Description
The Harrier, which appeared in the early 1960s as the world's first practical V/STOL attack aircraft ,
attracted the attention of the US Marine Corps as a landing support fighter and
was adopted under the name AV-8A.
However, operational problems due to the lack of payload and range were not easily resolved, and
an advanced version of the AV-8A was long sought after.
The AV-8B, which appeared under such circumstances,
had significantly improved capabilities to meet the tactical requirements of the United States Marine Corps.
The main wing has been enlarged, the cross section has become a super critical airfoil, and
a LERX (leading edge extension) has been installed at the root of the main wing to improve aerodynamics.
Moreover, the heavy use of composite materials has kept weight to a minimum,
and the underwing auxiliary wheels have been moved from the wing tips to the center of the main wing,
increasing the number of underwing hard points by two.
Meanwhile, the avionics have also been significantly modernized, and
the nose is equipped with the ARBS (Angular Rate Bombing System) that was put into practical use on the A-4M Skyhawk,
greatly improving the accuracy of weapon dropping, and making the aircraft more
versatile.
In addition to adopting a display and the HOTAS system (which allows you to operate various systems without taking your hands off the control stick or throttle ),
the canopy has been enlarged to provide a wider field of view and improve maneuverability.
In addition, the air intake has been improved and a
zero scarf nozzle has been adopted for the front exhaust nozzle to increase thrust efficiency, and
for VTOL, a new retractable front fence and
larger removable strakes have been installed. ,
these lift improvement devices (LIDS...Lift Improvement Devices)
have made it possible to effectively utilize ground-reflected jet lift.
Additionally, the airborne oil receiver is equipped with a retractable oil receiver probe.
The first combat unit deployment was in 1985 against VMA-331.
[Data AV-8B HARRIER II]
Crew: 1 person
Overall width: 9.25m
Overall length: 14.12m
Overall height: 3.56m
Engine: Pegasus RR F-402-RR-408 x 1 (thrust 10,795kg x 1)
Maximum takeoff weight: 14,515kg (STOL) Maximum
speed: 1,080km/h
First flight: September 6, 1978 (prototype)
