Full of Fight

The squat, angular jet looks ugly as a beetle with quadruple goiters, but airmen on both sides of the Atlantic were studying its unusual shape last week with unusual interest. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara's announcement that the U.S. will contribute some $35 million toward further development of Britain's P-1127 airplane made it clear that the odd craft is well in front in the race to develop a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) plane.

Under hurry-up development by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. since 1959, the P-1127 has convinced Pentagon authorities that it is two years ahead of U.S. rivals. It is built around the Bristol Siddeley BS-53 Pegasus, a remarkable jet engine that discharges large volumes of comparatively slow-speed air through four swiveling nozzles that can point either front, back or down. When the VTOL is ready for vertical takeoff, the pilot points all the nozzles down, revs the engine, and the plane rises straight up on an even keel. When sufficiently clear of the ground, the pilot turns the nozzles gradually rearward and accelerates smoothly into normal forward flight. The P-1127, which made its full flight test last fall, can land on a runway like an ordinary airplane or ease itself to the ground like a helicopter--supported by its four down-pointing nozzles. While it is hovering, four small air jets directed downward from the nose, tail and the wing tips give accurate control. Pilots of standard jets have little trouble with the P-1127; most learn to fly it in less than an hour.

The present P-1127 model is a small fighter plane that can carry weapons of moderate weight only. An improved model will be assigned to interception of enemy aircraft and to tactical duty with NATO and U.S. ground forces. But there seems to be no reason why it could not be stepped up in size. Big-brother VTOLs carrying Skybolt air-to-ground ballistic missiles (TIME, April 27) could be securely hidden on small fields in such small, crowded countries as England or The Netherlands. Taking off from any road or cow pasture, most of them would be full of fight after the most searching surprise attack.

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