Hawker Siddeley P.1127

Hawker Siddeley P.1127
Country	UK
Type	Experimental V/STOL aircraft
First flight	19 November 1960 (P.1127) – 7 March 1964 (Kestrel)
Built	6 P.1127s – 9 Kestrels

The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 are the experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) jet fighter-bomber. P.1127 development began in 1957, taking advantage of the Bristol Engine Company’s choice to invest in the creation of the Pegasus vectored-thrust engine. Testing began in July 1960 and by the end of the year the aircraft had achieved both vertical take-off and horizontal flight.

Source: Hawker Siddeley P.1127 on Wiki

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel Walk Around
Photographer	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	Virginia Air & Space Center, Hampton, VA
Photos	106

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 01

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 02

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 03

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 04

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 05

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 06

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 07

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 08

Hawker XV-6A Kestrel 09

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Hawker Siddeley P.1127 Harrier Walk Around
Photographer	Burhand Donke
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	21

Hawker P.1127 Walk Around
Photographer	Meindert de Vreeze
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	41

Development and the Tripartite Evaluation

The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel was an experimental V/STOL (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft developed in the early 1960s as a follow-up to the P.1127. It served as a critical technology demonstrator for the “vectored thrust” concept. In 1964, a unique “Tripartite Evaluation Squadron” was formed, consisting of pilots and ground crews from the UK, the United States, and West Germany. This joint team spent a year proving that a jet fighter could operate from unprepared fields, forest clearings, and small ship decks, effectively laying the operational groundwork for the future Harrier.

Attribute	Standard Specification (Kestrel FGA.1 / XV-6A)
Role	V/STOL Evaluation Aircraft
Crew	1 (Pilot)
Powerplant	1 x Bristol Siddeley Pegasus 5 (15,200 lbf thrust)
Maximum Speed	1,142 km/h (710 mph) / Mach 0.92 at sea level
Length	12.95 meters (42 ft 6 in)
Wingspan	6.99 meters (22 ft 11 in)
Maximum Weight	7,030 kg (15,500 lb)
First Flight	March 7, 1964

The Pegasus Engine and Vectored Thrust

Single-Engine Solution: Unlike other VTOL designs that used multiple “lift engines,” the Kestrel used one Pegasus turbofan with four rotating nozzles to direct all thrust for both hover and forward flight.
Reaction Control System: Because aerodynamic surfaces (flaps/rudders) don’t work in a hover, the Kestrel used “puffer” jets at the nose, tail, and wingtips, fed by engine bleed air, to maintain balance.
Landing Gear: It featured a unique “zero-track” bicycle landing gear—two main wheels in tandem under the fuselage and small outrigger wheels on the wingtips for stability.
VIFF Capability: During testing, pilots discovered they could “Vector In Forward Flight” (VIFF), rotating the nozzles during air combat to decelerate rapidly or turn tighter than conventional aircraft.

Transition to the United States

The XV-6A Designation: After the tripartite trials ended in 1965, six of the aircraft were shipped to the US for further testing by the Army, Navy, and Air Force, receiving the American designation XV-6A.
Marine Corps Interest: While the US Air Force and Army eventually passed on the design, the US Marine Corps was so impressed by the XV-6A trials that they pushed for the acquisition of its successor, the AV-8A Harrier.
Preservation: Several Kestrels survive today, most notably at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona.