Can a Harrier fly supersonic?
To answer your question, it would be possible to make the Harrier go supersonic using more powerful engines and modifications to airframe (listed above).
How many missiles can a Harrier carry?
Its default multi-role loadout enables it to carry up to six unguided iron bombs, two short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles, and twin 70 mm rocket pods loaded with up to fourteen rockets fitted with high-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) warheads.
How high can a Harrier jet hover?
5,000 ft
Unfortunately, we do not have access to any such operational data for the Harrier and can’t provide any solid numbers on its engine performance. But if we had to hazard a guess, we suspect that the Harrier can probably maintain a static hover at altitudes up to perhaps 5,000 ft (1,525 m) or so.
Can the Harrier dogfight?
Braking sharply, while in-flight, is indeed a tactic that can be utilized by fighter pilots in air-to-air combat, but no aircraft could ever do it quite as well as the venerable Harrier jumpjet. The technique was known as “VIFF”.
Can a Harrier break the sound barrier?
However, pilots can push the aircraft to its limits and break the sound barrier in a dive, assuming they don’t break the aircraft beforehand. The first production variant of the Harrier to enter service with the RAF. The first Harrier modification to enter service with the USMC.
When did the AV-8B Harrier come into service?
The AV-8B made its maiden flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985. Later upgrades added a night-attack capability and radar, resulting in the AV-8B (NA) and AV-8B Harrier II Plus versions, respectively.
How many hardpoints does an AV-8B Harrier have?
The AV-8B is equipped with one centerline fuselage and six wing hardpoints (compared to four wing hardpoints on the original Harrier), along with two fuselage stations for a 25 mm GAU-12 cannon and ammunition pack.
Which is the second generation of the Harrier jet?
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier Jump Jet family.
What kind of radar does a Harrier 2 Plus have?
The Harrier II Plus is very similar to the Night Attack variant, with the addition of an APG-65 multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar in an extended nose, allowing it to launch advanced beyond-visual-range missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. To make additional space for the radar, the angle-rate bombing system was removed.