Underrated comment… 
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Last night I wondered into a pvp server and after trying to get the Hueys to work unsuccessfully (high altitude FARP spawn but no working ground crew i.e. couldn’t unload fuel), swapped to the Harrier.
I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with this bird’s abilities. I’m sure the F/A-18 is a different category altogether…but even with my limited systems fluency and unrefined HOTAS bindings, she’s a pretty capable machine.
I took some iron bombs to a ground target in a mountain valley, defended by 3 or 4 Shilkas. CCIP drops worked well and accurately against the main targets and the gunsight actually allows you to safely engage and neutralize the Shilkas – pretty great to strafe and break off accelerating to 400kts+! A jink or two and you’re outside the AAA range…and I was more worried of running out of fuel than ammo, it was great.
The other thing I’ve learned to love is the huge RWR display and the way it is repeated to the HUD. Such good passive SA, it’s amazing.
I got rear quarter ambushed by a human player Flanker with his radar on when coming back to finish off the ground target after refuel/rearm. I used the ‘jettison ground’ option, crested a hill and did a quick about turn – managed to come around right behind him and down him with a Sidewinder. My heart just about pounded out of my chest after that one – it was my first pvp kill in probably 2+ years and the first in the Harrier.
I got so excited about it that I loaded a 4-pack of Sidewinders next and actually went hunting on purpose. I managed to score another player Su-27 on a head-on fight, low-alt, close range opening. He fired one radar missile, which I notched, and a heater which ate a flare – then we merged and I got nose on first and a heater off the rail. He didn’t see the launch and didn’t flare.
Neither opponents were that skilled, I don’t think – but I’m very rusty too (I was definitely slow on my reactions and wasted heaps of energy), which makes me think that the bird did a lot of the work: the easy-to-understand RWR, the zippy turn rate and the quick-select Sidewinder really make for a decent package in the low-altitude amongst-terrain knife fight stuff that DCS PVP tends to be.
The Harrier might be the guy at the party who everyone likes but isn’t the best at anything…but it is far from toothless!
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The Harrier can be so much fun. The only thing I’m really disappointed with is the buggy implementation of Betty/GPWS.
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I have to say that the Harrier is one of my favorite modules. The great visibility it offers makes it great to fly around in, VTOL of course is unique to the Harrier in DCS, the systems are not too hard to learn and there is the ex-RAF ‘Erk’ in me that looks at the Harrier with much fondness and nostalgia. On top of that, my brother worked on Sea Harriers (FRS1 and FA2) during the 90’s. So, yes, I kinda like the Harrier 
…
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The Harrier is by far my most favorite DCS module. I’ve delved into other modules, but if I want to really get something done, I jump into a Harrier. The amount of options it brings to the table, from precision strike to support to even CAP means you’ll never get bored, no matter what you decide to do.
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I’ve just tried laser bombing in anger for the first time - loved it!
Yeah I know, hardly exciting for most folks here but I haven’t done any smart munitions stuff before so it is cool to learn it for the first time.
It made me think, though - is it possible to tell the TPOD to point at a set coordinates (lat long alt)?
Basically look at the F10 map (call it satellite photo intel), punch in the coordinates and have the pod and the laser trained to the right place without trying to visually acquire the target location?
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Yes. Have a point setup as a waypoint. Then DESG that point. When you boot up the TPOD, select SLAVE.
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I need a hint, how do I disable the GPWS warning messages clogging up the HUD as I make a rocket run or such?
The altitude warning? Press the AWL button on the UFC and set it to something like 50 or 0.
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Nothing what I do there makes a difference, are you sure that’s the correct page?
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Got it wrong, it’s the ALT button, should say “ON 500” by default when you press it.
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Weird, it already was on 1 and I can’t change it to zero.
Very annoying when you are performing ground attacks to be honest.
The AWL warning is new to me as well.
As an alternative, you can just kill or reduce the aux volume on the right console, which is what I usually do.
Aah not a bad idea, I am mostly annoying by the disturbing arrow pointing UP in an aggressive manner as I roll in with rockets.
That’s just the Harrier’s way of saying you chose a shoddy weapon and should fire them all off in one disgusting pass.
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haha but I like my rockets! Don’t like the damage model…but I like my rockets.
I was doing the conventional landing training mission last night. Overhead break landings x 3. Man, that was sloppy and all over the show.
On that note though - the training mission voice over says to maintain 10-12 degrees aoa through the turn to final but the text says 8-10…I wonder which one is correct?
I have answered my own question: it is 10-12 degrees AOA:
In addition, I found a wonderfully British way of describing the fuel dumping system:
“Approximately 1.2 pints of fuel into the dump tank.” 
I mean, it probably was the handiest unit to use in the context…but I found it quite amusing.
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Whoa, okay. I was going by 8-10 units myself as that’s what was prescribed in the real-world VMAT-203 syllabus (and NATOPS too I thought?). I could never keep it between 8-10 and always went up to around 12 just before touchdown. I guess 10-12 makes more sense now.
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Unsure what the “right” way is - but that’s from an official manual too (I’ll get the description when I’m home).
The other detail is the use of speedbrake and idle throttle in the overhead break to downwind turn - I don’t think that’s in the training mission (although I could be wrong). That would eat up the speed from 350 to 250 quicker - I assume that means a tighter pattern.
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