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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1196.PDF
298 FLIGHT, 31 August 1961 Hunter Two-seater P.1127 HAWKER AIRCRAFT LTD (Member of Hawker Siddeley Aviation) Richmond Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. Telephone: Kingston 7741 Hunter Two-Seater This extremely versatile aircraft—a development of the Hunter single-seater, of which something like 2,000 are in service with a dozen air forces—will again make an appearance in this year's SBAC display. It is offered not only as an advanced and operational trainer, with full dual control, but as an intercepter with an all-weather development potential, a reconnaissance aircraft carrying cameras and guns for tactical work at long range, a ground-attack fighter with uncommon capabilities, a long-range patrol aircraft (or for ferrying duties) with a range of over 1,500 nautical miles, and as an equipment and services-test vehicle, for development and research work on equipment, instruments, ejector seats, etc. The aircraft is available either with the Rolls-Royce Avon of 7,6001b thrust or with a 10,0001b thrust version of the same engine. On inboard under- wing pylons it can carry 230-gal or 100-gal drop tanks, 1,0001b, 5001b or 251b bombs, 2in rocket batteries, 3in rockets or napalm bombs, and at outboard stations additional drop tanks or rocket projectiles. As frequently demonstrated at Farnborough, the aircraft has remarkably good spinning characteristics. With the more powerful Avon the clean aircraft takes off in 1,050yd and lands from 50ft in 1,250yd. A braking parachute reduces the latter distance to 1,000yd. An absolute ceiling of 51,000ft is attainable. P. 1127 This revolutionary vertical-take-off-and-landing strike/reconnaissance aircraft will make its first appearance at Farnborough this year "if the development programme permits". It is a classic example of collaboration between an engine maker—Bristol Siddeley—and an airframe manufacturer. A lift/thrust turbofan known as the Pegasus is fitted, and its four jet nozzles are directed vertically down for vertical take-off and landing. Control is by jet-reaction units at nose, tail and wing-tips. During transition to forward flight the jet nozzles rotate rearwards and the aircraft accelerates forwards with increasing wing-lift component and decreasing engine lift component. The flying controls become effective as airspeed increases. For horizontal flight the jet nozzles are directed fully aft, and when wing-borne the aircraft flies as a conventional fighter. Hovering is made possible by the downward rotating jets, and at overload weights the P.I 127 can take off with a short forward run. The airframe is designed to withstand the heavy flight loads associated with low-altitude attacks and possesses a long structural fatigue-resistant life. By operating from small dispersed natural or semi-prepared sites, the makers say, the aircraft can provide support from close up to the battle area.
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