Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Harrier>HA2622
AV-8B+ Harrier II BuNo 165584, VMA-311 February 2012
General Background
The Harrier is the first operational V/STOL (Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft. By directing the engines exhaust through movable nozzles the force could be used to propel the aircraft along a runway or lift it vertically and then into a forward motion. Because of this ability to lift off vertically the Harriers began to be referred to as “jump jets”. These aircraft were continuously being refined and improved over the years with many new variants being produced.
The Aircraft
Formed as VMF(N)-542 “Tigers” on March 6, 1944 the unit under went several re-designations
before becoming the VMA-542 on January 12, 1972 when it was reactivated and equipped with
the AV-8A Harrier. In 1974 VMA-542 moved to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina and now also
equipped with the AV-8C Harrier. 1986 with the transition to the AV-8B Harrier II Plus VMA-542
saw the end of the AV-8A/C. VMA-542 spent most of 2016 onboard USS Wasp when on
September 22, 2016 AV-8B+ Harrier II 165354 crashed on departure with the pilot safely ejecting.
Specifications :
| Developed by: | Boeing, BAE Systems, and Rolls Royce |
| Operators: | USMC, Italian Navy, Spanish Navy |
| Crew: | (1) pilot |
| Performance | |
| Powerplant: | (1) Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11-61 (F402-RR-408) (Mk 105) vectored-thrust turbofan engine, 23,500 lbf (105 kN) |
| Maximum speed @ sea level: | .89 Mach (662 mph) (1,070 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,200 nm (1,400 mi) (2,200 km) |
| Combat radius: | 300 nmi (556 km) |
| Ferry range: | 1,800 nmi (3,300 km) |
| Rate of climb: | 14,700 ft/min (4,485 m/min) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m) |
| Height: | 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) |
| Wingspan: | 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) |
| Wing area | 243 ft² (22.6 m²) |
| Weights | |
| Empty: | 13,968 lb (6,340 kg) |
| Loaded: | 22,950 lb (10,410 kg) |
| Maximum Takeoff : | Rolling / 31,000 lb (14,100 kg) |
| Vertical / 20,755 lb (9,415 kg) | |
| Armament | |
| Guns | (1) X GAU-12U "Equalizer" 25 mm (0.98 in) cannon with 300 rounds of ammunition. |
| Hardpoints | (7) capable of carrying up to 13,200 lb (STOVL) of ordnance such as iron bombs, cluster bombs, napalm canisters, laser-guided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick or AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, Sea Eagle missiles, a LITENING targeting pod, up to (4) AIM- 9 Sidewinder or similar-sized infrared-guided missiles, up to (4) AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, as well as new “Smart Weapons” such as JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition). |
| Avionics | Raytheon APG-65 pulse Doppler radar |