Royce, Henry: partnership with Charles Rolls, ref1
de Rozier, Jean-François Pilâtre: role in first successful vertical-take off (1783), ref1
Rumsfeld, Donald: US Special Envoy to Middle East, ref1
Russian Empire: October Revolution (1917), ref1
Russian Federation: ref1
Rwanda: ref1
Ryan Aeronautical Company: ref1; X-13 Vertijet, ref2; XV-5 Vertifan, ref3
Saab Group: Gripen, ref1
Salmon, Herman: test pilot for Lockheed XFV, ref1
Samarangana Sutradhara: depictions of vimana in, ref1
Sandys, Duncan: ref1; Defence: Outline of Future Policy, ref2, ref3; implication in Headless Man Affair (1963), ref4; Secretary of State for Defence, ref5
Sankoh, Foday Saybana: leader of RUF, ref1
Saudi Arabia: ref1; Khafji, ref2
Schofield, Squadron Leader Jim: ref1; background of, ref2
Schwarzkopf, General Norman: ref1
Scorpions: activity during Bosnian War (1992–5), ref1; members of, ref2
Scrimgeour, Wing Commander David: background of, ref1; leader of TES, ref2; post to Nellis Air Force Base, ref3
Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80): ref1
Second Congo War (1998–2003): belligerents of, ref1
Second World War (1939–45): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17; aircraft flown during, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21; Battle of Britain (1940), ref22, ref23; belligerents of, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29; casualty figures of, ref30; Dunkirk Evacuation (1940), ref31; economic impact of, ref32; Invasion of Yugoslavia (1941), ref33; munitions used in, ref34; Pearl Harbor Attack (1941), ref35; Yalta Conference (1945), ref36
Senegal: Dakar, ref1
SEPECAT: Jaguar, ref1, ref2
Serbia: ref1, ref2, ref3; Belgrade, ref4; military of, ref5
Shastry, Pandit Subbaraya: ref1
Shepherd, R T.: pilot for free test flight of TMR (1954), ref1
Short, Lt. Gen. Michael C.: ref1; Allied Air Force Commander, ref2
Short Brothers of Belfast: ref1; personnel of, ref2; SC.1, ref3, ref4; XG905, ref5
short take-off and landing (STOL): ref1, ref2, ref3
Sicily: ref1
Siebert, Oberleutnant Lothar: ref1
Sierra Leone: ref1; Civil War (1991–2002), ref2; Freetown, ref3; military of, ref4; natural resources of, ref5; Operation Palliser (2000), ref6
Simpson, Duncan: background of, ref1
Singapore: ref1, ref2, ref3
Sinitsyn, Andrei: Chief Test Pilot of Yakovlev, ref1
Six-Day War (1967): belligerents of, ref1
Smith, Ian: ref1; Unilateral Declaration of Independence (1965), ref2
Smiths Industries: Spectro Division, ref1
Smyth, Group Captain Harv: ref1, ref2, ref3; squadrons led by, ref4
SNECMA: Atar 101 E.5V, ref1; C.450–01 Coléoptère, ref2; modification of JFT10, ref3
Solomon, King: ref1
Somalia: Civil War (1991–), ref1
Sopwith Aircraft Company: aircraft designed by, ref1, ref2; Camel, ref3, ref4; facilities of, ref5; personnel of, ref6, ref7, ref8; Pups, ref9, ref10
Sopwith Tabloid: victory at Schneider Trophy (1914), ref1
South Africa: Cape Town, ref1; navy of, ref2
South Korea: ref1
Soviet Union (USSR): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5; Air Force, ref6, ref7; collapse of (1991), ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11; H-bomb test (1961), ref12; Invasion of Afghanistan (1979–89), ref13, ref14, ref15; military aid provided by, ref16; Moscow, ref17, ref18; navy of, ref19, ref20, ref21; territorial influence of, ref22, ref23
SPAD: S.VII, ref1; S.XIII, ref2
Spain: ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4; Cadiz, ref5, ref6; economy of, ref7; government of, ref8, ref9; Naval Air Arm, ref10; navy of, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15
Squire, Air Chief Marshal Frank: family of, ref1
Squire, Wing Commander Peter: ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5; family of, ref6
Sri Lanka (Ceylon): ref1
Stack, John: ref1
Stalin, Josef: ref1, ref2; blockading of Berlin (1948), ref3; presence at Yalta Conference (1945), ref4
Steinhoff, Johannes: ref1
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): ref1
Strategic Defence and Security Review (2010): ref1; provisions of, ref2
Strategic Defence and Security Review (2015): ref1
Sudan: ref1
Suharto: defence policies of, ref1
Sukhoi OKB: Su-7, ref1
Supermarine: Scimitar, ref1; Spitfire, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Switzerland: ref1
Syria: ref1
Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance Mach 2 (TSR-2): cancellation of, ref1, ref2, ref3
Taliban: ref1; ideology of, ref2; insurgency activity of, ref3, ref4; regime of (1996–2001), ref5
Talpade, Bapuji: vimana constructed by, ref1
Tank, Kurt: aircraft designs of, ref1; background of, ref2
Taylor, Charles: leader of National Patriotic Front of Liberia, ref1
Taylor, Lt. Commander Doug: background of, ref1
Taylor, Lt. Nick: ref1
Thailand: navy of, ref1, ref2
Thatcher, Margaret: ref1, ref2; defence policies of, ref3; economic policies of, ref4; electoral victory of (1983), ref5; foreign policy of, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Third Reich (1933–45): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5; Emergency Fight Programme (1944), ref6; Luftwaffe, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11; Odessa, ref12; Reich Air Ministry, ref13; Schutzstaffel (SS), ref14, ref15, ref16
Thomas, Lt. Steve: ref1, ref2
Thompson, Brigadier Julian: ref1
Thompson, James C.: ‘How Could Vietnam Happen? An Autopsy’ (1968), ref1
Thompson, Tom: ref1, ref2
Thorneycoft, Peter: ref1; British Minister for Aviation, ref2
Timerman, Hector Marcos: background of, ref1; family of, ref2; Argentinian Minister of Foreign Relations, ref3
Timerman, Jacobo: family of, ref1; torture of, ref2
Timor-Leste: restoration of (2002), ref1
Tittle, Bob: death of (1971), ref1
Tomlinson, Graham: ref1
Transatlantic Air Race: participants in, ref1, ref2; use of Harriers in, ref3, ref4
Transport Trust: personnel of, ref1, ref2
Tremeling, Lt. Commander Paul: ref1
Trenchard, Hugh: ref1
Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES): ref1; creation of (1963), ref2, ref3; members of, ref4; use of Hawker Kestrel FGA.1, ref5
Trotter, Captain John: founder of Army Prayer Union, ref1
Truman, Harry S.: ref1
Tupolev: Tu-16, ref1; Tu-95 Bear, ref2
Turkey: ref1, ref2
United Arab Emirates (UAE): ref1
United Arab Republic (UAR): members of, ref1
United Kingdom (UK): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9; Board of Trade, ref10; Bristol, ref11; government of, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16; House of Commons, ref17; Industrial Revolution, ref18; London, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34; military of, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39; Ministry of Aviation, ref40; Ministry of Defence (MoD), ref41, ref42, ref43, ref44, ref45; Parliament, ref46; Portsmouth, ref47; RAF Bircham Newton, ref48; RAF Coningsby, ref49; RAF Cottesmore, ref50, ref51, ref52, ref53, ref54; RAF Cranwell, ref55; RAF Fairford, ref56; RAF Farnborough, ref57; RAF Laarbruch, ref58; RAF Lossiemouth, ref59; RAF Marham, ref60; RAF Martlesham Heath, ref61; RAF Scampton, ref62; RAF Tangmere, ref63; RAF Waddington, ref64; RAF West Raynham, ref65; RAF St Pancras, ref66, ref67; RAF Wildenrath, ref68, ref69; RAF Wittering, ref70, ref71, ref72, ref73, ref74; RN
AS Brawdy, ref75; RNAS Yeovilton, ref76, ref77, ref78; Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), ref79, ref80, ref81, ref82, ref83, ref84, ref85; Royal Marines, ref86, ref87, ref88; Rutland, ref89; Southampton, ref90; Special Air Service (SAS), ref91; Stanford Battle Area, ref92; Three Day Week (1974), ref93; Westminster, ref94, ref95; Whitehall, ref96, ref97; Winter of Discontent (1978–9), ref98
United Nations (UN): ref1, ref2, ref3; Peacekeepers, ref4
United States of America (USA): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13; 9/11 Attacks, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17; Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, ref18; Air Force (USAF), ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30; Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), ref31, ref32; Congress, ref33; Department of Defense, ref34; Edwards Air Force Base, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38; Fort Worth, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42; government of, ref43, ref44; Marine Corps (USMC), ref45, ref46, ref47, ref48, ref49, ref50, ref51, ref52, ref53, ref54, ref55, ref56, ref57, ref58, ref59, ref60, ref61, ref62, ref63, ref64; military of, ref65, ref66, ref67, ref68, ref69, ref70; Naval Air System Command, ref71; Navy, ref72, ref73, ref74, ref75, ref76, ref77, ref78, ref79, ref80, ref81, ref82, ref83, ref84, ref85, ref86, ref87; Nellis Air Force Base, ref88; New York, ref89, ref90, ref91, ref92; Pentagon, ref93, ref94, ref95; State Department, ref96; US Naval Academy, ref97; War of Independence (1775–83), ref98; Washington DC, ref99, ref100, ref101, ref102, ref103, ref104, ref105, ref106, ref107
