what is a harrier?

Question

my son wants me to tell him what a harrier is

Answer 1

Plane (Harrier Jump jet - takes off and lands vertically) or bird of prey! I believe the full name is Hen-Harrier (for the bird of prey!)

The first Harriers entered RAF service in 1969, making the RAF the first in the world to use its revolutionary vertical take-off and landing abilities which allow the aircraft to fly in and out of areas close to the battlefield that would normally be off-limits to conventional aircraft such as the Tornado. The current versions of the Harrier are the pilot-only GR7 (which is being upgraded with more powerful engines and electronic systems to become the GR9) and the two-seat T10 which, when not used as a training aircraft, can also be used in combat.

Hen harrier
Circus cyaneus

Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts of the UK. While males are a pale grey colour, females and immatures are brown with a white rump and a long, barred tail which give them the name 'ringtail'. They fly with wings held in a shallow 'V', gliding low in search of food.

Answer 2

The Harrier MKII, is a British built aircrfat made by the company British Aerospace. It was built in 1961 and took its first flight It in 1962 and was introduced to replace the BA Systems Vampire fighter/recon aircraft. It is widley used by the Royal Navy and to a lesser extent, the RAF. It has a Rolls Royce Packard V12 engine, and is the only jet fighter in the world capable of taking off and landing vertically. The conflicts the aircraft has seen action in are the Falklands war, the First Gulf war and the Kosovan war. The Aircraft isn't to be replaced until 2009 and only then by the Euro Fighter Typhoon, Even though the Harrier is already being phased out by the BA Systems Tornado Fighter Jet. The aircraft is still the dominant fighter in use for the Royal Navy, and will be until its scheduled replacement date of 2009. BA Systems and the American company McDonnell Douglas have also made a joint operations fighter, based on the looks of the F18 Hornet and the F22 Raptor, but have installed a British made Rolls Royce Packard V12 engine

My uncle also worked on the engine which helps it take off and land vertically. I also know a lot about aircraft.

Answer 3

I dont even understand the place to start. applicable velocity isn't struggling with velocity. additionally, a Mig-21 could desire to not get at the back of a harrier going 500mph at sea point, it in basic terms couldnt, even the f-15 particularly has a wager. There are extraordinarily much no airplane which could break 400mph at sea point, even the mig-25 has issues getting everywhere on the element of supersonic down there. the reality is, the harrier is a good airplane. It has over a one million:one million thrust ratio, loaded, and with out an afterburner. Thats remarkable. The harrier could desire to dominate any fighter that has much less that a one million:one million thrust ratio. Being so effective provide the harrier the capacity to have capacity attainable every time in the time of a dogfight. A fighter with much less thrust could lose velocity and maneuverability at an incredible fee, and could grow to be prey to the harrier. The F-4 used to apply this to its benefit against the mig-21 via getting the mig in a verticle scissors, which drains the mig's capacity at as quickly as, and whilst the mig stalls the f-4 dives on it and makes a kill. In horizontal struggling with, the mig has a wing loading benefit, which permits it to be extra maneuverable, so the F-4 pilots could avert turning fights. The harrier could have an benefit in the two way, and could in basic terms out stay the migs momentum and could become vulnerable.

Answer 4

A super jump jet. It takes off vertically and is able to hover. I remember seeing the Harrier for the first time at the Queen's 1977 Silver Jubilee at RAF Finningley S.Yorkshire. It took off, did a few sweeping turns and then hovered in front of Her Majesty. It bowed to her and she smiled and nodded her head.
Unfortunately, sitting next to her was a member of the Government who had obviously been working too hard, or who had no interest in aircraft. Whatever his excuse, he missed it all by falling asleep on the podium. You can imagine what made the front page the following day. Not only Her Majesty celebrating her Jubilee, but the Harrier bowing to her, with an old bloke sleeping like a baby in the next chair. Brilliant!

Answer 5

A Harrier is a jump jet fighter plane used by the military

Answer 6

It can be a harrier hawk or a breed of hunting dog.
However its more commonly associated with the very outdated but still in service , vertical take off and landing jet aircraft.
It was the only successful design of its kind.To the extent that the US marine corp and spanish navy ordered 113 of the sea harrier version.
Its specific use was aimed at possible cold war conflicts and is of little use for other types of combat.

Answer 7

The plane that lands like a helicopter....it actually hovers...and lands vertically....I believe it's called the sea harrier.
Sea Harrier F/A2 is a modified and updated version of the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FRS1 fighter, reconnaissance and strike aircraft.

I saw it at a Paris airshow....and I've never forgotten it.....so amazing. The original was British.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fa2/

This site has the actual picture and description.

Answer 8

Interesting question. Well, so far I know two kinds of Harriers:

1: A kind of bird-of-prey (if I remember correctly).
2. The world's first successful "Vertical-Takeoff-Or-Landing" combat plane, built by the British (and later under license by the Americans).

Explain both to him in front of a PC connected to the web.

Answer 9

On top of all of these answers,

The aircraft does not take off vertically, as this would expend it's water reserves too quickly. It takes off in a very short distance though, often using a "ski ramp" on British carriers.

When it hovers, it uses distilled water to cool the engine, as no airflow is present. This water is only good for 60 seconds of sustained hover, so Harriers only hover to land.

It pitches and tilts while hovering by the use of air vents (connected to the jet efflux) on the wingtips and tail. The vents keep the aircraft balanced in the air.

I can see a Harrier from where I'm sitting right now.

Answer 10

G'day Dipz32,

Thank you for your question.

The Harrier Jump Jet is an aircraft dating from the sixties capable of vertical takeoff and landing It was first used by the British military notably the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in the late 1960s and has been used by other military forces. Other military forces have used Harrier aircraft including the US Marine Corps. There have been four models of the jump jet namely:

* Hawker-Siddeley Harrier - 1st generation Harrier, also known as the AV-8A Harrier in USMC usage, now in service only in Thailand.
* BAE Sea Harrier - Maritime strike/air defence fighter aircraft, now retired.

* Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II - 2nd generation Harrier, also known as "EAV-8B Matador" in Spanish usage.
* BAE Systems/Boeing RAF Harrier II - 2nd generation Harrier

I have attached sources for your reference.

Regards to you and your son.