Harrier/Hawker Siddeley factory
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Harrier/Hawker Siddeley factory
I took the chance to visit the Brooklands museum a few days ago and whilst hanging around the Wellington Hangar overheard someone say that the Harriers that were built at Hawker Siddeley's factory in Kingston were flown out to elsewhere once completed. It jogged something in my memory and remember at least one flying either in or out of the factory. Can anyone remember if this did happen and if so where did they go onto ?
SHJ
SHJ
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I thought they went by road to Dunsfold for final assembly and test flying...
Treadigraph is right so far as I know.
I remember suggesting to Robin Balmer (Aerodynamicist who later was type designer of one of the Harriers) that only a company whose main factory was without an airfield would design an aeroplane that didn't need one! I was told they had once run an engine up in the carpark and the local populace reacted in rather a hostile manner.
Even the use of St Pancras coal yard for the Paris Air Race stirred the public up a bit.
John Farley can probably tell more.
I remember suggesting to Robin Balmer (Aerodynamicist who later was type designer of one of the Harriers) that only a company whose main factory was without an airfield would design an aeroplane that didn't need one! I was told they had once run an engine up in the carpark and the local populace reacted in rather a hostile manner.
Even the use of St Pancras coal yard for the Paris Air Race stirred the public up a bit.
John Farley can probably tell more.
Last edited by Allan Lupton; 4th Sep 2013 at 13:49.
Thread Starter
Even the use of St Pancras coal yard for the Paris Air Race stirred the public up a bit.
As to the aircraft going from Kingston, I'd have concurred with the trucking them out to Dunsfold, as there was a factory/assembly line there if I recollect ?
SHJ
John Farley once told me that for a production 'first flight' they would load full fuel and do a vertical takeoff, hence they wouldn't (theoretically) need an airfield!
VTO's were not normally done with heavy fuel loads,a more normal sortie would be STO for take off and then do a VL or sometimes an RVL on return to the circuit.
Although some early Harriers may have been built entirely at Kingston and then roaded to Dunsfold for final assembly - by the time I worked at Dunsfold the (metal) Harrier wings were being built at Brough (possibly tailplane as well ? ).The fuselages being built at Kingston.
Although some early Harriers may have been built entirely at Kingston and then roaded to Dunsfold for final assembly - by the time I worked at Dunsfold the (metal) Harrier wings were being built at Brough (possibly tailplane as well ? ).The fuselages being built at Kingston.
Last edited by longer ron; 5th Sep 2013 at 20:16.
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I seem to recall many years ago seeing the occasional Harrier making ILS approaches to Gatwick then going around before returning to Dunsfold as part of their final per delivery checks.
Treadigraph is right so far as I know.
I remember suggesting to Robin Balmer (Aerodynamicist who later was type designer of one of the Harriers) that only a company whose main factory was without an airfield would design an aeroplane that didn't need one! I was told they had once run an engine up in the carpark and the local populace reacted in rather a hostile manner.
Even the use of St Pancras coal yard for the Paris Air Race stirred the public up a bit.
John Farley can probably tell more.
I remember suggesting to Robin Balmer (Aerodynamicist who later was type designer of one of the Harriers) that only a company whose main factory was without an airfield would design an aeroplane that didn't need one! I was told they had once run an engine up in the carpark and the local populace reacted in rather a hostile manner.
Even the use of St Pancras coal yard for the Paris Air Race stirred the public up a bit.
John Farley can probably tell more.
Thread Starter
That's the start of the London to New York 'race' isn't it ? I heard a radio programme a few years back and they were saying that that the RAF had done a practice run the week before, to make sure that it was possible without embarrassing hiccups.
SHJ
SHJ
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That's the start of the London to New York 'race' isn't it ?
Yes, my earlier post relied on rusty memory and I'd forgotten the New York "race" as nobody I knew was involved, unlike the earlier Paris job when one of my deH apprentice contemporaries went from Marble Arch to the aerodrome in a home-made car, was flown to Paris in a home-made aeroplane (Turbi G-AOTK) and another home-made car took him to the Arc de Triomphe.
That's the start of the London to New York 'race' isn't it ?
Yes, my earlier post relied on rusty memory and I'd forgotten the New York "race" as nobody I knew was involved, unlike the earlier Paris job when one of my deH apprentice contemporaries went from Marble Arch to the aerodrome in a home-made car, was flown to Paris in a home-made aeroplane (Turbi G-AOTK) and another home-made car took him to the Arc de Triomphe.
RAF St Pancras to a downtown Manhattan heliport (17th St?); bet the yanks were green with envy they hadn't got a fast jet that could land in Manhattan.
As an aside, (thread creep) the FAA used Phantoms operating to/from Wisley for the race and I'm told that in the absence of arrestor gear at Wisley they would slam it down so hard they invariably burst a tyre or two.
As an aside, (thread creep) the FAA used Phantoms operating to/from Wisley for the race and I'm told that in the absence of arrestor gear at Wisley they would slam it down so hard they invariably burst a tyre or two.
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Daily Mail TransAtlantic Air Race 1969
The Royal Air Force decided to use the unique Vertical Take Off and Landing capability of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.[1] The Harrier used a coal yard next to St Pancras station in London and landed on the quayside of the Bristol Basin in New York
Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
re the 1st Phantom tyre bursts at Wisley...
Good write up here about the 3 x Phantom flights - originally by a member of the Navy team...
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...ys_QBfqdT7dw1w
The arrival at Wisley was spectacular, as Doug unintentionally burst both tyres during the landing run trying to stop quickly.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...ys_QBfqdT7dw1w
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Daily Mail Trans Atlantic Air Race 1969
the FAA used Phantoms operating to/from Wisley for the race and I'm told that in the absence of arrestor gear at Wisley they would slam it down so hard they invariably burst a tyre or two.
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The Royal Air Force decided to use the unique Vertical Take Off and Landing capability of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.[1] The Harrier used a coal yard next to St Pancras station in London and landed on the quayside of the Bristol Basin in New York
Some nice footage here of the St Pancras take off (AAR a few minutes later 
) and interview with Lecky Thompson 
!
Starts at about 2.20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDQuNpOPnQ
) and interview with Lecky Thompson !Starts at about 2.20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDQuNpOPnQ