The Rise & Fall of the Harrier Jump Jet
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
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The Harrier jump jet was a unique, and to many iconic aircraft, one that could take off, hover and land like a helicopter but fly like a fast jet. Although many tried to build their own version, none other than the Soviet version, the YAK-38 lasted more that 15 years, the Harrier which is still in use 55 years after it first flew but just not in England, the country that created it. This is the rise and fall of the Harrier jump jet.
Written researched and presented by Paul Shillito
Images and footage : USAF, Bae, Lockheed, US DoD, CasualVideographer, RAF
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I'm an old man now and remember an air show at Farnborough where 4 Harriers on the ground faced the crowd. They rose vertically, bowed, turned and transitioned in different directions. I will never forget the overwhelming power and noise. It was there, previously that I also witnessed the Lightning's astonishing vertical climb. Heady days of national pride. Long gone, sadly. As an Air Cadet I also illegally went up in a Vulcan for a single circuit after maintenance.
I heard about your flight when I was an air cadet (2196 Trowbridge sqn) it was the stuff of legend! Lucky sod. 😂
@@kevinburt44 It was a long time ago and think it was at RAF Wildenrath, don't think it was Cranwell which was the only other place I went to as a Cadet. I was at a station in the bird where I saw absolutely nothing! LOL
@@charlesyarwood6146 I saw them twice in action - once at Portsmouth on Navy Day and again when I took my then very young daughter to an airshow at Booker Airfield. At that display, the Harrier was the last plane in the show, with everything preceding it being tiny biplanes and other flying machines held together with string and elastic bands. When the Harrier's turn to take off came, I warned my daughter that it was going to be very loud and not to be frightened. The pilot got in and there was a very small amount of noise, but still loud compared to the other aircraft. "That's loud. Is that the engine running?" she asked. "No, that's only the air conditioning for the pilot" I replied. Anyway, eventually it taxied to the end of the grass runway and took off, disappearing into the distance. Moments later, it came back flying low at a tremendous speed very near to the crowd. "Yes, loud, but not that loud" claimed my other half who was also with us as it disappeared into the distance again. I just smiled, knowing what was about to happen. Soon enough it was back. This time it stopped - not on the ground, but in the air, right in front of us. "Loud" just doesn't describe the noise. It basically ripped the air apart. After doing a little dance and bowing a couple of times, it pointed its nose skywards and climbed vertically into the clouds and was gone. "Yes, that was loud" agreed my other half.
The noise of the F35 is incredible too, always amazed by how loud they are
In 1969, while in the family car in north St. Louis County near Lambert Airport with my father and sister, we noticed something above the highway that seemed to be hovering. At first we thought it was a helicopter, but then as we got closer, realized it wasn't. It was a Saturday afternoon, sunny and clear. The "craft" was orange and white and extremely loud. We were on N. Lindbergh Ave, which was a major overpass with a lot of traffic. The plane was maybe a hundred feet above one of the cloverleaf sections and the pilot was clearly visible. Every car in all directions slowed or stopped to watch this unbelievable sight. Seeing a helicopter hovering was nothing, but this plane just sat there above us nearly motionless. We and all around had never seen anything like it. Eventually it increased power and flew away. When we returned home and told the rest of our family what we had seen, including my mother, they laughed at us and thought we made it up.
It wasn't until many years later while looking at a Signal - "Harrier in Action" publication that I saw artwork showing the Harrier in its McDonnell Douglas test paint scheme, from that period, that I realized what the aircraft was.
I went to college in St Louis, and I'm trying to imagine what a sight that would be even today.
Thats a bloody cool story.
