The Harrier II retains the tandem landing gear layout of the first-generation Harriers, although each outrigger landing gear leg was moved from the wingtip to mid-span for a tighter turning radius when taxiing.[70] The engine intakes are larger than those of the first-generation Harrier, and have a revised inlet. On the underside of the fuselage, McDonnell Douglas added lift-improvement devices, which capture the reflected engine exhaust when close to the ground, giving the equivalent of up to 1,200 lb (544 kg) of extra lift.[70][71]
The technological advances incorporated into the Harrier II, compared with the original Harrier, significantly reduce the workload on the pilot. The supercritical wing, hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) control principle, and increased engineered lateral stability make the aircraft fundamentally easier to fly.[72][73] Ed Harper, general manager for the McDonnell Douglas Harrier II development program, summarized: "The AV-8B looks a lot like the original Harrier and it uses the same operating fundamentals. It just uses them a lot better".[74] A large cathode-ray tube multi-purpose display, taken from the F/A-18, makes up much of the instrument panel in the cockpit. It has a wide range of functions, including radar warning information and weapon delivery checklist.[68] The pilots sit on UPC/Stencel 10B zero-zero ejection seats, meaning that they are able to eject from a stationary aircraft at zero altitude.[75][76]
Airframe
For the AV-8B, McDonnell Douglas redesigned the entire airframe of the Harrier, incorporating numerous structural and aerodynamic changes. To improve visibility and better accommodate the crew and avionics hardware, McDonnell Douglas elevated the cockpit by 10.5 in (27 cm) and redesigned the canopy. This improved the forward (17° down), side (60°), and rear visibility.[77][78] The front fuselage is composed of a molded skin with an epoxy-based core sandwiched between two carbon-fiber sheets.[78]
To compensate for the changes in the front fuselage, the rear fuselage was extended by 18 in (46 cm), and the taller vertical stabilizer of the Sea Harrier was used.[78] The tail assembly is made up of composites to reduce weight.[77]
Perhaps the most thorough redesign was of the wing, the objective being to match the performance of the cancelled AV-16 while retaining the Pegasus engine of the AV-8A.[79] Engineers designed a new, one-piece supercritical wing, which improves cruise performance by delaying the rise in drag and increasing lift-to-drag ratio.[79] Made of composites, the wing is thicker and has a longer span than that of the AV-8A. Compared to the AV-8A's wing, it has a higher aspect ratio, reduced sweep (from 40° to 37°), and an area increased from 200 sq ft (18.6 m2) to 230 sq ft (21.4 m2). The wing has a high-lift configuration, employing flaps that deploy automatically when maneuvering, and drooped ailerons. Using the leading edge root extensions, the new wing allows for a 6,700 lb (3,035 kg) increase in payload compared with the first-generation Harriers after a 1,000 ft (300 m) takeoff roll.[80] Because the wing is almost exclusively composite, it is 330 lb (150 kg) lighter than the AV-8A's smaller wing.
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/99b9eca9f8b32ae8cacf61d9bb5a4a98.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/11dfb285e92b7b1eea24295ed609212e.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/7a2818b202388805a6c312372c0dfd13.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/4b2e5268ad1e061ea95adbc7eda08cda.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/2b2587f74f7f0ee9c2e49aa8f75222e2.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/4565d7a40c3c973d8bcfb3164d4f3efb.jpg)
/https://storage.inewsdb.com/f2206cc68244579bd5c304f3c3135611.jpg)
/https://k-static.appmobile.cn/uploads2/allimg/240419/13131560S-0.png)
/https://media-proc.singtaousa.com/photo.php?s=https://media.singtaousa.com/wp-content/uploads/master/2024/04/2024042217504266764.jpg&f=jpeg&w=815&q=75)
/https://cdn.hk01.com/di/media/images/dw/20240422/859114053790863360851604.jpeg/wXLx6F5Pq7CeUWj3nhZvpEXahQDNaJiCaAzB92gMwfc?v=w1920r16_9)
/https://img.youtube.com/vi/T1GwTYm5jgg/0.jpg)
/https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VKk9i3DAVV9g3iUsT6Bp_A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTM1OA--/https%3A//media.zenfs.com/ko/newtalk.tw/18d4dbba12ec2add6fb7f9d54aa56b67)
