ORAC, I'm sure your request for concept clarification was, at least partly, rhetorical but, as we're having fun, I'll stick my neck out even though I'm one of the most out-of-date Harrier Mates in PPRuNe.
If you're losing height at the hover with full throttle, you'll do your utmost with water, Top Temp Limiter and ultimately milking the lever to get some forward speed into wind to get some wing-lift. Slamming the lever forward would be innovative and spectacular. I think SEngO was just making a couple of optimistic assumptions with his second point.
Your next question asks about loss of thrust; if it's total loss of thrust, fiddling with the lever would be wasting time that you should be using to find and pull the handle. If it's partial loss of thrust, it all depends on the degree ...
About uncommanded rapid nozzle movement to full aft, fiddling with the lever would also appear to be wasting time that should be used in finding and ...
Ah, the one about how much height would you need ... This is an essay question; how much is the "partial loss", how heavy are you, are you into wind? And so on.
And the one about questions on the ground; I give up with the excuse that I don't know what fascinates engineers these days.
Last edited by fobotcso; 22nd Aug 2002 at 22:41.