That is so awesome! Thanks for the memory :-) The first time I ever saw my very first jet plane was just days before my fourth birthday, at the opening of the Auckland airport at Mangere NZ in 1966. I remember our family all arriving and getting out of the car, while seeing Vampires doing a big loop above us. I was dumbstruck, never seen anything like that before! Of course I never knew what they were at the time, but always remembered the distinctive twin tail booms. The next time I saw a military jet was the same day I first saw snow as a kid. I remember lying on my back, spreadeagled on a pile of snow on Mt Ruapehu, looking over to Mt Ngauruhoe (topped with brown ash from a recent eruption). In my tiny farm gumboots, I remember being quite embarrassed and frightened, as I was sure I was going to get into big trouble, because having come straight from the farm, I was making dirty footprints in the pure white snow! Shortly after, I had just slid down a long slope of snow on a sheet of black polythene, and had come a cropper. I was laughing and laughing, and this dark triangle wooshed past high overhead, far too noisy for its tiny size. Years later, I figured out it was most probably an RNZAF A4 Skyhawk, but to me at that age it was as alien as, well, a flying saucer ;-)
Aww man imagine being such an early witness to an aircraft's operational life
@SmoochyRoo
I was actually very surprised when the video stated that the USMC was beginning its first inquiries into the Harrier in *1964!*
That was the year I was born! 😆
"Rise and fall" - I see what you did there.
They aren't called "North Carolina Lawn Darts" for just any reason.
I don't get it
You've stolen my line. 😂
Plane and simple
@@JohnnyWednesdaythe Harrier jet literally takes off and lands in a way that can be described as “rise and fall”.
Worked on them for 15 years & had 10 flights. The ex RAF & navy harrier engineers still meet up every year near their bases at wittering & Cottesmore. Loved working on them & definitely missed at air shows round the uk.
As an American, the retiring of the Harrier is probably the British version of when the F-14 was retired. No one wanted to see it go, but it had been long since time. 😢
People still argue that the F-14 should have had a complete overhaul package and remained in service.
It wasn't really due for retirement. It was retired because of defence cuts and left the navy without fixed wing capability for nearly a decade. It was short sighted and foolish and was typical of the government of the time.
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe
Typical of every government we've had Tbh 😂
@andersjjensen
The major issue with the F-14 was maintenance to flight hours. Roughly fourty hours in the shop for every flight hour depending on service required. Plus the design had lots of assemblies that had to be removed just to get to other assemblies. And that's after pulling access panels. Also bundles of cables had to be moved or disconnected to do that same task. My uncle used to hate working on them. The aircraft was awesome to look at but an absolute nightmare to service according to him.
@@repairdroid77Sounds like the old Lightning the RAF used to have. Because the engines were stacked vertically, if you wanted to change the bottom engine, you had to take out the top one first. 🙄
16:22 Spanish Armada EAV-8B Harrier IIs have appeared at Farnborough in 2014, RIAT in 2019 and 2023, and are also set to appear this year (2024) as well. If you want to see a flying Harrier at a UK airshow, head to RAF Fairford.
I saw them last year at RIAT, they are quite a sight to behold! The engine sound is also very typical
The Armada!, in English waters. Light the bonfires. I remember riding back from Devon to London seeing bonfires on every hill on my journey so i stopped to ask what was happening. It was 400 years since the sighting of the Armada.
For me the Spanish Harrier was the highlight of RIAT 2023. Nostalgia overload!
@@nickjames2370 The joint hover with the RAF F-35B was an excellent set piece. Very much looking forward to seeing them again this year.
Yup it put a better show on that the F35
"..it's unlikely that we'll ever see them again at any airshows in the UK". Checks airshow listings, Spanish navy harrier flying at Fairford airshow in 4 weeks time!! 😁
....details....😆
The feels. The feels. I loved the Harrier. There's one outside of RAF wittering. It always brings me a tear to my eye every time I drive on the A1.
A spanish harrier will actually fly at RIAT airshow in the UK next month
I finally saw a Harrier in person and I was struck by how small it is. One of my favorite military aircraft. Thank you for the video ❤
I remember when a Hawker Harrier took part in the 50th celebration of the opening of the Auckland International Airport way back in 1992. It was great and I was lucky enough to be right in of the plane when it did it's signature bow to the crowd at the end of the display.
When you're used to watching regular planes take off and land.. It was amazing to watch one of those things come to a stop mid-air.
That’s so cool! I’d never heard of it bowing at air shows!
I got to see one of those in action in 1980 at that base you mentioned, an air show if you will, the person that was the MC said of that model, it had a speed of zero to about 700 MPH, a range of about 200 (US) miles, there and back, and could tilt forward 17 degrees nose down which could be used for close ground support if needed while hovering.
I’ve done a lot of research on VTOL fixed wing propulsion for my degree and I can honestly say that the F-35 compared to the Harrier is levels above. The Harrier will forever be the angel of the skies as she was such a beautiful aircraft and way ahead of her time.
There was research conducted in the 70s and 80s for a tandem VTOL engine design. Essentially, a lift fan at the front being driven by the turbojet at the back via a connected drive shaft. The lift fan was facing forward though, compared to the F35’s lift fan which sits vertically within the airframe blasting cold air downwards.
The tandem fan was essentially just another big fan which had internal slats that would open or close depending on flight characteristics (horizontal vs VTOL) to blow high bypass air downward for VTOL or backwards towards and around the main turbojet engine essentially creating what is known as as a variable bypass turbo fan. (Twin fan system)
However, as much as I prefer this tandem fan design (similar to the Harrier) it came with trade offs such as increased frontal area increasing drag and less stealthy as the fan was facing forward so radar waves would be easily reflected back to the source.
Having the fan placed vertically in the F35 creates more thrust as the air doesn’t need to be turned 90•
Furthermore, the lift fan has to earn its keep whilst not in use during level flight. So, to put it into perspective; the lift fan alone generates about the same if not more high bypass thrust than the entire Pegasus engine on the harrier…
And, the lift fan is driven by the excess torque which is otherwise wasted from the turbojet whilst in its more efficient cruise mode, essentially tapping off power to be used for the lift fan. Absolute genius!
Of course the F35 is “levels above” The Harrier was designed in the 1960s !
Good in depth description, a lot of what makes a f35 easier to live with are modern gyros and engine controls, over the old jump jet. These could easily been fitted as part of an upgrade to the harrier, the difference would feel like night and day. The stealth on the f35 is over sold, it's still seen on anti-aircraft systems, the aircraft fire missiles out side an area with such systems, similar to how previous generation aircraft are used (battle experience of stealth tech, the majority of stealth ground hugging missiles, are taken out by modern anti-aircraft systems) . The f35 is expensive 100 million dollars and only 29% are operational, communication systems are a vulnerability, the aircraft has the potential to be hacked, one has already been flown away remotely, never to be recovered. A composite body is a good idea, but if it is damaged, repair may not be possible, so many are potentially getting scrapped after only receiving minor damage. This is my opinion but those countries who kept their old jump jets and f16s, were wise, and saw through a lot modern nonsense, and have kept more capability and saved money to spend on other things.
@@williamrutter3619 Great description! Yes, I agree that when the Harrier was retired it was done so way too early. Super robust, reliable and cheap (comparatively speaking) I wish they had not retired this beautiful aircraft. However, progress only marches in one direction and the capability of the airframe, engine, avionics just to mention a few, would not have kept up with the pace of more modern anti aircraft weapons that have now come to market. She is still capable bird that is now lost to the ages. Thanks.
@@stephencrowther524 You completely missed the point of the comment, but hey, can't please everyone lol
@@williamrutter3619 The modern anti-aircraft systems the US has to contend with are the S-300 and S-400.
As we have seen in Ukraine, the ATACMS ballistic missile dispatches them with ease. Storm Shadows also make their way through.
Also, you are lying in regards to the 29% being operational. It's around 60%. I'd suggest you stop parroting propaganda coming from contrarians and enemies of our states and our way of life.
Composites can be repaired. What the hell are you even talking about?
My local airport (KLAS) used to get west coast Marine Corps Harriers transiting to and from their home base at Yuma, AZ. Got a lot of photos in those days. When I heard the last public demo was going to be at MCAS Cherry Point, NC I made the trip and took my best lens/camera to get plenty of photos. It really is a captivating machine.
I worked on Harrier until deciding to move on in 2009. Given it was retired in 2010, I chose a good time to move.
Great video.
My brother was an avionics technician in the USMC in the 1980’s. He worked with a Harrier squadron. I believe it was in Yuma. He said there were British technicians there as well that he really enjoyed being around.
VMA-231 Ace of Spades. Oldest squadron in the USMC, Gulf War 1991. Will be the last Harrier squadron when it switches to F-35B likely in 2026. We got a whole lotta mileage out of those beautiful birds. Semper Fi.
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. Much better. Operated by Australia. 🦘
@@user-kc1tf7zm3b Totally different aircraft designed for a different reason 😂
@@user-kc1tf7zm3b Not much use off a small carrier though. And no use at all on land when your runway has been cratered.
Actually VMA-223 will be the last USMC Harrier squadron
VMA-513 We called them "lawn darts" as the man-hour to flight-hour ratio to keep them in the air was truly staggering. Maybe it has changed since the early 90s when I was in, but back then we had to work 13 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to keep them in the air. The only time off we got was taking leave. Truly hated my time in the Corps as a result of the never ending exhaustion. Can't tell you how happy I was when my time finally was up.
Saw a demonstration of one hovering at Duxford yrs and yrs ago, god only knows when, probably the early 90s. Best part of the show though - just incredibly surreal. Even as a kid (and I'm not particularly interested in engineering) I could appreciate the utter genius behind it, not to mention a ton of admiration for the skill of the pilot.
Enjoyed that. I served on the ship that was filmed in the Falklands segment HERMES, the 'viffing' abilities of the harrier were fairly common knowledge onboard at the time.
I don't believe the FAA or RAF ever advocated viffing. In ACM speed is life.
@@originalkk882 True. It was not an approved operational tactic for the RAF or RN. During the Falklands only one SHAR pilot attempted to down a Pucara by utilizing it without success.
7:50 I think you mean the Yak 41/141, NOT the 38
And neither had a lift fan.
Hey! The Bone Yard. I drive by that all the time. Great Air Museum.
This is one of the rare occasion that they do deliver working results in a short time before even home computers existed.
Spanish Harrier II will be appearing at the RIAT Airshow at Fairford UK next month
I've been lucky enough to see them in flight and actually some of their last UK flights at RIAT. Amazing aircraft. I hadn't realised its genesis/influences though!
I was on the USS Peleliu in 1984 when they tested the AV8B. Really cool they were attaching all kinds of stuff to it. Loud as hell.
What a wonderfully comprehensive 16 and a half minutes, on a plane that I have always been infatuated with. I have learned much by watching this, thank you.
The late comic, Gallagher, had a bit that described the Harrier perfectly. "Oh great, we have a plane that curtsies.""
Awesome jet! It's really too bad that its range was so short compared to other jets, but they sure proved their worth in the South Atlantic in the '80s!
I always loved that to solve wind direction problems when hovering, they came up with a little wind vane on the nose of the jet which told the pilot where the prevailing wind was coming from!
A simple idea that cost next to nothing to solve a fairly huge problem for the pilots!
I saw one of these babies at an air show here in Colorado but was disappointed that it didn't take off from a stand but did a rolling take-off due to the amount of damage the exhaust caused to the tarmac!
Once the announcer explained it, I wasn't as bummed.
... still a little! ;-)
It did bow at the end though!!!
I remember seeing them at an air show many moons ago. I was totally in awe of the Harrier.
The Harrier has always been one of my all-time favorite jets, was never the fastest, but it was unique for it's time and one of the coolest.
I was working End of Runway duty at Hill AFB, Utah, I wanna say summer 1992 or 93, and we had an airshow coming up that weekend. We watched as 4 Marine Corps Harriers approached. The first slowed slowed considerably before landing, touched down and took the second taxiway off the runway. The second slowed to little more than walking speed, touched down and took the first taxiway off the runway. The third one drifted down, stopped, landed vertically, then took the first taxiway off the runway. The fourth one drifted down, nearly touched the runway, pivoted to the right, took the first taxiway and finally set the wheels down about 50 yards after the turn, well down the taxiway. He never even touched the runway.
