Harrier GR7

[+Spectre_USA]

Well, I learned a lot today from this release.

 

Mostly that the British military is saddled with a bunch of politicos that rival the US's for lameness, but I better not get

into that.

 

What I think would be a good real life, and possibly do-able for this model, is the old 30mm Aden gun from the Sea Harriers

that some of the GR-7's and 9's have replaced.

 

Of course this cannot be done with the TIALD installed, as there was a cross-feed system on those pods.

 

I am going to look into this minor, IMHO, what-if when I can this weekend...

[ChrisBV]

I understand why the harrier wasn't given a gun, but if it doesn't have one then why make a fake gunpod for it?

 

RAF Harriers are 'gunless' since the GR.5. A 25mm revolver-type cannon replacement for the ADEN was in development for the GR.5 but there were serious problems with the cross-feeding and feeding mechanism itself and the project was finally abandoned. US Harriers were fitted with the GAU-12/U gatling-type gun, but RAF Harriers remained gunless ever since. The 30mm ADEN cannon was still available for the Sea Harrier FA.2 up until the aircraft's retirement in 2006.

 

Empty gunpods can be seen in frontline GR.9/GR.9As in Afghanistan today but they are there solely to provide better exhaust flow performance during vertical/short take-offs and landings - a function otherwise performed by the LIDs (Lift Improvement Devices) purposely designed for that effect.

[BattlerBritain]

I got the GR7 gunpods to work last night.

 

I just copied the Weapondata entries from the Alphajet 30mm gunpod for Muzzleposition, LightPosition, AimAngles, Eject etc and also upped the number of rounds from 0 to 125 (-ish).

 

Seemed to work. Might not be 100% but I got hits roughly where I was aiming at.

 

And yeah, why have a ground attack aircraft with no friggin' gun?

 

That's about as much use as t!ts-on-a-Nun :)

 

Battler

[ChrisBV]

And yeah, why have a ground attack aircraft with no friggin' gun?

 

That's about as much use as t!ts-on-a-Nun :)

 

:biggrin:

 

Just saw that documentary "Fighter Pilot Afghanistan" (or something like that) a few months ago... and for what I saw, the pilots of JFH aren't particularly concerned about not having a gun on board, most of the time a simple fly-by or a rocket pass is enough to keep the Taliban away. Although, should the need ever arise and considering the changing nature of the British kit, I wouldn't be surprised if they could field a gun/cannon system for existing Harriers within months of a UOR (Urgent Operational Requirement) being approved.

[+bobrock]

Guys, your screenshots look so much better than mine... I'm embarassed. I do need a new rig

Anyway I didn't really bother about the gunpods, since they're not operational, but I was sure that someone would eventually make them work. Battler, would you share the ini lines?

[BattlerBritain]

Sure - but it's on my machine at home.

 

Will have to wait until I get home tonight.

 

It's not difficult though.

 

Battler

[Vader2]

Bob rocks again!

Great work!

:smile:

[zmatt]

Well I got the gun to work. Thanks BattlerBritain!

[BattlerBritain]

Sorry for the delay.

 

Here's my WEAPONDATA entry for the GR7 gunpod. It still needs a tweek to match the muzle position exactly, but it works.

 

Also the shell ejection position needs a tweek. Maybe it also needs a left and right gunpod?

 

[WeaponDataXXX]

TypeName=GR7 gunpod

FullName=GR7 gunpod

ModelName=GR7-gunpod

Mass=200.000000

Diameter=0.500000

Length=3.500000

SubsonicDragCoeff=0.200000

SupersonicDragCoeff=0.770000

AttachmentType=UK

SpecificStationCode=

NationName=RAF

StartYear=1990

EndYear=2020

Availability=2

BaseQuantity=50

Exported=FALSE

ExportStartYear=0

ExportEndYear=0

ExportAvailability=0

WeaponDataType=3

GunTypeName=30MM_ADEN4

MaxRounds=125

MuzzlePosition=-0.084500,2.078100,-0.246300

LightPosition=-0.084500,2.078100,-0.246300

AimDirection=0.000000,1.000000,0.000000

EjectShells=1

EjectPosition=0.212100,0.953200,-0.145400

EjectVelocity=0.000000,0.000000,-2.000000

[+Spectre_USA]

I tried the same, got nuthin'.

