This thread on PPRuNe about some of the air engagements gets very interesting very quickly, with some excellent and informative posts from both UK and Argentine contributors; the thread originator himself claimed two kills during the conflict.

It's been going for a couple of months but there's some great stuff appeared on there in the past few days (pages 3+).

Anyway, things are slow around here so thought I'd post it for your attention!

Edit: sorry, you need to be registered on PPRuNe, but it's free and generally pretty entertaining!

A link to the Prune thread ?

I guess this forum doesn't highlight links well enough - if you click where it says "This thread" in the post above it'll take you there!

Fantastic thread, thanks for the link! Very interesting to see that two previous foes that once faced each other in air combat are today exchanging emails about their experiences.

IvanK, did you saw that the Sea Harrier pilot in the thread (Edmund Spencer) said he was doing 610 knots in the Sea Harrier (with 2x external tanks and 2x AIM9Ls) at 100 feet height in pursuit of the Skyhawks? You and me always have tought that the SHAR's top speed was barely 600 knots in a pure clean configuration, what do you think?

Glad you found it interesting Dante - there are several new contributors so it might run for a while yet.

Regarding airspeed, in practically all the later engagements the CAP Harriers were bouncing Argentine aircraft at lower altitude (usually on the deck) so would have had a lot of energy on intercept. The Pegasus has a lot of grunt at low level and even with external tanks a Harrier accelerates pretty rapidly going downhill!

I note the comment (post #80) that one of the guns kills occurred primarily because there was so much speed differential on the overtake that the Harrier pilot had no time to figure out the Sidewinder shot, barely having time to use the gun.

Yes Dante I saw that. I dare say it was not sustained though probably as a result of a descending pursuit ...... mind you more than enough to run down any Skyhawk ... he probably recalls the 610knots as thats probably as fast as he had ever been in a SHAR at sea level

Dante I think there are some good speed values in the ETPS report ... will go and check my stash of charts as well.

Some Acceleration numbers I have Sea Harrier FRS1 2 x 30mm 2 x 100Gall tanks 2 Missiles at 5000feet 1G
200Knots to 300Knots 10 seconds
200knots to 350Knots 13 seconds
200Knots to 400Knots 26 seconds
200Knots to 450Knots 35 seconds
200Knots to 500Knots 45 seconds
200Knots to 550Knots 95 seconds*
*550Knots IAS is Vmax 1G (Ps=0)at 5000feet
Source: Notes from DACT Briefing Perf Comparison Mir IIIO V Sea Harrier FRS 1

The Sea Harrier has an awful lot of drag caused by those frogmouthed intakes .... good for airflow delivery in the hover but a handicap in the high speed regime..... great radar reflector as well. The Sea Harrier also has a an engine limiting system with nozzles aft. Basically limits RPM to 95.5%. Though can be overridden in combat... though from what a gather is not recommended but nevertheless there to use as long as pilot places fingers in ears first