Had a meeting out at Richmond Intl. Airport this afternoon. While exiting I noticed a Harrier parked out by what looked like the Executive airfield. Drove around back by the buildings and saw that there were four Harriers parked out there. (The fourth was parked away to the right.) Took a couple pictures and thought, pretty cool.

As I was walking away, out walk four Marine Aviators in their flight suits, helmets under arm. Watched them do their pre flight inspections. The one closest the fence saw me standing there, probably thinking whose this Jabroni. I just waved, he hollered, "We'll be heading in out in 20 minutes." I said thanks, then proceeded to watch as all four aviators climbed into there badass warbirds. After what seemed forever canopies start shutting and then the engines start.

I've been to airshows, but holy hell, that was loud! Obviously I didn't have hearing protection. I was close enough not only to smell the exhaust, but feel the heat when they started turning out to taxi.

Harrier

I only put the short 10 second clip, it's boring to watch them just taxi and not to have been there.

But it was a great way to end the day, my own private little airshow. What was really awesome was to see them way out there spaced on the runway, taking off seconds one after the other and all airborne together. So cool! It was a great way to end my work week.

quote:

Originally posted by GarandGuy:

...I've been to airshows, but holy hell, that was loud!...

Yeah, they're LOUD! I was in Japan 1989-93 and often went shopping at the MCAS Iwakuni Exchange. Every time I'd divert to the perimeter road and watch/hear the planes.

Wow
and Really...............

16 years of living in Richmond, VA (before relocating to durham) and I never saw anything cool like this.......


Lucky dog..

So cool that you were given a heads up as to time frame of take off. ................... drill sgt.

I saw an AV8-B takeoff and hover very briefly, then transition at an airshow in the eighties, and it was loud.

It didn't seem to come close to the British Vulcan bomber that flew at the 1973 opening of DFW airport. It's like the ground was vibrating. Loudest I ever heard.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 83v45magna,

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
I saw an AV8-B takeoff and hover very briefly, then transition at an airshow in the eighties, and it was loud.

It didn't seem to come close to the British Vulcan bomber that flew at the 1975 opening of DFW airport. It's like the ground was vibrating. Loudest I ever heard.

That is very cool! Out of curiosity, I searched for the loudest jet..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...F-84H_Thunderscreech

Vulcan howl

Is that caused by the compressor sections or is it some Bernoulli effect at the intakes?

I was working down at Tucson airport today and early morning there were 4 F16's and an F15 doing formation work - they stopped around 1030 for the day but it was the firs time I've seen an Eagle flying in and out of TIA with the 162nd.

Those birds are from my old squadron. I left that squadron, VMA-223, in '86 for another squadron, VMA-311, so that I could go overseas on a WESTPAC.

If I would have stayed at '223, we would have stood down our A-4Ms and HAD transitioned to those A/V-8Bs. My buddies who did transition to those 'hair dryers' had a good time with them. Even so, A-4s FOREVER!!!

The F-35s will take their place, but I have no idea how long it will take and if ALL 'hair dryer' squadrons will transition or get disbanded.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
Is that caused by the compressor sections or is it some Bernoulli effect at the intakes?

90% power and intake configuration.

Ah-Nuld calls in a Harrier strike:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkyYk1Jr-cg

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
Vulcan howl

Those Vulcans are badass planes.

Did you know: The British successfully penetrated US air defenses and simulated nuclear attacks on major US cities twice in the 1960s using Vulcans, despite the US's best efforts to foil them.

Check out this video for the story:



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wx6npt421c

Years ago I was sitting on a runway in Honolulu, waiting for takeoff, the captain came over the PA, "ladies and gentlemen, if you are on the left side of the plane you have a treat - an F-18 is taking off".

I was next to the window, saw the F-18 coming, front wheel up, rear wheel up, goes vertical, out of sight. That was cool.

AV-8B Harrier II plus. They have the APG-65 radar and all the cool toys. The version I flew just had RWR and the ARBS system. It made ACM really challenging at least until the merge.

Like ftttu that’s my old squadron too - VMA-223 Bulldogs. Unlike ftttu I was in when we had the Harrier. Loved to take them on cross country flights as they always drew onlookers like the OP. And like the aviator he heard from I was always happy to talk with spectators (and put on a mini air show at times with a vertical landing if the runway was capable. Always a car stopper when doing a VL next to a road).

Funny, the Governator calling in the air strike in True Lies as that VMA-223 as well. In fact I flew with the pilots who flew in the movie. We’d just come back from a WESTPAC deployment and we sent 5 jets and pilots to Key West NAS to make that movie. Unfortunately I wasn’t one of the chosen ones so instead I went to teach fledglings to fly “Advanced Strike” jets in Mississippi.

Really nice to see jets from 223 and to see the Harrier still flying. I know that the F-35C is supposed to replace most if not all but, to me, the Harrier won’t ever be second best to the F-35.

