The Harrier Jump Jet, often referred to as just "Harrier" or "the Jump Jet", is a British designed military jet aircraft capable of Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) via thrust vectoring. The Harrier family is the only truly successful design of this type from the many that arose in the 1960s.

There are four main versions of the Harrier family: Hawker Siddeley Harrier, British Aerospace Sea Harrier, Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II, and BAE Systems/Boeing Harrier II. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is the first generation version and is also known as the AV-8A Harrier. The Sea Harrier is a Maritime strike/air defence fighter. The AV-8B is the second generation Harrier and the BAE Harrier II is the British variant.

Development

Background

Following an approach by the Bristol Engine Company in 1957 that they were planning a directed thrust engine, Hawker Aircraft came up with a design for an aeroplane that could meet the NATO specification for a "Light Tactical Support Fighter". There was no financial support for the development from HM Treasury, but aid was found through the Mutual Weapon Development Project (MWDP) of NATO.

The P.1127 was ordered as a prototype and flew in 1960. NATO developed a specification (NBMR-3) for a VTOL aircraft, but one that was expected to have the performance of an aircraft like the F-4 Phantom. Hawker drafted a supersonic version of the P.1127, the P.1150, and also the Hawker P.1154 which would meet NBMR-3. The latter was a winner of the NATO competition and development continued until cancelled at the point of prototype construction in 1965.

Work on the P.1127 continued with 9 evaluation aircraft, the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel, ordered. These started flying in 1964 and were assessed by the "Tri-partite Evaluation Squadron" which consisted of British, US and German pilots. With the cancellation of the P.1154, the RAF ordered a modified P.1127/Kestrel as the Harrier GR.1 in 1966.

Harrier development summary

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1/GR.3 and the AV-8A Harrier were the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance attack aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) capabilities. These were developed directly from the Hawker P.1127 prototype and the Kestrel evaluation aircraft.

The Harrier was extensively redeveloped by McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace, leading to the AV-8B Harrier II and Harrier GR5/GR7/GR9, respectively. Both were built by companies that are now parts of Boeing and BAE Systems.

The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval V/STOL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The first version entered service with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS.1, and was informally known as the Shar. The upgraded Sea Harrier FA2 entered service in 1993. It was withdrawn from Royal Navy service in March 2006. The Sea Harrier FRS Mk.51 is in active service with the Indian Navy, which operates the jet from its aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

The Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation V/STOL jet multi-role aircraft of the late 20th century. Developed from the earlier Hawker Siddeley Harrier, it is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, typically operated from small aircraft carriers. Versions are used by several NATO countries, including Spain, Italy, and the United States. The BAE Systems/Boeing Harrier II is a modified version of the AV-8B Harrier II. The Harrier II is used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, since 2006, the Royal Navy. Both are primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, and are often operated from small aircraft carriers.

Between 1969 and 2003, 824 Harrier variants were delivered. While manufacture of new Harriers concluded in 1997, the last remanufactured aircraft (Harrier II Plus configuration) was delivered in December 2003 which ended the Harrier production line.

Variants

Pre-Harrier prototype and evaluation aircraft

• Hawker P.1127 (1960)
• Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 (1964)

RAF Harriers

• Single-seater combat aircraft
  • Harrier GR.1 (1966)
  • Harrier GR.1/1A (1969)
  • Harrier GR.3/3A

• Two-seater training aircraft
  • Harrier T.2/2A (1970)
  • Harrier T.4/4A
  • Harrier T.4N
  • Harrier T.8 (1994)
  • Harrier Mk.52 (two-seat company demonstrator)
  • Harrier T.Mk 60

AV-8A Harrier (US, Spain, Thailand)

• AV-8A Harrier/Harrier Mk.50 (USMC version, 1970)
• TAV-8A Harrier/Harrier Mk.54
• AV-8C Harrier

• AV-8S Matador/Harrier Mk.53 (for Spain, later Thailand)
• AV-8S Matador/Harrier Mk.55 (second batch of AV-8S for Spain, later Thailand)
• TAV-8S Matador/Harrier T.54 (for Spain, later Thailand)

British Aerospace Sea Harrier

• Sea Harrier FRS.1 (1979)
• Sea Harrier FA2 (1988)
• Sea Harrier FRS.51 (1983)

McDonnell Douglas-BAe/Boeing AV-8B Harrier II

• AV-8B Harrier II (1983)
• EAV-8B Matador II (for Spain)
• AV-8B Harrier II Night Attack (1987)
• AV-8B Harrier II Plus (1992) (USMC, Spain, Italy)

BAe-McDonnell Douglas/BAE Systems Harrier II

• Harrier GR5/5A (1985)
• Harrier GR7/7A (1992)
• Harrier GR9/9A (2002)
• Harrier T10
• Harrier T12

Specifications

	Kestrel FGA.1	Harrier GR3/AV-8A	Sea Harrier FA2	Harrier GR9	AV-8B+ Harrier
Crew	One (Two for trainer versions)
Length
Wingspan
Height
Empty Weight				?
Maximum take-off weight (short takeoff)
Max speed
Combat radius
Engine	Pegasus 6	Pegasus 11 Mk 101	Pegasus 11 Mk 106	Pegasus 11 Mk 107	Pegasus 11 Mk 105
Thrust
Radar	None	None	Blue Vixen	None	AN/APG-65

Sources: Norden [38809]

Popular culture

The Harrier family's special characteristics have led to them being featured in a number of films and flight simulator programs.

The jet appears in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights, in the science fiction film Battlefield Earth, and in the film True Lies, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger flies an AV-8B. According to the Internet Movie Database, while making True Lies, the filmmakers paid the U.S. government $100,736 (or about $2,400 an hour) for the use of three US Marine Corps Harriers and their pilots.

As part of its 1996 Pepsi Stuff marketing campaign, Pepsi ran an ad promising a Harrier jet to anyone who collected 7,000,000 Pepsi Points, a gag that backfired when a participant attempted to take advantage of the ability to buy additional points for 10 cents each to claim a jet for $700,000. When Pepsi turned them down, a lawsuit ensued (Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc.), in which the judge ruled that any reasonable person would conclude that the ad was a joke.

See also

• Harrier Jump Jet family losses

References

Notes

1. Norden, Lon O. Harrier II, Validating V/STOL. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59114-536-8.
2. Harrier Projects
3. Norden 2006, Appendix C.
4. True Lies trivia. IMDb.

Bibliography

• Cowan, Ed Charles W. Flypast 2. Berkshire, Windsor, UK: Profile Publications Ltd, 1972. ISBN 0-85383-191-2.
• "Hansard, Written Answers." House of Commons, 5 January 2004.
• Jenkins, Dennis R. Boeing / BAe Harrier. Plantation, FL: Specialty Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-014-0.
• Nordeen, Lon O. Harrier II, Validating V/STOL. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59114-536-8.
• RAF Cottesmore Station Harrier Specifications

External links

• Harrier history website
• Harriers lost in the Falklands
• Up to date resource of all UK Harriers & Designations
• Harrier development & service, 4 part series
• Photographs of Harrier G R Mk 7 deployed aboard HMS Illustrious
• A picture of the Hawker Kestrel XS688 at the 1964 Farnborough Air Show
• RTP-TV AeroSpace Show: Video of Harrier Hovering