The Harrier was the world’s first operational fixed-wing vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) combat aircraft. The Harrier family started with the Hawker P.1127, which was the brainchild of three of Britain’s top aviation engineers, Sir Sydney Camm, and Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aviation and Stanley Hooker of the Bristol Engine Company.
During the mid-1950s, the idea of vertical take-off fixed-wing aircraft had begun to be investigated, principally in Germany and the United States of America. In Britain, Rolls Royce had been working on lift engine concepts which used up to eight engines to enable an aircraft to take-off vertically. Prototypes were ordered by the British Government, and both Avro and Shorts were given contracts to prove the theory. Meanwhile, in France, aircraft designer Michel Wibault was designing a V/STOL aircraft that he envisioned would use four centrifugal blowers placed around the aircraft’s centre of gravity. During 1955 and 1956, Wibault approached both the French and US Governments with his ideas, but neither showed any interest. The Bristol Engine Company came to hear about Wibault’s ideas and following a meeting with Bristol’s Technical Director, Stanley Hooker, Bristols decided to begin a serious study into the concept. Hooker soon became convinced that the idea had potential and the engine could be developed.
In early 1957, Hawker Aircraft began working on their P.1121 project for a single-seat fighter-bomber aircraft, but in April of that year, Duncan Sandys the British Minister of Defence, announced that most future fighter and bomber aircraft development would be cancelled in favour of guided missiles. This wasn’t a popular decision for the British aviation industry, and Hawkers in particular. However, undeterred Sir Sydney Camm and Ralph Hooper began working with Stanley Hooker on a new V/STOL design using Bristol’s revolutionary new engine, the Pegasus. The new aircraft was known as the P.1127, and work began on building two prototypes at Kingston in 1959. The completed airframes were then moved to Hawker’s test facility at Dunsfold, where they were prepared for flight testing. On 21st October, 1960, Bill Bedford, famously with his right leg in plaster following a car accident, completed a series of tethered flights. The tethers were found to be too restrictive, and they were removed on the 11th November and free hovers commenced. Following the successes of the development programme a further four P.1127s were ordered in late 1960.
Development continued both at Hawkers and at Bristols. On the 16th January 1963, Britain, Germany and the United States of America placed a contract for nine development P.1127s with costs being divided equally. The nine aircraft were delivered between March 1964 and March 1965 and formed the Tripartite squadron at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk. In November 1964 Hawker’s renamed the P.1127, the Kestrel FGA Mk.1. A production order was received from the Royal Air Force in 1966 and the Kestrel became the Harrier. The first production Harrier flew for the first time on 28th December 1967 and entered squadron service on 1st April 1969.
Since these early experimental days the Harrier has been extensively developed on both sides of the Atlantic.
