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Stock Model A: VMA-231
Scale 1:32   Length 17"   Wingspan 11"

Photography by Action Asia Photo
© 2002-8 Action Asia Photo - All Rights Reserved
www.actionasiaphoto.com

The US Marine Corps saw the British AV-8A Harrier as the perfect aircraft for the support of its ground forces and ordered 102 AV-8A Harriers and two 2-seat trainers (TAV-8A) in 1970, forming the first squadron in April, 1971. These aircraft were basically the same as the RAF Harriers but with American avionics, flight control systems and weapons systems. The last of this batch was delivered in 1976, and the last AV-8A was retired in 1986.

Reluctant to have military aircraft manufactured outside of the US, a licensing agreement was made between Hawker-Siddley (later British Aerospace) and McDonnell-Douglas for the manufacture of the follow-on AV-8B Harrier II designed to give the Harrier the payload, range, and accuracy of the most modern conventional aircraft. Testing was so successful that the initial production order of 12 AV-8Bs was placed before the program was completed, and delivered to the Marines in January, 1984.

While outwardly resembling the earlier Harriers, the new AV-8B is a new and totally different aircraft that incorporates a higher thrust engine (21,500 lbs vs 20,000 lbs) giving about the same speed, but a much greater payload. It has a new supercritical wing holding more fuel and with six payload wing pylons instead of four, plus a fuselage station. The cockpit is entirely different, being similar to the F/A-18, with state of the-art electronics and a bubble canopy for better visibility.  It also has radar, a warning system, flare and chaff dispensers, night vision capability, Angle Rate Bombing Set for laser or TV guided weapons delivery, Heads Up Display, and with an electronic countermeasures pod available.

During Desert Storm operations, four USMC Harrier squadrons (86 aircraft), operating from land and shipboard bases, flew 3,380 sorties and delivered six millions lbs of ordnance.

Crew:         Pilot only
Length:      46 ft 3 in
Wingspan: 30 ft 3 in
Speed:       660 mph maximum
Range:       400+ miles tactical

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