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AV8 Harrier
The aircraft had its
direct origins in a Joint U.S.-British project
(Hawker-Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas Aircraft)
for a much-improved Harrier aircraft, to be
the AV-16A Advanced Harrier program. However
cost over-runs in engine development on the
part of Rolls Royce and in the aircraft development
caused the British to pull out of the program.
Interest remained in the U.S. so a less ambitious,
though still expensive project was undertaken
by McDonnell on their own catered to U.S.
needs. Using things learned from AV-16A development,
though dropping some things such as further
Pegasus development, the development work
continued leading the AV-8B for the U.S. Marine
Corps. The aircraft was centered on the Marine's
needs, light ground attack and was focused
on payload and range as opposed to speed.
In the late 1970 the British re-entered development
of their own second generation Harrier based
on the U.S. design leading eventually to the
GR.5, which had somewhat different performance
goals.
Aircraft were built
by McDonnell Douglas and BAE Systems the latter
at their Warton facility in Preston, Lancashire
in the UK. The factory is also home to the
Panavia Tornado, SEPECAT Jaguar, BAe Hawk
T1 , BAe Nimrod MRA4 and more currently being
built there the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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