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The world's first jump jet: How we got the legendary Harrier II

The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel was the aviation world's first jump jet, a Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (or V/STOL) aircraft, a milestone in aviation history. Originally known as the P.1127, it was later renamed the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel. Its evolution led to the British Aerospace Harrier and ultimately the McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier II. No Runways After the Korean War, interest in V/STOL aircraft was high. Military planners and aircraft manufacturers believed the concept would eliminate the need for runways, which were vulnerable to air-launched runway denial munitions, as well as cannon and mortar fire. Designers began to research ways for military aircraft to take off vertically from small patches of open space. The Pegasus Engine The Pegasus vectored-thrust engine is the heart of the Kestrel/Harrier aircraft. The Pegasus moniker came from Bristol's tradition of naming their engines after classic mythology figures. Its original design and theory behind the vectored-thrust engine came from Michel Wibault, a French aviation designer. His design called for four harnessed rotatable jets, two of which were positioned on either side of the compressor for vertical lift, along with a main jet which was directed using a fixed central tailpipe. Development of the engine and aircraft began in 1957. Sir Stanley Hooker of the Bristol Aero Engine Company, along with Sir Sydney Camm and Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aircraft, started exploring ways to increase power while reducing the size and weight of the engine. By 1959, a working engine was ready for testing, but the thrust of the original engine was only 11,000 pounds instead of the promised 13,500 pounds. First Flight In October 1960, initial flights of the prototype were conducted with the aircraft tethered to the ground. This testing allowed the pilots to familiarize themselves with the hovering controls. In November 1960, the first untethered flights began, and by September 1961, the transition from vertical to horizontal flight was achieved. Summer In Paris In June 1963, the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 made its debut at the Paris Air Show. While it performed well for most of the demonstration, the landing didn't go well, as viewers watched the aircraft perform a 360-degree turn and then lose power, resulting in a hard landing that destroyed the undercarriage. Dreihundert Zwei! In 1965, a Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES) was formed at West Raynham, Norfolk, England, comprising top pilots from the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United States of America. This team would conduct trials of the Kestrel FGA.1 for their respective air forces. West Germany sent Luftwaffe Col. Gerhard Barkhorn as their representative. Barkhorn, who gained notoriety for destroying a total of 301 aircraft during World War II, was testing one of the Kestrels on Oct. 13, 1965. As he was hovering, about to land, he cut the throttle approximately one meter above the ground. The Kestrel dropped like a stone, destroying the landing gear. Barkhorn climbed out of the cockpit and, while examining the damage, exclaimed, 'Driehundert Zwei!' German for '302.' Coming to America Following a meeting and a rumored unauthorized test flight between two Marine Corps pilots and representatives from Hawker Siddeley at the 1968 Farnborough Air Show, the Marine Corps decided it wanted the Harrier for close air support and carrier operations. As Hawker Siddeley produced the Harrier, an arrangement had to be made with the U.S. defense contractor McDonnell-Douglas to produce this foreign-made aircraft. Between 1971 and 1976, the Marine Corps procured 102 AV-8A Harriers and 8 TAV-8A two-seat training aircraft. Off To War In 1980, British Aerospace delivered the first of 57 FRS.1 Sea Harriers (also known as the 'Shar') to the Royal Navy. They proved their worth just two years later in 1982, when the United Kingdom went to war in the Falklands. Operating from carriers in the war zone off the coast of Argentina, they provided air defense for the British Task Force. They shot down 20 Argentinian aircraft with the loss of just two Harriers. AV-8B Harrier II In December 1983, the Marine Corps received its first upgraded Harrier II. This version was an extensive redesign of the AV-8A Harrier. The Harrier II was upgraded with a larger composite wing, an additional hardpoint on each side, an elevated cockpit, and an upgraded version of the Pegasus engine, producing 23,500 pounds of thrust. The Legacy The Harrier was an outstanding weapons system that served for decades through war and peace, but Father Time comes for everything sooner or later. By 2027, the last of the Marine Corps Harriers will be retired, and the squadrons will transition to the new kid in town: the Lockheed F-35B Lightning II. 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