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Hello all, my name is Recoil and I’m one of the flight leaders for the Grim Reapers. I’ve been flying in DCS for around a year and I predominantly fly the Mirage 2000C. I can fly most other aircraft well and my new aircraft to master is the AV8-B.

I look forward to seeing you all in the skies, whether friend or foe!

This is my review of the Harrier.

The McDonnell Douglas AV8-B Night attack aircraft is a fast jet aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). It is the latest addition to the DCS World simulation game for the PC.

The introduction of this aircraft changes the way that the Close Air Support (CAS) role is carried out. The ability of the aircraft to carry a heavy weapons payload that’s similar to the A-10 whilst being able to cruise at almost two times the speed transform CAS in the game. Getting to the combat zone is critical when time is at a premium but the AV8-B can drastically reduce the time taken to get the the combat area and get ordinance on target.

The module itself is still in development but is released in open beta for the community. More features are added as time goes on but the Harrier has already at an early stage, become a game changer for the flight simulation community and will become one of the most used CAS aircraft in the game for a long time to come.

Harrier AV-8B N/A has proven itself in conflict in both the real, and now also in the virtual world of DCS.
It’s primary selling point is, that it is capable of performing a vertical takeoff and landing whilst laden with weapons,
and speaking of which,the Harrier’s armament selection is rather wide. Ranging from a multitude of unguided bombs and rockets of various sizes, to guided
munitions such as mavericks, which come in IR and later in laser seeking flavours, as well as GBUs.
So far pretty standard, however it can also perform DEAD fairly effectively with Aim-122 Sidearm missiles.
It isn’t completely toothless, and carries a 20mil gun pod as well as a maximum of four Sidewinders.
The harrier performs as it should, at least more or less. The flight model seems good, but I feel it might be a little too forgiving, but maybe that’s just me coming back
to FBW after spending a long time in older jets and helicopters.
The cockpit is a beauty, and most items have been modeled with love and care. Same can’t be said for animations, as it is lacking some button presses and the likes.
That is because it’s still in Early Access, and it has most of its systems still gutted. However, the systems we do have, work reasonably well.
It has great synergy in carrier operations with pre-existing aircraft such as the Su-33 (Although realistically they wouldn’t work together), and can deliver a fair amount
of weapons downrange and return to a carrier without breaking a sweat. That said,it’s not going to pummel the A10-C into submission and take its place,
but it’ll make for a great alternative for those who want to pound targets on the ground and fly a bit faster than a snail.
In a nutshell, the Harrier is definitely a diamond in the rough, and a formidable predator in the night skies.

-Coffee