We were used to watching F-16s operating from that runway. Show-offs!
When it came time to leave, on Monday am, all four of them taxied out onto the runway, halted and lifted off vertically before climbing out at a steep angle, as seen in some of the video you showed.
These things were basically massive engines with stubby wings and a small cockpit attached.
When the B-17, which came for the air show, taxied out for takeoff, all of us formed up, snapped to attention and saluted as it passed.
It didn't fall, it just retired. The AV-8B became the first jet to have a pilot become a fighter ace since Vietnam. That's a pretty awesome exit.
Thanks, Paul, for that special video about the harrier from start to (British) finish.
This remains one of my favorite informative channel on RUclips. I wish RUclips would promote this channel more.
(And please do not reply saying RUclips promoted it to you. I know it did because you already like this content. Good on you. Open a private browser window in which you are not signed in and see what RUclips normally promotes.)
I recall being at RIAT, where The Harrier gave it's bow.
In May 1969 the RAF flew a Harrier across the Atlantic as part of the Daily Mail air race. It took off from near St Pancras station in London and landed at the Bristol Basin on the East River in New York.
The USMC B and later variants were a whole new platform, serving valiantly for over 40 years. It took two generations of aircraft later to attempt to replace it (although it is doubtful even now).
That 12 YEAR development programme looks like a miracle when compared to current gen .
One of the great "chain and pulley" jets. A true beaute!
Coming back from Aylesbury one day, 2 Harriers flying low. Didn’t realise one was in trouble until I saw the plume of black smoke, it had crashed in a field just off the Oxford to Banbury road. They’re still great aircraft. The yanks still fly them.
Thank You! (Next to Swedish aircrafts) the Harrier has always been my favorite since childhood. Would You mind making an episode about the Handley Page Victor? This is also one of the absolute coolest aircraft ever made in my personal opinion.
Was definitely a remarkable design. I used to go to RAF Leuchars airshow when I was younger, and the harrier used to display there. I was there in 2010 when it displayed there for the last time.
I saw the Harrier in 1991, by far the loudest jet fighter I ever witnessed in person. The noise reverberated off the tarmac while she was hovering which nearly split my eardrums from hundreds of meters away.
I saw it in 1969! It stopped traffic and scared my sister. When she and my dad and I (I was less than 5!) returned home and told the rest of the family, they accused us of making it up.😀
There's a Spanish Harrier due to display at this year's Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford 😊
such fond memories of seeing these at southend air show as a kid in the early 2000's thy would hover over the beach at eye level as we sat on the hill
Yup, I remember that :-) I recall watching it do some fly pasts low over the water (as you say at eye level for those of us watching from the top of the cliffs). Then you became aware that it was slowing down, before it finally came to a complete halt, hovering over the water about 50m away from the shore. It would then rotate to point at the crowd. Slide to the left, then the right, forward, backward, and end with a bow. Finally it would start to rise vertically slowly pitching up, gaining speed, before transitioning to full forward thrust heading vertically straight up, until it disappeared through the cloud base. All that accompanied by a sound track you could *feel* not just hear! Awesome.
Just as a slight correction to your last point, the Spanish Navy have (and still do) bring a Harrier to RIAT. But it's days will definitely be numbered
Love the Harrier, it's been my favourite aircraft ever since I watched one crash at an airshow 20+ years ago :D
I used to live in a small village about 5 miles from Dunsfold where the Harriers were worked on by Aerospace. When I worked from home shortly after lunchtime usually on a Friday a couple would flyover it seemed very low, definitely window rattling. A few of my then neighbours worked on them at Dunsfold.
There will be a Harrier flying in the UK soon, a Harrier from the Spanish Airforce will do a solo flight at The Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford in July 2024.
Still remains a fascinating aircraft, even in the 21th century.
