Posted on 10/07/2008 7:42:14 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
We’ve done it - again.
After nearly 10 months of sweating, cussing, and prodding, XZ 439 made four successful takeoffs and more important - - four successful landings. Equal numbers of each, which is a good thing.
The weekends of checking the systems, repairs, sheet metal work, and the endless gear retractions and extensions, plus the emergency gear extensions, all paid benefits. We had another Gas Turbine Starter (GTS) decide it was time to go on one of our taxi checks, but this time, we were better prepared. No chicken dances. We calmly and coolly extinguished the fire.
No big deal, and not nearly as catastrophic as the first GTS fire and explosion. Plus, we have several spare GTS’s ready to install.
We simply towed the airplane back into the hangar and got to work. We also collected all the little “bits” of destroyed turbine wheel, which we call “turbinium explodium.” We may make jewelry from the pieces, since it’s now one of the most expensive metals on Earth, at approximately $125,000.00 per pound. We’re taking orders.
We also managed to destroy a set of brakes and tires on taxi. This was unfortunate and in hindsight, we (read me, myself and I) should have known better, but it surely could have been worse. Now, it’s just an inside joke for the team. In the end, the total cost since the original hydraulic failure equals a new car, but we have a nearly new, flyable airplane again. And it’s in better shape than it was previously. We are also better prepared with spares. The destroyed brake parts may also make jewelry, since they contain “stupidium,” the second most expensive metal on Earth.
We have removed the Head Up Display (HUD) and replaced it with a civilian Electronic Flight Indication System (EFIS). The EFIS is much simpler and more capable than the HUD ever was, plus it saved about 30 pounds. In VSTOL airplanes, weight is always important. The HUD was just a crutch for a weak pilot, anyway. Some of the Old Timers turned it off for demonstrations and I’ve made several shipboard landings with nothing but a grease pencil mark. It’s nice to have, but certainly not necessary and the EFIS is much better.
We have an emergency landing gear extension system. This was not activated for the first two flights because we were unable to obtain the explosives to actuate the operating valve. So, we redesigned the system with a different valve (twice) and it’s been thoroughly tested on the ground. Let’s hope we don’t test it in the air, but if we do, I’m confident it will work.
We have removed additional weight - approximately 120 lbs of completely useless weight. (I had a very funny joke to insert here, but was nixed by my wife. No sense of humor at all. Please just think of someone who’s a pain in the ass and insert that name for the 120 lbs.)
The useless wiring was previously used for weapons systems, military navigation and flight-testing that we don’t need. Lighter gross weight ultimately means better flight performance, and there is more superfluous wiring that we can remove over the course of time. Lighter weight also means less wear and tear on the engine. One less pound of weight means one less pound of thrust required to hover.
We have improved our emergency procedures. Our checklists and manuals were written in “Brit.” No offense to our British supporters, especially since you invented the language, but we were confused by instructions such as “carefully inspect the fuel cell with a torch.”
Our checklists and some of the manuals are now written in “Yank-talk” and include photos. We’re going to put a centerfold in there, so the mechanics will actually read them……for the articles.
Seriously, our chase airplane on the second flight did not know what NORMAL landing gear extension looked like. So, I’ve included a photo in our emergency procedures identifying the key features. This will be extremely useful at an airshow for the uninitiated, in case we need a visual check.
We have also enhanced our tutorials for the ejection seat. This is beneficial to the local crash and recovery crews at airshows.
Finally, we have taken all the publications andperformance data and incorporated them into a laptop computer. Our V/STOL calculator instantly computes vertical landing weights and takeoff performance. This is much easier than the old wiz wheels I used as a Lieutenant. Click, click, and click equals landing weight.
With all that said and done, and the ground checks complete and satisfactory, we were ready for OUR SECOND, First flight. We approached this with appropriate caution, checking and re-checking our work. The local volunteer fire department was again on hand to assist - - just in case. I saw them exchanging money furiously, just prior to the flight. They were probably taking up a collection to chip in for fuel….
The first 4 takeoffs and landings were without incident and there are no serious discrepancies with the airplane. Nothing that we can’t fix. That flight was made with the landing gear remaining in the extended position. We didn’t want the added drama of another incident and we needed a few successes. No leaks, no drips, all systems normal. We declared victory and put the bird back in the barn for another week.
The next flight the following weekend was also without incident, but expanded the envelope to include actual landing gear cycling while airborne, plus basic aerobatics. The landing gear cycles produced much more anxiety than the aerobatics. You wouldn’t think that just simply raising the landing gear on a retractable gear aircraft could cause such anxiety, but this was a MAJOR milestone for us. You could have heard a pin drop, even over the mighty Pegasus engine. Come to think of it, that’s the first time we’ve retracted the gear airborne and everything worked.
All four gear retracted and extended several times just as advertised. All hydraulic pressures were normal, all engine temperatures and warning / caution lights were normal. The air conditioning was even performing in spectacular fashion - - I was cool, calm, and collected while zooming around the skies at 230 knots - the legal speed limit for this airspace - at just above idle RPM. This airplane really wants to go much faster and doesn’t become “comfortable” until around 300 to 350 knots and above.
With each flight, I have become more relaxed in the airplane and more comfortable with the ejection seat and cockpit. It’s feeling like home, again. Almost routine, but VSTOL airplanes are rarely routine.
