The Harrier Appreciation Thread

[Sturgeon]

[Belesarius]

 

[Belesarius]

[LostCosmonaut]

I'm still a bit skeptical of how the Harrier would have done in its intended role of a CAS aircraft operating out of random fields near the front, but I think that's a problem more with the concept than the airframe. Overall, it seems to have been a good plane. Honestly, the USMC should have gone for a super Harrier instead of the 35B.

[Sturgeon]

How do you figure? In what way is F-35B not essentially a "Super Harrier", anyway?

[LostCosmonaut]

How do you figure? In what way is F-35B not essentially a "Super Harrier", anyway?

Not having it joined to the hip with the other JSF variants. Also, you could probably drop the air superiority requirements; I can't see a situation where they would send the Marines against an enemy with a serious air threat without at least one CVBG in support.

[xthetenth]

The problem with the VTOL fighter idea is the problem with the Marines in general. Everything's got to be its own special snowflake thing made to fit requirements that only make sense if no other services are present, and these capabilities are purchased at a huge cost to the other services' abilities that in the end they depend on.

[Sturgeon]

Not having it joined to the hip with the other JSF variants. Also, you could probably drop the air superiority requirements; I can't see a situation where they would send the Marines against an enemy with a serious air threat without at least one CVBG in support.

 

In my father's opinion, it's less a situation of the F-35B being compromised by the A and C (C by the way is basically a totally different bird that shares an engine and software), and more like the USMC parasitized the USAF with a VTOL bird.

[LostCosmonaut]

In my father's opinion, it's less a situation of the F-35B being compromised by the A and C (C by the way is basically a totally different bird that shares an engine and software), and more like the USMC parasitized the USAF with a VTOL bird.

 

That's what I meant, I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that the A is the least problematic of the JSF variants.

[Sturgeon]

So it's in fact an excellent deal for the USMC, but maybe slightly suboptimal for the USAF.

[RobotMinisterofTrueKorea]

Hats off to the fine people at Hawker. Once again providing a wonderfully capable (if not rather odd looking) military aircraft for the RAF.