VISUAL MODEL CHARACTERISTICS

Highly detailed external model, fully animated

Highly detailed 3D internal model, fully animated

Equipped with 3D lights system, both internal and external.

High quality external/internal textures, bump, specular mapping and backing.

Italian, Spanish an USA liveries provided

Light weight, frame rate friend model

Cames in two configurations: 'SOLO' and 'UBUNTU' optimized for multiplayer sessions.

FLYING CHARACTERISTICS

SSW Harrier is a not conventional model, it can be considered both a wing-borne and a jet-borne aircraft model since it can take-off and land using wing-lift or using engine nozzle vectored thrust.

To implement such not conventional characteristics was a challenge but we believe to have obtained a  behaviour very close to real as witnessedby real pilots and real former Harrier pilots.

Transition flight from jet-borne to wing borne and viceversa is surprisingly smooth, all typical vertical or short types of takeoff and landings can be performed with a very high degree of realism

SSW Drag coefficient concept implementation:

As known FSX has several limitations, one of these is that is not expected a model can change his shape during the flight (except for flaps surfaces et similar), then there is no possibility to dynamically change the drag coefficent. The static drag coefficient is stored either on .air or aircraft.cfg file thas is read once when the model itself is loaded into memory and cannot be changed easily, or at least in a documented way. SSW has developed a C/C++ .dll module that overrides above limitations, from now on our models will have a single .air and a single aircraft.cfg, changing configuration in flight (ie: dropping weapons, tanks) will affect not only the weight, which is already possible, but also the drag coefficient. Since the module behaviour can be easily customized it is also applicable at any type of model.Another step to achieve the max realism possible.

WING-BORNE CHARACTERISTICS

Flight characteristics have been accurately reproduced, almost all flight conditions: conventional takeoff, climb, cruise, combat, descent and landing are very close to flight tests and performances tables.

The model has, like in the real plane, the SAAHS (Stability Augmentations And Holding System) that greatly enhances manouverability and departure resistance.

Flaps are handled by a computer controlled schedule, no flap lever is provided, like in the real airplane user can choose from 3 flap operation modes: CRUISE, AUTO an STO.

The RR 408 engine combat trust and JPT control have been reproduced.

JET-BORNE CHARACTERISTICS

All aspects of Harrier vectored thrust flight has been reproduced with an high grade of realism:

Water injection control, wet/dry RR 408 engine

Ground effect

Wind effect

LIDS (Lift Improuvment Device System)

Sideslip acceleration with RPS (Rudder pedal shaker) a system to warn the pilot of a sideslip condition

Computed and displayed hover weight based on air temp, altitude and gross weight, therefore computed fuel quantity permissible on board

Computed and dispaleyd STO parameters, nozzle STO stop angle, STO nozzle rotation speed, ground roll, etc.

To enhance the real feeling some random perturbations are injected on the three axes during the hover.

All of above systems assure an high degree of realism and a great smoothness in the transiction from jet-borne to wing-borne flight and vice versa.