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So I guess that the Harrier wins, happy birthday old mate. We had 4 out in Belize & the Sqn Ldr related that part of their trg was to learn to fly helicoptors. He said it was completely inappropriate as the controls were different, but that it was so much fun all Harrier pilots said that it was the most useful part of the course!! Can't verify the facts, but knowing these guys it is certainly probable. |
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Buccaneers are still flying out of Cape Towns Thunder City, along with 2 seater Hawker Hunters and English Electric Lightnings. A few ex Warsaw Pact pilots fly the Lightning and Hunters to see how they would perform in comparison to Soviet aircraft in the event of the East invading the West in Germany. Perhaps I wasnt too clear Tomtom, I listed the C47 C130 and B52 in addition to the fighter aircraft already mentioned. Perhaps another aircraft that should be considered for longevity is the Hawker Hunter. She was introduced in the RAF in 1954. Two-seat trainer versions of the Hunter, the T.7 and T.8 remained in use for training and secondary roles by the RAF and Royal Navy until the early 1990s In December 2006, the Hunter re-entered RAF service with two ex-Swiss examples leased from a private operator to act as targets for a surface to air missile program.[They were allocated RAF serials ZZ190 and ZZ191. This was followed by a two-seat aircraft in April 2007, which reverted to its original RAF serial XF995. The Lebanese Air Force operated Hawker Hunters from 1958. A Lebanese Hawker Hunter shot down an Israeli jet over Kfirmishki in early sixties, its pilot was captured by the LAF [5]. One Lebanese Hawker Hunter was shot down on the first day of the Six-Day War by the Israeli Air Force. They were used infrequently during the Lebanese Civil War, flying their last sorties in a period from 1 September to 15 September 1983. On 20 August 2007, reports indicated that the Lebanese Armed Forces may restart using them after the conflict with Fatah al Islam militants in the Nahr el-Bared camp north of Tripoli. Further statements have since been made indicating that Lebanon is currently in the process of returning eight FGA.70 and T.66C Hunters to airworthy condition for operational combat sorties against guerillas.However, the programme has been held up in recent times by lack of certain spares for the aircraft, most notably cartridges for the Martin-Baker ejection seats. On the 12 November 2008, the Lebanese Air Force succeeded in returning the Hawker Hunter to service after 50 years of service. Again a very good aircraft. |
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Topic: LA Times article on the Harrier jet in 2002
Breaking into this thread late, and some of you may already know about it, but the LA Times in 2002 (Dec. 15-17) published a 4-part article about the US Marines Harrier jet plane titled "The Vertical Vision".
The article won a Pulitzer Prize. Here it is archived: http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2003-National-Reporting The USMAC version of the Harrier was underdeveloped and underfunded and poorly maintained. The British understood their version of the Harrier much better, developed and maintained it better, and had few problems with the plane. The USMAC did not, and suffered through a horrendous fatality and loss rate with this airplane. (from this thread, it looks like India did too?) Sacks and Miller also point out the many flaws of this plane, the tradeoffs in its design to gain the vertical takeoff capability. Chiefly, they were its low payload capability, its instability in flight, and the fact that heat seeking missiles would explode right next to the jet exhausts which were right behind the pilot. Not a very battle-hardy plane, in other words, all so that it could take off vertically, a feature more spectacular than useful. |
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Despite its flaws it did a brilliant job in the Falklands and from what I have heard, during the Gulf War and had the sneaky ability of viffing (discovered by US Pilots), thereby an enemy fighter on a Harriers tail would pass underneath allowing the Harriers air to air systems to be used. The hunted then became the hunter. |
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