Why the first vertical takeoff jet pilot skipped conventional flight entirely

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When legendary engineer Sydney Camm was asked if he would test his new P.1127 jet with conventional flight first, his response was blunt: 'What for?' This audacious approach, skipping traditional runways for a vertical start, birthed the revolutionary technology that eventually led to the iconic Harrier fighter-bomber.

The Hawker P.1127 was a high-stakes experiment in vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) technology. Development began in 1957, driven by the Bristol Engine Company's work on the Pegasus engine—a directable fan jet using rotatable nozzles for both hot and cold exhaust. While the project aimed to meet NATO requirements for a light tactical support fighter, it faced significant political and financial hurdles. The UK's 1957 Defence White Paper had shifted focus toward missiles, leading to the cancellation of Hawker's P.1121 fighter, which ultimately freed the resources necessary to pursue the P.1127.

The engineering was as much about managing physics as it was about propulsion. Because there was no airflow over the ailerons or rudder during a stationary hover, engineers had to develop a reaction control system using wingtip jets. Testing was notoriously difficult; the first three aircraft crashed during the program, including a high-profile accident at the 1963 Paris Air Show caused by a single speck of dirt in the nozzle control motor. Despite these setbacks, the aircraft achieved both vertical take-off and horizontal flight by the end of 1960.

The P.1127's legacy is found in its successors. The Kestrel FGA.1, an improved version with swept wings and more powerful engines, was evaluated by a tri-partite squadron from the UK, US, and West Germany. Following the 1965 cancellation of the supersonic P.1154, the P.1127 was ordered into production and officially renamed the Harrier in 1967. This lineage transformed a risky experimental design into a versatile combat aircraft capable of operating without vulnerable runways.

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