One problem I've heard of is the Harrier is more susceptible to damage from IR missiles than most other aircraft. This is because the hot engine nozzles are basically in the center mass of the airframe. The missiles are therefore less likely to miss, even if they're not exactly on target.
Yet more A-10s have been lost to IR MANPADS than Harriers or Harrier IIs.
While doing security rounds at my college in the late 70's I went into an aircraft hanger. In addition to the old Buccaneer fighter bomber and Wessex helicopter that were normally there I was surprised to also discover both a P.1127 and a Kestrel.
Just a few days ago I saw the Spanish warship Juan Carlos I docked in Helsinki after some Nato stuff in the Baltic sea. They had at least two Harriers on deck. Day before yesterday the ship and its escort frigate were gone and there was the French warship Mistral in its place.
Fun fact, Mistral is a premier ship of its class and French were about to deliver two brand new ships of that class to Russia even after the occupation of Crimea in 2014. After an international shitstorm the delivery was cancelled.
Speaking as a Yank, It was slow, had very little payload capability as a VTOL and had a radar cross section just shy of a BLIMP. Just the same, it had fine lines, a bit sexy even. This was a vintage aircraft, the first of it's kind in the world to see a relatively long production and its subsequent deployment globally. And, no small point, our Marines liked it to. Yes, we made some tweaks; but, it was worth the effort. I tip my hat. Verily, this bird will be missed. Long live the Harrier!
that Mirage concept looked the goods
One of my favorite aircraft. Great little plane.
A final bow that was nice Grew up fascinated by this beast I had the video game "Eagle One" on PlayStation one absolutely incredible game also my uncle James Joyce served with the British navy and often told me of him sailing around the world and how he worked on deck watching these magnificent machines land RIP Jim you legend! love you bud ,Thank you Pablo for another masterclass video on aviation history!!! Godbless be well
There is one on display in the Imperial War Museum in London. You can take a close look.
There was a big water tower near my flat in Yeovil I swear the Harriers at nearby Yeovilton Air base (HMS Heron?) used to race to it and turn round. Felt like the roof would come off. Those living close to the base got free double glazing to help with the noise.
I read in several places that currently the USMC still considers the F-35's as supplementing their fleet of Harriers. I would not be surprised the Harrier will still be serving a decade or more into the future simply because it fits particular roles nothing else can perform.
Plus they have plenty of spares...
That makes sense, considering the amount of "smaller" ships they operate. I don't know the specs (or care to look them up this minute) but they probably operate quite a few ships that can launch Harriers and helicopters but not an F-35.
But, why? China could shoot down these obsolete 1980s jets in a heartbeat. The F-35B Lightning II is utterly essential for Navy and Marine aviation.
I think the last Marine Corps Harrier squadron transitions to F-35B in about two years. They won’t be flying for a decade or more in U.S. service.
@@user-kc1tf7zm3b Why do you keep posting such nonsense? The Sea Harrier FA2 with AIM120 AMRAAM and Blue Vixen radar could still hold it's own against many Chinese jets today.
For more info, I recommend Hypohystericalhistory's video on the Australian-made drone. It iterates on the nature of VTOL as being a derivative of the small carrier that countries with limited budgets can deploy. The unfortunate reality is that in the world of modern warfare, the ability to project power is of maximum importance. Thus carriers must exist to act as mobile FOBs, and the kind of aircraft they deploy is limited to the kinds of carriers they can field.
Thankfully still able to watch at least at one airshow - I enjoyed the The MATADOR - Spanish Navy EAV-8B Harrier II at last weekends Fairford's RIAT 2024
well that ended with a hint of sadness for me, my fav plane of all time, a superb machine
Went to Brands hatch for F1 in 70s. By FAR the highlight was a display by a Harrier.
I think the British should have gone ahead with the P.1154, especially if they could get other NATO air forces to buy the plane. Can you imagine every major European air force fielding the production version of the P.1154 by the late 1970's? It would have been a horrible nightmare for Soviet war planners because they now realize knocking out every major airfield west of the Iron Curtain would not be useful, since these V/STOL fighters could operate from anywhere there is flat land.
