The Kestrel.

[Load Toad]

LiveLeak.com - Jumping Jets

[ExRAFRadar]

Wat that moustache at 1:14 standard RAF issue

[Load Toad]

Actually I meant to post in Aviation History & Nostalgia - can a Mod transfer it over...?

[SirToppamHat]

Load Toad

You can just delete the original post and the whole thread will vanish, then re-post as you intended. Not sure anyone minds it being here though - I wouldn't have seen it otherwise!

STH

[BOAC]

Terrific footage. The Tri-partites certainly did a great job. Some of the pad work after 6:50 looked potentially exciting - evidence of the odd bit of 'market gardening' around the pad.:)

NB Putting the smoke flare directly UPWIND of the pad:)

[Whenurhappy]

Great film, but I'm not sure in these more sensitive days that the MOD would be happy showing drinking and smoking in uniform!

Which airfield was the Sqn based at?

[Wander00]

I am getting message "video not found" - is it still there?

[clicker]

Worked OK with me just a few minutes ago.

[BOAC]

Which airfield was the Sqn based at? - West Raynham I recall.

EDIT: Courtesy of Google and Harrier.org:

"The first of the Tripartite evaluation aircraft flew in March 1964, the others following along at regular intervals until the last flew in March 1965. Initially these aircraft were known as P.1127s but in November 1964 they were given the name Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA Mk.1. Not only did the Kestrel have many of the limitations of the P.1127 removed, it was also, like the earlier aircraft, fully stressed for combat operations, with provision for extra pylons and equipment, such as a Doppler navigator and auto-stabiliser - in fact, it was essentially the aircraft the RAF would have received had they pursued GOR345. However, as money was limited for the trials, this equipment was never fitted. The Tripartite programme involved pilots from the RAF, Luftwaffe, and three US services - Army, Navy and Air Force. Training on the Kestrel began at Dunsfold in the latter part of 1964, with the Tripartite squadron officially forming at RAF West Raynham on 1 April 1965. The objective of these trials was to establish the ground-rules for the operation of jet V/STOL fighters. This meant that emphasis was placed on operating techniques such as short take-off, dispersed site operations and concealment, rather than on flying attack missions. Although such sorties were simulated, no weapons were ever carried by Kestrels. In total 1,367 sorties were flown during the trials, which lasted until 30 November 1965. A huge amount was learnt about operations in the field, including the effects of hot gas re-ingestion, ground erosion and ways to alleviate both effects."

[Milo Minderbinder]

"and three US services - Army, Navy and Air Force"

No Marines. Ironic really

[India Four Two]

Load Toad,

Great find. Thanks.


Milo,

I think whoever wrote that was lumping the USMC in with the USN!

Lt Col Lou Solt USMC

[barnstormer1968]

The USMC did not take part in the evaluation, so it was very ironic as per above.

[smujsmith]

Smashing history,

For what it's worth, and probably totally irrelevant, I was a member of 214 Entry, Craft Apprentices, RAF Halton. As an Airframe trainee, I was in Kestrel Flight. Our block was straight accross the road from 2 Wing NAAFI. Sorry chaps, I thought the fact that in 1969 Halton was acknowledging this aircrafts contribution was worth a mention. Happy daze:eek:

Smudge

[[email protected]]

Just remind me why we got rid of the Harrier again.....................:ugh:

[reynoldsno1]

I remember visiting Boscombe Down in c 1964 as an ATC cadet. Saw the Kestrel then, and the TSR2s as they were being taken apart .... :{

[BEagle]

I'm sure I remember a Kestrel (not a Harrier) being involved in some tests on Cranwell North aerodrome in about 1973?

if I recall correctly, it had large external spoilers fitted and was doing some form of ground bearing strength testing, involving charging up and down the grass at various weights.

[X767]

A lot of the off-airfield work was done at RAF Bircham Newton, and some of the pilots lived in the married quarters there.

[ORAC]

http://www.wingweb.co.uk/wingweb/img/500-Hawker_Siddeley_P1127_NASA.jpg

http://www.johnweeks.com/airmuseum/airpowerpark/pics/app_kestrel.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Hawker_Siddeley_XV-6A_Kestrel_USAF.jpg/800px-Hawker_Siddeley_XV-6A_Kestrel_USAF.jpg

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1069421M.jpg

Hawker Siddeley P.1127 in flight at NASA Langley 1968

Hawker Siddeley P.1127 (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_P.1127)

The Kestrel's first flight was on 7 March 1964. These equipped the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron formed at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk in March 1965.[16] The Evaluation pilots developed a typical sortie routine for the Kestrel of conducting short take-offs (STO) and returning to base on vertical landings.[17] This manner of operation (STOVL) was judged to be the optimal practice.[18] Operating from rough airstrips was also trialled at nearby RAF Bircham Newton, where the aircraft proved adept at traversing boggy ground and taking off from a variety of temporary ground coverings.[19] During testing one aircraft was lost;[15] the evaluations were finalised in November 1965.[20]

Six of the eight surviving evaluation aircraft (the three allocated to the U.S. plus those allocated to Germany) were transferred to the U.S.[15] for evaluation by the Army, Air Force, and Navy as the XV-6A Kestrel. After Tri-Service evaluation they were passed to the USAF for further evaluation at Edwards Air Force Base, except for two that were assigned to NASA.[21] One of the two remaining British-based Kestrels was attached to the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) at RAE Bedford and the other, XS693, went to Blackburn for modification to take the uprated Pegasus 6 engine.[22]

....Experience gained during naval testing on board the commando carrier HMS Bulwark in 1966 convinced project officers that less reactive materials would be substituted for all uses of magnesium in the Kestrel's airframe, in any further prototypes and production aircraft.[24]

[Dan Winterland]

One was dinged by Colonel Gerhard Barkhorn of the Luftwaffe. He mentioned afterwards that it should be added to the tally of other RAF aircraft he had damaged between 1939 and 1945!

[xv281]

Anybody out there worked on or has any information to share on xv281 pre production Harrier

[m5dnd]

XV281,

I have all the info you require..

I will phone tomorrow..


Great Video by the way Load Toad..

[bvcu]

worked a bit on XV281 whilst it was on A sqn at Boscombe about 1979 i think. didnt it do a time to height record just before it left boscombe ?

[gr4techie]

In the video where Kestrel is doing some fantastic stuff, one thing thats strikes me is the lack of payload. No armament and I wonder what the weight of the fuel is?

Kind of pointless hiding it in a forrest if the opposition has IR.

[sharpend]

Saw my old boss, Fred Trowern towards the end. Not sure where he is now.

[Load Toad]

gr4techie - this was like 1960 frozen to death trials....cut a little slack and imagine 'as it was..'.

[Waddo Liney]

If anyone is still reading this thread...I served on the Tripartite Kestrel Evaluation Squadron at West Raynham as a member of the ground crew and recently published a book of my recollections. The title is 'Kestrel Squadron'. E-book and paperback versions can be found on a well-know website that begins with the letter "A".

[LOMCEVAK]

bvcu,

XV281 did indeed get the jet V/STOL class time to altitude record (not sure which altitude) and the absolute altitude record for the class (about 51 000 ft from memory). Bernie Scott was the pilot. It must have been about 1988.