http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004298.html?wh=wh Well here we go again

Hmmmm, so this aircraft isn't allowed to even ingest FOD? Pretty high standard huh?

You don't have to be an engineer to understand that those big rotors create a big dust storm under this aircraft and the intake is all of the sand acts like a sandblaster on the turbine blades and every part in the engine.

yeah, but to hear and read all the comments from the peanut gallery about I told you so gets a little old for me.

I know Gunny I read the comment down below the article.Dammed shame they don't let the People who use them solve the problem they had the machine back in the air in record time.

To me, it looked like everything worked as advertised and they all got down safely, especially since the engine was basically eating itself.

Let us all remember that the Harrier I was a horrendous jet that killed its pilots more than its enemies. It got the nickname the Widowmaker for a reason. The V-22 had its issues but the new anti air getting caught up and creating a vortex when it switches from vertical to horizontal and vice versa system has made it a better and more useful plane.

The AV8A-C and last version AV8B, has never been called Widowmaker by those that flew it or supported it.

the original Harrier was I know for a fact. I'm in the Air Force and have met people who have flown the Harrier I.

This kinda bothers me the only Aircraft I remember being called the Widow Maker was the F-104 Starfighter because it killed a couple of Test Pilots and almost killed Chuck Yeager.The early Harriers were only used by the Royal Navy & the Harrier-II then was adopted by the USMC.

OK fine, but you should know that I worked on the Harrier from 1978 to 1992. The large majority of Harrier accidents were ruled as pilot error. It is and was one of the most unforgiving and difficult aircraft to fly. The Harrier was called many things, but 'widowmaker' was never one of them.

It was Gunny. Marine aviators called it that. When I was in flight school one of my instructors was killed in a Harrier I while transferring from general flight to vertical landing.

OK, I am saying that we Marines did not call it that. I know it killed pilots, but I also was privy to the accident reports detailing each accident. 95% were pilot error. Pilot error to me means the pilot initiated the action or didn't that resulted in his death. The other 5% (I maybe off in my percentages) were due to mechanical failures and or ground crew maintenance errors in servicing the aircraft.

The AV8A/C did not have the computer systems that the AV8B has today. It was all stick, rudder along with throttle. One thijng it did have that most fighter jets didn't have was a cassette player. I have popped out Stairway to Heaven in more than one jet after the flight.

Accidents were not the norm for this aircraft. I could apply the same logic to each and every aircraft ever flown as they all crash at some point or another.

Good point their gunny. I used to fly a Tomcat back in the Gulf War and every time after a mission I would blast the Top Gun theme in my boombox.

lancer....Captain were you also in the US Navy what kind of Missions did you fly in the Gulf (just wondering)

I was a Navy aviator. I flew mainly search and destroy missions( air superiority was covered by the F-15's and F-16's). Sometimes I provided close air support as well.

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004775.html?wh=wh Back to the Subject (Sounds like a good Deployment)

The Navy was fun but there's nothing quite like being high up in the air.

What ship were you assigned to back then?

thegunny ....I think lancer left.Musta got to deep.