Audi R10 TDI vs Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet"

[NYCshopper]

Audi R10 TDI vs Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet"



Press Release:

Diesel Powered Le Mans Winning Sportscar Almost Beats Harrier Jump Jet

Audi's history-making diesel-powered R10 TDI sports-prototype, which won the Le Mans 24 Hours last month, came close to beating a Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet" multi-role combat aircraft in a race at RAF Wittering in England yesterday (6 July).

The actual Le Mans race winning Audi R10 TDI with Scotsman Allan McNish at the wheel, sped down a taxi-way racing a Harrier aircraft on an adjacent runway from a standing start in a one-kilometre race.

The contest, staged at the annual Family & Friends Day at the RAF base near Peterborough in front of a 5,000 crowd, ended in a close victory for the Harrier - by one-tenth of a second.

The Audi, the first diesel-engined sportscar to win the famous Le Mans race, was quicker off the line - despite the R10 TDI being designed to start races from a "rolling" as opposed a "standing" start and faster to 150mph than the aircraft.

But the Harrier, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Pete Keenlyside, the 2006 Harrier display pilot, ultimately just beat the Audi to the 1km by literally a "nose" before the jet took off in a spectacular vertical climb.

"I had a practice run against the Harrier moments before the race ‘proper’ and I came very close to beating it - it was a very close run contest, confirmed Dumfries-born McNish.

"It was essentially a ‘fun’ race but when a racing driver and a pilot get together it quickly becomes serious. For our diesel-powered Audi, which we didn’t modify or prepare specifically for this event in any way, to come so close to beating a Harrier jet-fighter I believe was a tremendous achievement once again for TDI power."

Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner scored Audi's sixth Le Mans 24 Hour race win last month (17-18 Jun) - the first with the turbo diesel-powered R10 TDI making its début in the annual French race.

Allan McNish/Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen finished third in their Audi R10 TDI. McNish demonstrates the Audi R10 TDI and a 1936 Auto Union C-Type at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex this weekend (7-9 Jul).

British Harriers are presently in active service over Afghanistan, assisting the efforts of British troops on the ground by supplying close air support. FL Keenlyside will be displaying the Harrier at Blackpool this weekend (8-9 Jul).

Specifications:

Audi R10 TDI sports-prototype

Engine: 90° V12 turbo-charged 5,550cc engine, 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC, 2 Garrett-turbo chargers, 2 x 39.9 mm engine-air intake restrictors (defined by ACO regulations) and maximum turbo pressure of 2.94 bar absolute, diesel direct injection TDI, stressed aluminium crankshaft Power: Over 641bhp, in excess of 1100 Nm

Length: 4.65m
Width: 2.00m
Height: 1.03m
Weight: 925 kg
Fuel type: Shell V-Power Diesel
Fuel tank capacity: 90 litres (20 gallons)
Approx Fuel consumption: 41 litres per 100km (6.89mpg)

Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet"

Engine: Rolls Royce Pegasus Mk 105 turbofan weight 3746 lbs (1700 kgs)
Power: 21,750lbs thrust (approx 15,000bhp)
Wingspan: 9.25m (30ft 4ins)
Length: 14.36m (47ft 2ins)
Height: 3.55m (11ft 8ins)
Weight (for race): 8,864kg (19,500lbs)
Max speed: 575kts (661mph)
Take off speed : 120 kts (150 mph)
Max altitude: 43,000ft
Fuel type : Avtur F34 (Jet A1)
Internal Fuel tank capacity: 3,446 litres (758 gallons)
Fuel consumption: 97.74 litres per minute (21.5 Gallons) at max thrust

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[SUBE555]

Kool! Can they come play in my backyard too?

[black06wagon]

15,000bhp.

[RLMs_Rex]

2.94 bar absolute!!!!! does that actually mean 1.94 (minus 1 atmosphere) or does it really mean 2.94 bar????? if so then thats just crazy.....

[SUBE555]

I just can't wait to see the R10's at Road America at the end of August.

[forced4]

Originally Posted by RLMs_Rex

2.94 bar absolute!!!!! does that actually mean 1.94 (minus 1 atmosphere) or does it really mean 2.94 bar????? if so then thats just crazy.....

1.94 gauge. Absolute is gauge + atmospere.

[beachbum]

Next time, they should race a real jet.

[OrlandoSTi]

haha.... for real..... the harrier is the "pig" of the jet-world..... more harriers were shot down in desert storm than any other aircraft..... that's why we practically stopped using those hunks of junk...

[bduly]

Originally Posted by OrlandoSTi

haha.... for real..... the harrier is the "pig" of the jet-world..... more harriers were shot down in desert storm than any other aircraft..... that's why we practically stopped using those hunks of junk...

And that's why this guy was made:

[shemoves]

I was just gonna say...the harrier is actually quite slow for a 'fighter.' Actually I think there are only 1 or 2 jet-powered combat aircraft (not including bombers) the US uses that are slower...the A10 and the F-117. Yes, the stealth fighter is slow...very slow.

I didn't know the thrust rating was so low :/

The F15 engines are rated at 25k...each!

[DeeBoy]

Originally Posted by bduly

And that's why this guy was made

Technically, the governement couldn't afford to run 3 fighter programs for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps at the same time to replace the F-16 and compliment the F-22A, replace F/A-18C/Ds and compliment the F/A-18E/F, and replace AV-8B and F/A-18C. So they took all 3 branches' requirements and made the JSF program where manufactures would compete for the contract(Lockheed was chosen over Boeing, of course ). An aircraft with 3 versions yet have a great deal of commonality, that would satisfy the military requirements and be inexpensive to produce, maintain and upgrade, yet be stealthy, deadly and survivable.


Well, personally i see the harrier more as an attack aircraft than a fighter. The Harrier was never to be known as a "quick" fighter, its in the sub sonic class. It is used primarily used by the US Marine Corps(and RAF/RN) to support ground troops close to the front lines. If i'm not mistaken i believe about half of the inventory of the Harriers the Marines recieved are now inoperable, from being shot down, crashed, etc. Also, its not the easiest aircraft to work on compared to say a F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, harriers require ALOT of man hours for maintenance. I'm sure when the JSF(Lightning II) enters service the Marines will be glad to get the STOVL version of JSF to replace their Harriers and F/A-18Cs as well as the other branches of the military and the RAF/RN.

As for the A-10, it was designed to fly low and slow(it's wing shape and fuselage reflects that as well as its GAU-8) and loiter over the battle field to support ground troops and function as anti-armor. It's a very sturdy robust aircraft and has triple redundent systems and heavily armored and it's GAU-8 Avenger is just a BEAST. That thing will turn any armor into swiss cheese.

The F-117 is considered our 1st gen Stealth Aircraft. Even though its designated with an "F" it functions more as an attacker/bomber, it's really not much of a fighter at all. It doesn't carry any air-air missles and doesn't include an internal gun. It relies on the Night and mission planning to be survivable. The faceted edges and saw tooths reflect radar waves away from the radar dish, the materials and paint absorb radar waves as well. The reason why the F-117 is slow because the engines are mounted deep within the fuselage. Turbine blades from the engines are the most radar happy part of the aircraft. 2nd is heat, exhaust heat/afterburners are "highly observable," so a supersonic aircraft wasn't considered "stealthy or low observable." The platypus tail of the F-117 emits a relatively low heat signature, due to the fact the the exhaust from the engine is cooled by ceramic tiles(similar to the space shuttle) that absorb alot of the heat, also the thin wide exit allows the exhaust to be cooled by the air better

The F-15 engines are nice, but the F-22A's engines are 35,000 lbs each, capable of supercruise and has 2D thrust vectoring.

[Twrx8]

Originally Posted by SUBE555

I just can't wait to see the R10's at Road America at the end of August.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!
i've been saying this at least twice a day since the 24 hour race!!!
SEE YOU THERE!!!