Posted on 06/10/2004 9:45:14 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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Two AV-8B Harrier II pilots from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced) head toward their aircraft for a combat mission over south-central Afghanistan. HMM-266 (Rein) is the aviation combat element of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks | |||
Lt. Col. Sean Blochberger conducts a pre-flight inspection of his AV-8B Harrier II attack jet before a combat mission over south-central Afghanistan. Blochberger is the Harrier detachment officer-in-charge for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks | |||
Lt. Col. Sean Blochberger climbs into the cockpit of his AV-8B Harrier II for a combat mission over south-central Afghanistan. Blochberger is the Harrier detachment officer-in-charge for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks | |||
Lance Cpl. Charles Hooks glances toward the camera as he braces for an airstrike against anti-coalition militia by AV-8B Harrier IIs from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Hooks is a rifleman with Charlie Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines and is in Afghanistan conducting combat operations against Taliban insurgents and anti-coalition militia. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks | |||
Impacts from a gun run by AV-8B Harrier II attack jets from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced) are visible on a mountain where anti-coalition militia have taken refuge during a firefight with elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks | |||
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(Bad news for the Taliban bad guys!)
Anybody know how well those Harriers perform at those high-altitude Afghan airbases in summer heat? I bet the payload is somewhat restricted and the vertical landings a bit hairier than usual.
GET SOME!
Bump!
From the pics it appears that they are at a base with a paved runway. They could operate in STOL but wouldn't have to perform a vertical landing as they would from their normal shipborn operations.
VTO results in almost no payload even at sea level, so even aboard the ships they do a short take off. The Brits have a ski jump at the end of the deck that improves takeoff performance, but for some reason we don't have the ski jump on our ships.
Bump!
Perhaps I'm wrong in assuming that Harrier flight ops consist of Short Take-offs and Vertical Landings? To me, the landing gear arrangement doesn't look conducive to a normal landing approach.
You are absolutely correct for shipboard operations.
For land operations the Harrier AV-8B can perform a rolling landing, using both thrust vectoring and wingborn lift. It really saves on fuel to land conventionally, and you can land with a higher gross weight. (Aborted mission, for example, and you don't want to dump your stores and fuel.)
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