I've heard about a new plane that will replace the Harrier. I think it is currently being tested by Boeing. It proves to be faster and more powerful than the previous plane. Too bad the Harrier will be obsolete as for me it was a wonderful plane. Wish if ever they were to be obsolete, they give me even a single AV-8B!

It's called the Joint Strike Fighter the same plane in three seperate versions will be made.
One for the Air force, one the Navy, and one for the Marines. I think they will all be VTOL capable.

Here's a Link JSF

Italeri has kits of both JSF prototypes. The winner of the competition looks like the F-22's little bro.

Not all models of the JSF....or F/A-35.....are VTOL capable.....only the Marine versions will be VTOL capable....well they may have a mix of regular take off and VTOL....but the VTOL was designed with them in mind as a replacement for the Harrier...and the normal version is supposed to be a replacement for a number of US aircraft...F-16 and some F-15s probably for the Air Force, F/A-18s for the Navy and Marines...as well as the VTOL version a replacement for the Marine's Harrier. As well.....all branchs of the UK military are supposidly interested....including AC for the 2 new carriers they are working on.

Among other countries are interested...Canada apparently included.

and the UK it will be built at BAE systems at Warton between Preston and Blackpool
they will also build the Typhoon there as well my mates work there currentlty refurbing
the Tornado's

I think that the harrier is a great plane i think that it is to bad that there going to replace it.

I certainly agree that the Harrier was a great aircraft. Technology speaking it was a tremendous success.

Unfortunately it suffered numerous losses (no, I don't have the stats) due to shoulder fired heat seeking missiles. These SAM's homed in on the heat source and we all know that the Harrier's heat source is center aircraft. With conventional aircraft you might just lose the tail pipe... a hit on a Harrier would almost always be a total loss.

The Harrier, like another recently retired aircraft, Concorde, is an indication of how advanced aircraft design was in the fifties. Although the Harrier has in recent years become an American aircraft it was in fact developed by Hawkers as a private venture, - the P1127. The British Government, not having the foresight to appreciate its potential, would have had it cancelled under the policies of the 1957 Defence White Paper. The defence cuts which saw the demise of the Hawker P1083 and 1121, the Vickers-Supermarine Type 545, the Avro Type 720 and my favourite, the Saunders Roe SR177 were based on the false premise that missiles were the only airborne weapons needed for future warfare.

The P1127 became an official M o A order in 1959, the protoype flew in November 1960, and it put Britains years ahead of the rest of the world.

By 1963 it was under threat from the politicians, and only missed being cancelled because it was so far advanced that it was cheaper to put it into production.

Regards Dave