And yet the Swedes managed to put the Ruskies in the exact same situation with the Gripen. Standard width main roads in Sweden are "one and a half" lane in each direction. This makes them wide enough to use as runways, and the Gripen only require 800 meters of straight road, which is basically all of the Swedish country side.
The P1154 died because the RAF and RN couldn't agree on a common configuration and the MoD refused to fund building two different variants.
It should have a big radar blip when detected from the front.
I've always loved this aircraft ❤
The Harrier was truly a remarkable plane for its day and age. Given its automation capabilities, it's a wonder that a human could keep it flying at all, especially on take-off and landing.
Good to the the "Droid" back !!!!!
Saw the harrier flying at RIAT this year, it was from the spanish navy
I'm still disappointed I didn't win the Pepsi jump jet!
@Curious Droid there are flying av 8's at the Royal International Air Tattoo in less than 2 weeks!
The Italians brought some to last years RIAT, fantastic jet!
Will always be an iconic jet!
There's a lot to be said about the way Britain retired its Harriers.
The first among them is that retirement was largely unnecessary. For all the talk of the Harrier being unable to contend with stealth technology... the truth is that it doesn't _have_ to. Stealth is becoming more of a thing, yes, but how many countries have stealth aircraft that are A) functional, and B) actually a threat to Britain? There are four active stealth fighter aircraft in the world, the F-22, the F-35, the J-20, and Su-57. The F-22 is only flown by the US, and the F-35 is exclusive to US allies, of which Britain is one. The J-20 is held by China, who people are very scared of but seem to be too busy oppressing their own people to pick a fight with everyone else. While conflict with China isn't impossible, it's still not the most likely thing. As for the Su-57, only Russia has it, and Russia is currently engaged in a war where they've failed to gain air superiority, but they still haven't even _deployed_ the Su-57, because the truth of the matter is that the moment they do, it's going to be shot down by a plane from the 80s and then it's going to become very apparent that the scary Russian bear is a mere paper tiger.
The Harrier is unsuited for a peer-to-peer engagement but the reality of the situation is that it would be highly unlikely to ever be _in one,_ and the GR.9 would be just fine in an engagement with what most "enemy" nations actually deploy, which is planes that are just as old as it is.
Second among them is that David "Bae of Pigs" Cameron didn't _just_ cut the Harriers, he cut a _lot_ of British military projects that left all three arms of the armed services underfunded and underequipped. He also got a lot of financial support from Russian oligarchs, who were using London as a playground at the time. These are linked, and they've paid dividends for the Russians in their current war, as Britain eagerly sent over Challenger 2 tanks, only to very rapidly start running into spare parts issues, as Britain can barely afford to repair its _own_ Chally 2's, let alone the surplus ones it lent to other people.
Keeping the Harrier in service until its replacement was actually there would've been fine.
Considering the Harrier was always designed as a ground attack/close air support plane first with air combat second (and only later was discovered to be pretty good in a guns-only dog fight) you could make the argument that it's still a perfectly serviceable plane in that role. The problem just is that it absolutely does not have the legs to content with modern air to air missiles, so it will always have to operate behind a wall of air dominance fighters.
@@andersjjensen But it's vulnerable in the ground attack mission. People focus on air to air, but you need protection from the ground itself. Ground units will not just lay there and take it, they will fire back at aircraft.
It was absolutely necessary. Aircraft are not classic cars you can keep on the road with a change of oil and new tires. They suffer microscopic damage every hour they spend in the air, and when reaching the end of their life they will require more and more maintenance to keep problems at bay. If you think automobiles can be money pits, you've never had to foot the bill for the operation of an ageing aircraft.
It doesn't matter what other countries have stealth, because having stealth is not about others having stealth. You want to have it because it makes your aircraft hard to target. Why would you want to be easy to target?
