Originally Posted by
effortless
Why was the Pegasus chosen for the harrier? Is it a stupid question to ask if an Avon wasn’t more reliable? Forgive the naivite of the question.
Effortless, in very simple terms the Avon did not have enough thrust for a Harrier sized aircraft and being a turbojet was not the right “type” of thrust. The Pegasus being a turbofan moves massive amounts of air at a relatively modest velocity compared to a turbojet. A turbojet moves a smaller amount of air at a tremendous velocity. A turbofan is better for a hovering jet.