HARRIER: Catalyst for Change in Naval Airpower Available to Purchase

GIVEN by Dr John Fozard of British Aerospace, who was Chief Designer, Harrier, 1963–78, this paper formed part of the presentation on shipborne V/STOL aircraft held recently at the Royal Aeronautical Society. Dr Fozard reviewed the effects of Harrier jet V/STOL on an evolving world defence scene in the past 20 years. In naval aviation, the advent of the jet aircraft and swept wings forced other developments such as the angled deck and the mirror sight. Large carriers were essential with costs also very high. On the other ‘side of the fence’, jet V/STOL was just beginning with the first P 1127 making its first cautious hovers in 1960. It was developed in the next few years and made the first flight from a carrier of this kind of aircraft. Changing naval fortunes made it policy at one time that tactical air power at sea would be provided by land based aircraft. Later, this began to be overturned and studies were made of smaller carriers, thought they were called ‘through deck cruisers’ or some similar name, for a variety of reasons.