The Harrier, like any aircraft, in unsuited for eternal service. Unless you have pristine airframes in your pocket you just found and are willing to share, you're asking for museum pieces to keep getting worn down while live humans who cost millions to train have to get inside them as they slowly but surely break themselves apart.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD You say that like they're decrepit machines that were falling out of the sky because they're so old, but the US, Spain, and Italy are _still using theirs._ Yeah, the USMC intend to have fully switched to the F-35 by 2026, but that's more than a decade after they got their first delivery of the new jets. They're hardly rushing to be shot of the old ones.
And hey, having old planes that aren't at the cutting edge is still better than what we actually had at the time, which was _no planes,_ because the F-35 was delivered much later than advertised.
The harrier and it's noise were a womder to me as a kid at airshows.
Great subject choice!
@01:53 I had not been aware that they equipped F4F Wildcats or F6F Hellcats with JATO back both in or after WW2
Is it a true "fall" ? I'm not sure since as it was explained at the very end of this excellent compilation the design was a little bit aged and due to budget issues they somehow failed to initiate a successor at an earlier stage.
I saw a Harrier at a air show when I was 10 or 11 years old they didn't fly but we coou look inside of them and stuff that
Heh! I had no idea there was a VTOL capable variant of the Mirage III.
Dear Curious Droid,
Any news on Reaction Engines?
The Sabre?
The Skylon?
Just thought I'd ask a Brit who might be in the know.
I wonder if the same engineering principles will be used as a spaceplane for exploring planets.
The Spainish have brought their's to the UK, saw them at RIAT.
The harrier and the spitfire are still the best looking planes. At least, there’s a certain British design aesthetic to a lot of their stuff.
Some SHAR2 airframes were only 8 years old. An absolute scandal.
Just as the US Marines continue to prove, the planes upgraded were worthy operational types, and could have remained so for a long time.
The rise and fall, and a lot of them fell. . . By the late 1980s they were basically deathtraps, as missiles from near-peer adversaries had caught up and its lack of speed was its fatal flaw.
Almost every sci-fi and superhero movie portrays some kind of VTOL aircraft, dropping in and out, and hovering to destroy targets. Such an obvious advantage. It's tomorrow's technology available today, as the Harrier has proven. So, where the heck are all the VTOL aircraft? Very strange.
What about the Yak 38?
I spit my beer hearing the sponsor's name lmao
Futurama suicide booth is what comes to mind
You said at the start of the video that the AV-8As were license-built in the US by McDonnell Douglas. Not true. All the AV-8As were built by Hawker at Kingston-on-Thames, and shipped to the US in their 3 constituent parts -- fuselage, wing and tail.
Learned something interesting again with this video. Seems to be an ongoing theme with Curious Droid videos. Well presented again.
Given its VTOL capability I imagine the fall was quite slow and controlled
Kestrel 😮
At least we’ll always have the Quinjet.
The F-35 is a great 5th generation stealth plane (albeit an ugly one) but think about all of the advantages that went into designing that plane that the Harrier didn't have. It was designed in the 1950's! Long before computers were used to aid in designing stuff. The Harrier jump jet is yet another piece of impressive British engineering.
Harriers don't hide in the woods. Harriers don't hide in the woods. Harr... 😰
Always thought these were the coolest planes.
Sadly, I learned they were pretty limited. A USMC pilot told me they could only take off with a single 500lb bomb from the amphibs. (I’m assuming he means with fuel tanks too). And to replace the engine meant removing the entire wing. Read somewhere that hovering was akin to balancing an eraser on the tip of a sharp pencil, super sensitive and super challenging. For all its challenges, I understand the F35 is far easier to fly. Farewell, Harrier, you served your nations well.
The ne t yr or 2 this aircraft might get brought back out dusted off.
From the wars in Eugene and there the facts we may be back in a Island hopping war.
Perfect for the jump ship.
Then again we just might need every flying fighter aircraft we can get are hands on.
Attrition might sky rocket.😊
Falklands War may have turned out very different had Argentina used its aircraft carrier.
I suppose the British submarine Conqueror would have targeted it instead of a cruiser. It was already shadowing the fleet.