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making it almost useless for thrust vectoring as a combat technique
Tell that to the Argentinian pilots from 1982 who kept wondering where the Sea Harriers of the Royal Navy disappeared to when they used VIFF (Vectoring in forward flight). In a
more recent exercise marking the end of the Sea Harriers' operational use by the RN, they wiped out a combined force of Jaguars, Tornados and F-15Cs totalling 11 aircraft for the loss of one of their own.
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Disable the rudders and elevators on a harrier and you are pretty much @#%^ed if you ry to fly.
Actually, the rudder, elevators and spoilers/ailerons on a Harrier play no part in its VTOL capacity. The attitude of the aircraft at these times is controlled by blower vents at the tail, nose and wing tips. The normal flying controls have no effect until forward flight is initiated.
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The rear main exhaust has abcolutly no vectoring capability on the Harrier
There is no 'rear main exhaust' on a Harrier - the thrust of the engine is pushed out through four swivelling nozzles - 2 at the 'cold' (compressor) end and 2 after the turbine at the 'hot' end, replacing the single conventional jet exhaust.
The points you make about the MiG-29 are valid, but that was designed from the start as a fast-jet fighter. The Harrier was always envisaged as a close-support/ground attack aircraft and was then shoe-horned by the RN into a fighter role, as due to a lack of political foresight, the UK has had no conventional-style carriers since the mid-1970s. Both aircraft have thrust-vectoring: however, their role and design mean it is used to a different end.
Edited, Sep 3rd 2010 8:08pm by Kelanthor