I worked on those in the early 70's at Hawker Siddeley Aviation at Ham Common, Kingston Upon Thames, and also at Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/8164493.stm

I have a friend who flies one of those for the US Marines.
He loves that bird!

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PEACE or Pistols...Yer Choice ;-}

I have a friend who flies one of those for the US Marines.
He loves that bird!

I'm sure He does and I'm sure there's one place on Earth that doesn't like them very much. They may not be really fast, But can they out turn other aircraft? Yep, Speed isn't everything, Lock the sidewinder on target and the other guy may as well eject or that pilot may as well be fried. :D

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An anniversary worth remembering.

The original design team designed, built and tested the prototypes all inside 18 months. Now we take years.

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Go away, I was asleep

.......and I'm sure there's one place on Earth that doesn't like them very much.

Like where ? Argentina perhaps :-)



Bill

.......and I'm sure there's one place on Earth that doesn't like them very much.

Like where? Argentina perhaps :-)



Bill

We have a winner, yep, I don't know If Argentina will ever get over being defeated(I hope they do, The people of the Falklands don't want to be a part of Argentina, Now or ever), Of course once the old Baltimore class light cruiser(the Belgrano) was sent to Davy Jones locker by a RN Nuclear Sub, They'd really lost and just didn't know It yet.

The General Belgrano didn't stand a chance and didn't belong out there, Not without better technology at least.

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An anniversary worth remembering.

The original design team designed, built and tested the prototypes all inside 18 months. Now we take years.

The original protype was the P1127 Kestrel. There was a later supersonic version the P1154 which never made it into production because of lack of government funding. Later variants were the sea harrier and the USA Marine Corp AV8B

My son works on Harrier and Tornado.

Its actually one Tornado that lives at the Falklands, he had to go down there once to put it away in boxes and assemble an overhauled one.

My son works on Harrier and Tornado.

Its actually one Tornado that lives at the Falklands, he had to go down there once to put it away in boxes and assemble an overhauled one.

They used to build the Harrier at Kingston, then take the wings off and put the fuselage with the wings either side lengthwise on a long low loader, and drive each one to Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. There they would re-assemble the aircraft and flight test it, before delivery.

While I was there from '72-'75 they also had a Hawker Hunter refurbishment programme running, those were another classic aircraft. What I remember most was the new Hawk jet which the red arrows now use. I can recall watching the wings and tails being fatigue tested on big hydraulic test rigs in the R&D block.

My main claim to fame is that I designed the ground restraining gear for the static engine tests at Dunsfold for the Hawk. The tethered aircraft exhausted into a bellmouthed silencing trumpet, and the tail lifted 12-15" at full throttle, which had to be allowed for.

My son works on Harrier and Tornado.

Its actually one Tornado that lives at the Falklands, he had to go down there once to put it away in boxes and assemble an overhauled one.

They used to build the Harrier at Kingston, then take the wings off and put the fuselage with the wings either side lengthwise on a long low loader, and drive each one to Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. There they would re-assemble the aircraft and flight test it, before delivery.

While I was there from '72-'75 they also had a Hawker Hunter refurbishment programme running, those were another classic aircraft. What I remember most was the new Hawk jet which the red arrows now use. I can recall watching the wings and tails being fatigue tested on big hydraulic test rigs in the R&D block.

My main claim to fame is that I designed the ground restraining gear for the static engine tests at Dunsfold for the Hawk. The tethered aircraft exhausted into a bellmouthed silencing trumpet, and the tail lifted 12-15" at full throttle, which had to be allowed for.

At a Farnborough Air Show I was helping to take a communications missile to its container right next to the runway. I was as close to the runway as you could get and right there ready for take off was not one, but two Harriers. The side trusters on both swiveled and they took off together almost vertically. Awesome!

Not my claim to fame, but my flight in a Chinook might be.

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