Lexington Park in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 30, 2019
1. McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Marker
The First of Its Kind The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AV-8B Harrier II evolved from the British Hakwer Siddeley Type Number P.1127 (1957). Together, the United Kingdom, United States and Germany funded the evaluation of nine development aircraft, known as Kestrels, in 1965 to investigate the value of tactical jet V/STOL (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Loading) operations. The first tactical jet V/STOL airplane to become operational, AV-8A Harriers first joined the Marine Corps in 1971, replacing their A-4s for close air support missions. The Harrier's V/STOL capability allowed it to support ground troops from nearby unimproved fields.
The AV-8B Harrier II became operational with the Marines in 1985. It featured extensive changes from the AV-8A, including a new supercritical composite wing, increased fuel capacity, a new cockpit similar to the F/A-18, new propulsion nozzles, a bubble canopy, and automatic stability control. The outrigger landing gear struts were moved inboard from the wingtips. The Marines are currently replacing their Harriers with the F-35B.
Our Display Aircraft Bureau Number 161576 is the fourth production AV-8B. It flew here at NAS Patuxent River with the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate and Naval Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, as well as with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron
this page online
Primary Mission: Close air support/light attack
Crew: One Pilot
U.S. Service Timeline (all versions of the AV-8B): 1985 to present
Max. Operating Speed: 673 MPH
Max. Gross Weight: 32,000 lb
Propulsion: One Rolls-Royce Pegasus F402-RR-406 turbofan
Dimensions: 46.3 ft length, 30.3 ft wing span
Armament: One 25mm cannon plus 13,235 lb of ordnance (bombs, missiles)
Erected 2019 by Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military. A significant historical month for this entry is January 2019.
Location. 38° 16.571′ N, 76° 27.765′ W. Marker is in Lexington Park, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It can be reached from Three Notch Road (Maryland Route 235) north of Buse Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 22156 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park MD 20653, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2019. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 536 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
