PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - VIFFing, Please Settle an argument...
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Old 2nd Jul 2018, 20:04
  #17 (permalink)  
Mogwi
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: 350/3 Compton
Age: 76
Posts: 777
Received 352 Likes on 86 Posts
Sorry, been on my hols!

Yes, all good stuff above. High G barrel roll would fool 90% of conventional Jets the first time and 5% the second time they saw it. 450kts to 150 in about 4secs was hard to beat unless you knew what was about to occur. The counter was to pull high and watch the Bean wallowing around at 150kts until the time was right! We just hoped that we would splash enough guys on the first encounter to dissuade the others.

To the original question; no, VIFF was not used darn sarf. There was never a time when a Harrier was in the "last ditch" scenario and needed to pull the nozzles to frustrate an aiming solution. It was, however very useful when landing back on board!!

Actually, I have just remembered something that might count (must have more gin!). I did use it when trying to splash a Pucara over Stanley Harbour on 25th May. I saw him in a survival hold based roughly on the Upland Goose at low level, as I returned from CAP over the sound. I left Lems at FL250, selected the braking stop and full power, entered a steep low-speed dive and tried to bore sight the missile. First time, no joy. Second time, got a growl but he was heading directly for the cathedral. Third time, intermittent lock and pressed my luck too far, bottoming out below 14k. Loud shout of "missile launch, missile launch" from Lems, followed by holy sh*te pull up, trip the limiters and haul skywards to avoid 2 Rolands. They fell away about 500' below me in the climb.

So I guess the answer is actually - yes VIFF was used in air-to-air combat in the Falklands - but as an aggressive manoeuvre not a defensive one.

Mog
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