iscover
The RAF has operated the Harrier for a number of years. Note the totally different nose design required by the RA version's laser range finder and associated avionics.
A leap into the future and a transition into the past
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Bill Bedford recently flew in Harrier G-VTOL from the Ski Jump with John Farley, Chief Test Pilot, British Aerospace (Dunsfold). It was Bill’s first Harrier flight since he retired as Chief Test Pilot in 1967. In non-technical terms, he describes his impressions of this experience and adds some reminiscences and philosophical reflections.
Imagine sitting in an aircraft prior to take-off with a 20ft (6. 2ml high “vertical” obstruction in front of you only 125ft (40ml away. With the thrust vector almost horizontal the throttle is slammed open. Suddenly the Harrier leaps forward with its classic dramatic acceleration, we effortlessly ride the 15 deg ramp and in the twinkling of an eye, we are soaring upwards, launched automatically into a relaxed natural climbing attitude. The stick is almost static and for the moment seems redundant. This remarkable event is a non-event! The exit from the ramp at 68kt (125km/hr) seems to be spelled out in capital letters “OK John; nozzles down, no need to hurry I shan’t bite you; now it up to you, just clean up the cockpit, slip through the transition and on with the show. ”
We now sedately transit nature’s zero-cost runway in the sky. A comfortable semi-ballistic feeling of being suspended in space for 6-8 seconds on a graceful smoothly accelerated parabolic curve, is rudely interrupted by a massive kick up the backside as the nozzles of the Rolls Royce Pegasus engine are moved to the horizontal again and the aircraft leaps forward like a frightened rabbit in a way known only to Harrier pilots.
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