The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing, the second generation of the Harrier family. A joint United States and United Kingdom effort of the early 1970s aimed to fix the shortcomings of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier; after the British withdrew in 1975, McDonnell Douglas redesigned the AV-8A with a larger composite wing, a raised cockpit and a redesigned fuselage. The first development aircraft flew in November 1981 and the type entered United States Marine Corps service in January 1985. It also served the Spanish and Italian navies, and the Marine Corps retired its Harriers in 2026.
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Source McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (Wikipedia)
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Source McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (Wikipedia)
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1. McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (Wikipedia)
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The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL).
Lead, service entry
The AV-8B made its maiden flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985.
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