Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Harrier>HA2630
AV-8B Harrier II Plus BuNo 165581, VMA-311, USMC, Afghanistan 2013
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
Constructed as AV-8B-10 163176 it completed its maiden flight on October 6, 1987. On October 29, 1987 the aircraft was assigned to VMA-513 at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. Over the next 13 years this aircraft change units several times before transferring to VMA-311 MCAS Yuma, Arizona in February 2000 where in June 2000 it was Struck Off Charge (SOC) and rebuilt. The rebuild meant a new Bu. No 165581. In 2013 165581 went back to VMA-311 and deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan where it sustained $3.9 million in damages during a landing accident.
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 |