Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!bellcore!att!cbnews!military From: asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu (SULAIMAN) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Dogfighting Message-ID: <7670@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 22 Jun 89 11:51:13 GMT References: <7471@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7514@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7590@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: U of Denver Lines: 43 Approved: military@att.att.com From: asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu (SULAIMAN) In article <7590@cbnews.ATT.COM> wolit@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (Jan Wolitzky) writes: > > >I recall that this technique was used with success by British Harrier >pilots against Argentine Mirages during the Falklands/Malvinas >conflict. The Harrier pilot would rotate his exhaust nozzles from >their normal rearward-pointing position (in forward flight) through the >downward-pointing position used for vertical flight, until they pointed >a bit forward, providing some reverse thrust. Not sure whether dive >brakes were used as well, but the plane slowed down in a hurry. The >Mirage pilot was obviously unable to maintain his position on the >Harrier's tail, and provided a good target for a Sidewinder as it went >past. The British pilots dubbed the maneuver "vff-ing," though I >forget exactly what the "VF" stood for -- "vertical flight" or "vector >forward" or something like that. Stands for Vectoring In Forward Flight (VIFFing). Basically the the engines start providing thrust at an angle to line of flight allowing the aircraft to do all sorts of neat things like brake and climb away while in level flight. Also can and is used to cut down turn radius drastically. Do not scissor with Harriers... > >Of course, I doubt that any pilot would actually CHOOSE to go up >against a Mirage with a Harrier in a dogfight. The technique does >give the other guy the first crack at a tail shot, after all. >-- In a dogfight I'd take a Harrier against any other plane in the world. In USN USMC exercises the USMC Harriers won out 8 of 10 times against F-18s and Tomcats. The plane is not glamorous like a Tomcat and has no standoff fire ability but in a knife fight it will beat out any other plane. The Brits lost 0 Harriers to the Argentine Air Force and the plane itself killed more Argie aircraft than anything else. The Argentinian nickname for the Royal Navy Sea Harriers...'Grey Death'. The plane has no supersonic ability and carries a modest load for its primary mission ground attack. So the plane has recieved a lot of flack. But it has no competition in its maneuverability or STOL performance. Ameer Z. Sulaiman.