We’ve still got a few more local flights, plus two checkrides to complete our test program. Completing those, we have our first airshow scheduled in October.
The first airshow will also be a HUGE deal. We won’t be before a huge crowd. It’s a small town show, within easy driving distance. We’ll keep doing what has worked for us so far - that is to walk before we can run. Baby steps. Eat the elephant one bite at a time….
I expect the first demonstration to be plain, unflavored, and bland - keep it simple. Nothing showy, nothing even approaching the limits of this fantastic airplane, but the Harrier doing what it does best. Just a few simple takeoffs and landings, using nearly no runway at all, and accelerating to 650 knots, coming to a stop, then landing. In that order. That’s all. Harrier pilots have been saying it’s much easier to stop then land, rather than the other way around.
The ground crew, all volunteers, is smiling now. We can all see the result of weekends, holidays, and evenings, fueled by hotdogs and chips. We’ve all gone on the hope that the Sea Harrier would fly again, and we would be the ones to make it happen. No big corporations, just the cowboys from St. Mary’s County.
For our last flight, one of the crew brought his mother-in-law. For the last year, she has chided him for devoting every weekend to this “project.” Once she saw what we have done, she had a different opinion. She wept as I landed, and now she understands why we all donated our time and efforts to do this. She is sewing us new flags for our downlocks and we appreciate them.
We have already come farther than most people can dream.
Art Nalls
For those of you in the Culpeper, Virginia area, Art is scheduled to fly the Sea Harrier this Saturday, 11 October 2008 at the Culpeper Airport Air Fest.
BUMP. That is so incredible!
LMAO!
ping
Cool - a project where I could have actually used the valuable skills I learned in the Air Force.
ping
Now THIS is what the 2d Amendment is all about :-)
L
That has got to be one seriously expensive machine to keep airworthy
Art, I was in VMA 513 in 1970’s. Some advise, be very alert or your gonna bust your A** with this new toy.
Why not sell it and get you a nice A4F or M with the big engine while your still healthy?
“Why not sell it and get you a nice A4F or M with the big engine while your still healthy?”
Skyhawks are sweet planes. Beatiful handling, and tough enough for carrier landings. Also, Heinemann’s Hotrod is relatively simple to work on.
If I was among the super-wealthy, I’d rather have an A-4 than a Harrier. Do airports charge you to repair all the melted tarmac?
for the aviation ping list
I sure wish I had one of these.
“I’m not Art but you should read his biography and then let me know if you think he can handle himself in a Harrier.”
I did not say anything about his ability. A lot of very skilled pilots that flew these are now dead as a door nail. Just stating the facts. I would rather fly an A4.
“Do airports charge you to repair all the melted tarmac?”
Not to worry, it’s all sucked up and recycled through the intake. I think mostly they do a standard take off and landing instead of VSTOL now days anyway. I really don’t know how anyone could afford the fuel.
Yes Skyhawks are sweet indeed. If you do become super-wealthy, please call me. I’d really like to drive your new toy. :)
You don’t need to be worrying about Nalls.
Don’t worry about me and the Harrier. This ain’t my first rodeo, but I appreciate your concern. We’ve thought about this for quite some time, before taking the economic plunge and “investing” in a Harrier. I do intend to make money with this machine so “invest” is the correct word here.
I flew the “A” in VMA-231, right next door to VMA-542 and have about 900 hours in them, with over 400 carrier landings. I also spent a tour at Pax River flying the “new” AV-8B as one of the first few pilots to do so and wrote as much of the NATOPS for that version as anyone. I have about 500 hours in the AV-8B. I did much of the high angle of attack work, the shipboard work, the takeoff and landing assymetric work, the engine-out work, handling qualities and weapons separation work, and the TAV-8B work. I have over 6 hours of flight time in single engine jets without the engine running, which is very difficult to get, as you might imagine. Still, I agree with your comments concerning the A-4. I love that airplane, too! I also flew the A-4 at Pax and have engine out time in it as well. One of my favorite flights was in an A-4 doing a dogfight against a helo. I was kicking his butt royally since he couldn’t see a gray 36’ wide airplane when I pointed directly at him. I was loving it! All of a sudden, I had a generator failure in the A-4 and had to pull the RAT and terminate the flight. I was very dissappointed. I had to leave and go home early and take a trap. Another disadvantage of the A-4 over the Harrier. Where are you going to take a trap in the civilian world?
The A-4 is another of my favorites, but I prefer the Harrier for a couple of reasons: I can land the Harrier in my back yard, the A-4 takes at least 4-6,000 feet, if you’re good. The Harrier has it’s own starter. The single-seat A-4 has a self-starter, but the 2-seater needs a huffer. I always wanted an A-4 until I flew the L-39. I can’t go as fast as the A-4, but the L-39 doesn’t need a huffer, NEVER breaks, and uses 1/3 the fuel of the A-4. I love that airplane as well, and I can land it in 1,800 feet. There’s an emergency field every 12 miles up and down the east coast. It’s a jet that’s nearly perfect for the civilian world.
I hope this answers your questions about the Harrier and satisfies some of your concerns. I promise I won’t do anything stupid in the airplane. I have absolutely no intention of dying before before I have finished living.
Art Nalls
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