That said, as a former Scooter driver as well, I will second what ftttu said. “A-4s Forever!”

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
That said, as a former Scooter driver as well, I will second what ftttu said. “A-4s Forever!”

Scooter? Is that the nickname for the Douglas A-4 (not to be confused with Cessna) Skyhawk?

Ahhhhh, yes. Carolina lawn darts.

Back in the mid 70's I watched a harrier bounce when it flamed out during an approach to a vertical landing.

A few years ago I parked in an air tractor 802, and was approached by several guys who identified themselves as marine harrier pilots. They asked if they could get in the 802 and check out. They said it was very cool, and would like to try one. I asked if they'd consider a trade.

Sadly, no deal.

I was stuck at Camp Bastion a few years back when a significant share of the USMC's harrier fleet got dinged. Some here may remember the occasion.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
That said, as a former Scooter driver as well, I will second what ftttu said. “A-4s Forever!”

Scooter? Is that the nickname for the Douglas A-4 (not to be confused with Cessna) Skyhawk?

Yep, that was their main nickname.

About harriers, when I first hit the flight line in ‘83 there at MCAS Cherry Point, the harriers were the first gen AV-8C which were assembled by US servicemen with parts left over. Those birds were known as ‘Carolina Lawn Darts’ because they were difficult to fly, thus crashes weren’t uncommon. Pilots told me it took three hands to operate one during a hover.

If you ever get up close to one, you will see exhaust ports all around the bird other than just the vectored thrust tubes located on 5he side. They stabilize the bird during hover, so I’m pretty sure the operation of all of that was quite challenging.

After some time, we started getting the AV-8Bs, which were a new bird altogether. The pilots told me it was easier to fly, but accidents still happened.

I can’t remember which gen bird it was, but there was a totally destroyed harrier in our hanger for a while which was pieced back together for the crash investigation. If I can find those old photos, I’ll post them here.

Also, I’m glad I never was with a harrier squadron because they were deployed on ships. Our A-4Ms theoretically could land on a carrier and the pilots trained to do so. However, I was told that the addition of extra weight of the newer avionics was too much for the landing gear and airframe to handle.

We had a deployment to Bodo, Norway one time, and I was told that our CO’s request to land on US carriers in the Atlantic if an emergency occurred was denied by the ships’ honchos because of lack of experience and the airframe/landing gear problems. Our CO wasn’t happy with that at all, but it is understandable.

quote:

Originally posted by ftttu:

About harriers, when I first hit the flight line in ‘83 there at MCAS Cherry Point, the harriers were the first gen AV-8C which were assembled by US servicemen with parts left over. Those birds were known as ‘Carolina Lawn Darts’ because they were difficult to fly, thus crashes weren’t uncommon. Pilots told me it took three hands to operate one during a hover.

If you ever get up close to one, you will see exhaust ports all around the bird other than just the vectored thrust tubes located on 5he side. They stabilize the bird during hover, so I’m pretty sure the operation of all of that was quite challenging.

The AV-8C Harriers were upgraded AV-8As, the original version of the USMC Harrier. As ftttu said, the AV-8B was basically a completely new bird. Designed by McDonald Douglas and British Aerospace it had a lot of changes and advances over the original A/C models (sadly speed wasn’t one of them as the B is somewhat slower due to increased drag)

The flight controls used in the hover are called “puffer ducts” and are located under the nose, above and below the wingtips, under the tail and on the left and right side of the tail. As you move the flight controls in the hover bleed air from the engine is directed through the corresponding puffer duct to move the jet.

For example, if I wanted to do a peddle turn to the left in the hover (that’s where the Harrier turns in a circle while hovering) I’d press the left rudder peddle and the puffer duct on the left side of the tail opens directing bleed air out and pushing the tail to the right, thus turning the nose to the left. The same to raise the nose - pull the stick back and the duct under the nose opens directing bleed air downward and raising the nose. When the 4 nozzles used to hover or vector your thrust are fully aft the puffer ducts are closed and only open as you move the nozzle lever aft to lower the nozzles to transition to vertical flight.

Sounds like it’s complicated but honestly it’s pretty intuitive. The trick is educated your left hand to manipulate the throttle and the nozzle lever as needed. In the A/C models they even had a throttle box in the ready room that just had the throttle and nozzle levers so pilots could practice moving their hand from one to the other seamlessly. (There’s another small lever on the inboard side of the throttle quadrant called the nozzle stop which is used to restrict the nozzle angle for things like an STO - short takeoff. You set the nozzle angle - 55 degrees for your standard STO - and when you get to the proper speed you move the nozzle lever aft, it hits the nozzle stop, and the nozzles are set to the correct angle for the maneuver saving the pilot from having to look inside the cockpit to make sure his nozzle angle is correct. When flying the nozzle stop is set to zero so as not to restrict nozzle movement)

While not overly complicated there’s a lot going on with both the pilot and the jet to smoothly transition the Harrier from winged flight to a hover and vice versa.