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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 0067.PDF
International, II January 1968 69 rcraft which, with its hover manoeuvres, >ver fails to astound. Some only-just- "bsonic flypasts were made. The display was followed by a very ersuasive presentation by Mr A. W. Jill) Bedford who, since his recent tirement from leading the flight ;velopment of the Harrier, has been spounding its merits to various defence affs in the UK, the Americas and in urope. The traffic lights were turning reen for go for V/STOL, said Mr edford. The Middle East war had been ie major turning point, in showing the ulnerability of conventional fighters and oncrete runways to surprise attack. The ussian air show at Domodedovo, when arious experimental supersonic STOL ircraft with lift engines and two xamples of a pure V/STOL vectored- irust aircraft similar to the Harrier were isplayed, has also stimulated renewed iterest in the concept. Recalling the success of the Hunter— ver 2,000 sold to 14 air forces—Mr edford said that given half a chance he Harrier would prove to be another lunter. What other aircraft, he asked, imultaneously offered so much to rmies, air forces, navies, marines and esearch units? Development Harriers ave operated off five ships—even from le 50ft X 100ft helicopter platform of he Italian cruiser Andria Doha, and mval interest in the Harrier was intense, fter this and the Eilat incident. Quoting n un-named admiral, he said that ships without airpower were "as vulnerable as (rigitte Bardot below deck." Some 40 pilots had flown the 22 nodels of the P.I 127, Kestrel and larrier produced to date, said Mr tedford, and had made over 10,000 lift- ffs and landings. US pilots flying kestrels at Edwards AFB had, un- fficiaJly, broken the world's time-to- 0,000ft record with this relatively low- owered development version. Though een to try it officially, they had been cnied DoD backing for an attempt to ireak a world record with a British air- Centra/ feature of this near-definitive cockpit layout, in pre-production Harrier XV 279, is the Ferranti navjattack system moving-map display. Above this is the Elliott head-up display unit "Flight" photographs Above, a range of stores which can be carried by the Harrier, which will have a weapons-lift of 5,0001b when it enters RAF squadron service next year. This is expected to increase with routine development, below, seven Harriers were arranged in the static display, one of them the first—and still unpainted—production machine, and another under camouflage nets supported by Alvis Stalwart vehicles in a simulated forward battle-area ed on one Harrier was this ventral recce pod, tanked by two Aden 30mm gun-packs. Two lOOgal tanks "id two SNEB training pods occupied the underwing tot/ons
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