Harrier and Sea Harrier

[Weaver]

To use a Jaguar style undercarriage (which is quite bulky when folded) it might be an idea to push the intakes higher up under the wing roots so that the ducts clearly go over the undercarriage bays and then come down to the engines. You could, in fact, make an interesting hybrid by grafting the forward fuselage, wings and tail surfaces from a Harrier onto a Jaguar fuselage. Blending the undersides in would be 'interesting' since the Harrier is rounded while the Jag is notably flat, but hey, that's what putty was invented for, right?

For a design with a single, wide-diameter turbofan, look to the A-7 Corsair or MiG-23.

[kitnut617]

Long time ago I had thoughts about how to make a Harrier supersonic. I'd thought about grafting the Jaguar rear underside to it, but I'd have the exhaust nozzles swivel down too, like the F-35 system which was previously envisioned for a number of British STOVL designs.

But I ended up doing it like this.



My lift system is like this, cold air would be redirected bypass air to the two front outlets.



In forward flight, the rear of the aircraft would look like this with the engine working like a regular high bypass engine (one with about 45,000lb of thrust)

[Dizzyfugu]

Jaguar parts would be my suggestion, too. I've been thinkink about a de-VTOL-ized Harrier for some time, too, but the potential donor kit recently became a Red Arrows member... But from the overall layout I deem the Jaguar to be a valuable donor source, esp. for the tail section and the landing gear, at least the struts and the main bays. Air intakes can be smaller, too, and I thought about MiG-23/27 parts, since their shape and size appear appropriate (just without splitter plates, though).

[zenrat]

...For a design with a single, wide-diameter turbofan, look to the A-7 Corsair or MiG-23.

...I thought about MiG-23/27 parts...

And before reading those (honest), yesterday I added to my Model Expo want list "MiG 23/27 parts donor for Harrier B (Academy?)"

[Weaver]

Next-gen Harrier drawings posted on Twitter by aviation author Rowland White:






Original post: https://twitter.com/RowlandWhite/status/1007673628933095424
Rowland White's Twitter (which is very much worth following): @RowlandWhite

[zenrat]

Very interesting...

I am thinking of making a Harrier B (non VTOL) one of my RAF GB builds.  I have all the parts I need now.

[PR19_Kit]

I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about flying the first one, those rear under fuselage bombs are VERY close to the hot exhausts! 

The hybrid Harrier/Typhoon, the 2nd one, looks very interesting and modellable too. 

Maybe it's a hybrid Harrier/EFA though, and I have a Pegasus EFA kit........... 

[Weaver]

I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about flying the first one, those rear under fuselage bombs are VERY close to the hot exhausts! 

The hybrid Harrier/Typhoon, the 2nd one, looks very interesting and modellable too. 

Maybe it's a hybrid Harrier/EFA though, and I have a Pegasus EFA kit........... 

I think the P112 uses a scheme called RALS: Remote Augmented Lift System. Basically, bleed air from the compressor is ducted forwards then exhausted downwards through an afterburning nozzle. Upside: lighter than a fan or lift engine. Downside: high-energy vertical exhaust.

[PR19_Kit]

I think the P112 uses a scheme called RALS: Remote Augmented Lift System. Basically, bleed air from the compressor is ducted forwards then exhausted downwards through an afterburning nozzle. Upside: lighter than a fan
or lift engine. Downside: high-energy vertical exhaust.

It seems to have its exhaust nozzles a long way aft of the CG. Surely that would make VTOL a tad difficult?

[Weaver]

I think the P112 uses a scheme called RALS: Remote Augmented Lift System. Basically, bleed air from the compressor is ducted forwards then exhausted downwards through an afterburning nozzle. Upside: lighter than a fan
or lift engine. Downside: high-energy vertical exhaust.

It seems to have its exhaust nozzles a long way aft of the CG. Surely that would make VTOL a tad difficult?

There are two ducts running from just behind the compressor, over the top of the engine, that connect to a vertical nozzle or nozzles just behind the cockpit. The nozzle(s) look like the might have variable area, which what made me think of RALS.

Can't find a decent-size graphic so this will have to do:

[PR19_Kit]

Ah yes, thanks. I see it now, and that makes much more sense. 

[kitnut617]

That's basically how the system I'm using in my model works (see reply 287), only I'm using the cold air too in forward flight (low bypass ratio), although I'm only using cold air in the forward ducts (like on a Harrier) instead of reheat.

[Weaver]

Well here's an oddball find that I came across while looking for something totally different: a specialist calculator for AV-8A pilots!

Texas Instruments made a calculator called the TI 58 in 1977 whose unique selling point was a removable 'master library module' that allowed it to have different custom functions for specialist applications. The USMC commissioned a module for doing Harrier range/payload/fuel calcs:



More details on the very interesting Vintage Calculators site here: http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/ti58_special_function_calculators.html#Harrier

[PR19_Kit]

Goodness, I used to have a TI calculator that looked a lot like that one when I was at BR. 

I don't think mine knew anything about Harriers though......

[AS.12]

That is very cool!  And a NATO Stock Number on the bottom of it too:

Assigned December 22 1977
This part number has not been procured by the US Government in over 5 years.
Does not contain precious metals.
Item Name Code (INC) 42684A: SMALL COMPUTERIZED DEVICE WHICH PERFORMS ARITHMETIC CALCULATIONS. IT MAY HAVE KEYS WHICH CALCULATE ALGEBRAIC, TRIGONOMETRIC, OR OTHER FUNCTIONS. IT MAY BE PROGRAMMABLE OR INCLUDE ALPHANUMERIC CAPABILITY (SUCH AS FOR TELEPHONE LISTS OR MEMOS). EXCLUDES ACCOUNTING MACHINE. SEE ALSO ADDING AND SUBTRACTING MACHINE AND ADDING MACHINE.

Appears to be associated with:

HOLDER KA6/KA4X

Perhaps that's the thigh strap.  Stop giggling at the back.