• XV-6A – United States military designation for the six Kestrel FGA.1 transferred to the U.S.
• VZ-12 – U.S. Army designation for two P.1127 development aircraft, not delivered. 

On Display

• P.1127 XP831 on display at The Science Museum, London, England.
• P.1127 XP980 (fitted with a Harrier GR.1 wing) is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, England
• P.1127 XP984 (temporarily fitted with an earlier P.1127 wing) is on display at the Brooklands Museum, Surrey, England.
• Kestrel FGA.1 XS695 on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford England.
• P.1127(RAF) XV277 on display at the National Museum of Flight, Scotland.
• P.1127(RAF) XV278 on display at the Luftwaffenmuseum, Germany.
• XV-6A Kestrel 64-18262 on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, United States.
• XV-6A Kestrel 64-18263 with NASA livery on display at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia, United States
• XV-6A Kestrel 64-18264 formerly held in storage by the United States Army Aviation Museum, Alabama, United States; now on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
• XV-6A Kestrel 64-18266 with NASA livery on display at Air Power Park, Hampton, Virginia, United States.

Canada

AV-8A

• 158966 – Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario

China

GR.3

• XZ965 – Beijing Aviation Museum (?????)

Germany

GR.1

• XV278 – Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, Gatow

GR.3

• XZ998 – Flugausstellung Hermeskeil at Hermeskeil

Poland

GR.3

• XW919 – Polish Aviation Museum, Kraków, Poland

New Zealand

GR.3

• XZ129 – Ashburton Aviation Museum, Ashburton, New Zealand

Thailand

AV-8S

• 3109 – Royal Thai Air Force Museum

United Kingdom

GR.1

• XV277 – National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

GR.3

• XV744 – Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Chichester, West Sussex
• XV748 – Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington
• XV751 – Gatwick Aviation Museum, Surrey
• XV752 – South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
• XV753 – Classic Air Force, St Mawgan, Newquay, Cornwall
• XV779 – RAF Wittering (Gate Guardian)
• XZ133 – Imperial War Museum, Duxford
• XZ968 – Muckleburgh Collection, Norfolk
• XZ997 – RAF Museum, Hendon^[161]
• ZD667 – Bentwaters Cold War Museum, Suffolk

Mk.52 G-VTOL

• ZA250 – Brooklands Museum, Surrey

T.2

• XW269 – Airworld Aviation Museum Caernarfon Wales

T.4

• XW934 – Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, Farnborough, Hampshire
• XW268 – City of Norwich Aviation Museum, Norfolk

AV-8A

• 159233 – Imperial War Museum North

United States

AV-8A

• 158695 – Air Park, Yuma MCAS, Yuma, Arizona
• 159239 – San Diego Air and Space Museum, San Diego, California
• 158963 – Craven County Regional Airport, Grantham, North Carolina
• 158976 – City of Havelock, Havelock, North Carolina
• Cockpit on display at Moffett Historical Museum, Moffett Federal Airfield, California

TAV-8A

• 159381 – Oakland Aviation Museum, Oakland, California
• 159382 – Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona

AV-8C

• 158387 – Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California
• 158710 – Quonset Air Museum, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
• 158959 – Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, California
• 158975 – National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida
• 158977 – Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington
• 159232 – Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York City, New York
• 159238 – Hangar 25 Museum, Webb AFB (formerly), Big Spring, Texas
• 159241 – Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona
• 159247 – Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 159249 – United States Naval Museum of Armament and Technology, NCC China Lake (North), Ridgecrest, California

McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Cutaway

Sea Harrier Cutaway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTSPeHvaHYo