Last night on British TV was a prog about the Harrier Jump Jet. I've captured some frames to point out a few things...

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVE ly8S4RziufYrN1Lxk7niWC9HwrXY4EtCouY2nJLfMZPo*m8Ynm KZdI7NDtgmhuBWzUX4iAcKLpcrfYN0MPZH3mM6z0uDvsL[/img]

This is the deck of an aircraft carrier underneath a hovering Harrier, developing 24,000lb of thrust (maybe a little less, because that's max rating. However, the engine is at a high throttle setting when hovering).

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVn 2xUsNeqA*rD9xMWWiEgcYjf8eQk6lZHmpKE2ZACcox06AJ1MFp opiwgpyCGZqSsT9bD5gZ!RhuqqT2Y3UDmxGK80tenEgnl[/img]

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVa 09jFxKeMhREboxr82MI5OvZcpDjn6zokOpYQBRJUyfFV*C1XYQ !lBXIERRpi3mOTmli7YDzVTRgHEysb8XO1qljfgY7JqRh[/img]

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVP 7iJnf6HczjgCB85TNR*FWSbd0pv5A9rEOc3EAcV5E0SecGXCDY V7NL3O6H40ZQ7mDshNx9tG5EARpaVOSPY2t8K410qc*2O[/img]

This is the sequence of the landing. Note a) no big nasty flames coming out from underneath and b) no great disturbance from the searing heat of the exhaust.

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVQ HzvaeInkYlBCNOYp92aU2Hto!C92qYtDC4Js6iEhLtWvPCkoP3 C13VmvvQKm9iqWqqyRaXFbFZW0WGhu2tnJYPpe6tH6hDI[/img]

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVx XeWe!pOQCpNlR7JXtktHktk76FfZ0VeR5Ou7XhKDHofFzYMwDi co4WrJkw6Tctf7TbDSpIyWEW5!BSKZTA18ViSpp6*8zVi[/img]

[img]http://photos.msn.co.uk/imageserver/image.aspx?Image=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbV4 RJTxC4tpJIOGuIEmb6vD4PinkrL2H!a0ngp07dX8gH1i1!DswT HC9KDed5HXX1Z!JQeG8cWe3YtVe067AOicvK!KkLCgFQ5[/img]

This is a flyby sequence in hover mode, before the aircraft comes in sideways to land. This high thrust machine is less than 100ft over water, yet I can't see any disurbance on the surface of the sea whatsoever.

[img]http://photo.msn.s8.com/MS8zLzAvMS8xMDMwLzE1NS8zMi9xWXdfaHE5R2pfd2FVWVVFSE 81cWFB/d84962cb2658c14e609ff3a2cd566671/clbk=*EtEZjHm6coQiDslBu2m29xQQcGLMtbVbERIGCdLzeY!q AtwHsj*Z5rl0i*BMW84gNrHbHk8gsg$/jpg.jpg[/img]

This is a Harrier just hovering. Nothing is visible coming out the bottom, the film makers are not being blown off their feet, and the camera equipment is not being melted. And this craft produces more thrust per each of it's four nozzles than the LM engine did on final descent.