 

Pasted yours in, still the big nada.

 

Maybe I'll just have to try the scavenged Sea Harrier pods trick.

 

Or maybe I'll tick "X" model Sidewinders for export, and give `em Hornet double rails.

 

I can stomach `what-if' when it's to my advantage...

 

[+SkippyBing]

Bit more here on the GR7/9's use in the CAS role and the lack of guns, sounds like the guys doing the job prefer CRV-7 because of the range advantage at least

Edited June 5, 2009 by SkippyBing

[Spinners]

Outstanding - Thank You Bobrock!

 

At the end of my first mission, barely one minute ago, I landed and just sat on the runway admiring the detail of this fine add-on only to have my wingie run into the back of me - DOH!

[thundercheif]

Damn good job!

 

I made a small "Falklands 2013" campaign to honor this fine bird.

[jayo]

Re:No guns?

Serves the RAF right for engineering the scrapping of the Sea-Harrier Dev.

[ChrisBV]

I don't know about you but I'm not really concerned about not having guns on board, given the fact that the British Harrier II series have two extra underwing hardpoints vs. the American version (the AV-8B has 6 while the GR.7 has 8) to hang ordnance from. That's plenty of firepower available, if you ask me, and I can even carry 2 Sidewinders for self-defence without having to sacrify room for A-G ordnance or even external fuel tanks for range, which is a problem I constantly face when flying the AV-8B (say) in ODS. The aiming system is very good as well, allowing you to place a rocket on target with almost pinpoint accuracy and the BL755 performs outstandingly against soft targets so... I think that pretty much covers the eventual uses of the 25/30mm cannon in combat.

 

Anyway, that's just me

[+Dave]

Are the Gr.5 and the AV-8B pretty much the same externally?

[ChrisBV]

Are the Gr.5 and the AV-8B pretty much the same externally?

 

The GR.5 (in this case, a GR.7, though) has 4 external ordnance attachment hardpoints per wing:

 

The AV-8B and AV-8B plus have 3:

 

I believe this was a RAF-specific requirement in order to load a pair of AIM-9s without having to take any of the other existing stations.

[+bobrock]

The biggest external difference between GR5 and GR7 is in the nose, which is less cluttered with antennas, pods, optics and such, and houses different avionics.

 

Also the pit has a smaller HUD (like the first AV-8B) and an old style moving map display.

 

Anyway, from my point of view, the lack of a gun is not as important as the lack of a radar.

[triplethr3at]

i dont see the need for radar. The aircraft is primarily for light attack and close air support. Both roles do not rely on radar. The aircraft should be supported on both of these missions by fighters and worse case scenario it can be vectored into an a-a ingagement via ground based radar or awaks. Unless the aircraft is intended to serve as a fleet deffense aircraft like in the falklands than I take it all back.

[+ST0RM]

Sorry for being late to the party. I just now got to loading this marvelous aircraft. I was using a AV-8B-da with Syrinx' GR.9 skin, but this kicks major butt. Deleted the stand in and have spent most of the evening blowing up stuff in the GR.7

 

Thanks!

[kh606fp]

hi pilots 

 

i like to ask about harrier how can i make it landing and tackoff Vertically becaues its frist time to try it ?????

 

waiting answers :)

 

 

[EricJ]

Download the AV-8B by bobrock and there is instructions in the readme for that aircraft.

[kh606fp]

<br />hi pilots   <img src='http://forum.combatace.com/public/style_emoticons/default/Salute.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br /><br />i like to ask about harrier how can i make it landing and tackoff Vertically becaues its frist time to try it ?????<br /><br />waiting answers :)  <img src='http://forum.combatace.com/public/style_emoticons/default/idea.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br /><br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

i ask about battons in key bored

[EricJ]

It's in the Options/Controls screen, thrust vector up/down.