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV): ref1, ref2
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV): examples of, ref1
US Bell Boeing V-22A Osprey: development of, ref1
US Common Affordable Lightweight Project: production of F-35B Lighting, ref1
US Government Accountability Report (2012): findings of, ref1
Van Sickle, Captain Michael R.: death of (1992), ref1; family of, ref2
Van Sickle, Robert: family of, ref1
Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW): VFW-Fokker VAK-191B, ref1
vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) flight: ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4; evolution of design of, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10; supersonic, ref11, ref12
vertical take-off and landing (VTOL): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15; early examples of, ref16, ref17, ref18; evolution in design of, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24; supersonic, ref25, ref26, ref27; US navy demand for (1948), ref28
Vickers Armstrong: ref1; role in development of TSR-2, ref2; role in formation of British Aircraft Corporation (1960), ref3; VC-10, ref4
Vickers Limited: Vimy, ref1
Vietnam: Chinese Invasion of (1979), ref1
Vietnam War (1955–75): ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4; belligerents of, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8; Fall of Saigon (1975), ref9, ref10, ref11; munitions used in, ref12; political impact of, ref13
vimana: fictional depictions of, ref1
Vision Systems International: ref1
Vosper Thornycroft: ref1
Vought: F-8 Crusader, ref1
Wales, Prince Harry: military service of, ref1
Wallis, Barnes: inventor of ‘Dambusters’ bomb, ref1
Ward, Commander Nigel: vessels commanded by, ref1
Ward, Commander ‘Sharkey’: ref1, ref2, ref3; background of, ref4; family of, ref5; Sea Harrier over the Falklands, ref6, ref7
Ward, Lt. Commander Kris: family of, ref1
Warsaw Pact: ref1, ref2, ref3; dissolution of, ref4, ref5; formation of (1955), ref6
Washington, George: ref1
Waterfall, Group Captain Gary: 80 final station commander of RAF Cottesmore, ref1; pilot of ZG506, ref2, ref3
Wespe: ref1
West Side Boyz (West Side Niggaz): ref1
Westland Helicopters: Apache, ref1; WS-61 Sea King, ref2
White Eagles: activity during Bosnian War (1992–5), ref1; members of, ref2
Wibault, Michel: background of, ref1; role in development of V/STOL/VTOL, ref2, ref3
Williams, Air Vice Marshal Graham: role in delivery of Harrier into service, ref1
Williams, Ron: ref1
Wilson, Harold: administration of, ref1, ref2, ref3; cancellation of P.1154 (1965), ref4; defence policies of, ref5, ref6; electoral victory of (1964), ref7
Wilson, Joanna: role in Warton incident (1996), ref1
Wilson, Peter ‘Wizzer’: ref1
Withers, Flight Lt. Martin: ref1
Woodward, Vice Admiral ‘Sandy’: ref1, ref2, ref3
Wright Brothers: Flyer, ref1
Yakovlev Design Bureau: partnership with Lockheed Martin, ref1; personnel of, ref2; Yak-41, ref3; Yak-141, ref4
Yakovlev, Alexander Sergeyevich: aircraft designs of, ref1
Yazidi: ref1
Yeager, Chuck: ref1
Yeltsin, Boris: President of Russian Federation, ref1
Yemen: Aden, ref1
Yugoslavia: ref1, ref2; Axis Invasion of (1941), ref3
Zelter, Angie: role in Warton incident (1996), ref1
Zeppelins: military use of, ref1
von Zeppelin, Ferdinand: designer of Luftschiff Zeppelin 1, ref1
Zimbabwe: Harare, ref1; role in Second Congo War (1998–2003), ref2
John ‘Jack’ Frost, a former de Havilland supersonic research engineer, developed this jet-powered VTOL ‘flying saucer’ for Avro Canada in the 1950s. The Frisbee-like VZ-9 Avrocar was no rival for Hawker’s P.1127; it looked the part, but was limited by a top speed of 35 mph – above which it became unstable – and never flew more than three feet above the ground.
First flown in 1954, the Convair XFY Pogo was a prototype turboprop VTOL fighter for the US Navy; it was to have been carried on board warships. But it required the skills of test pilots at all times – it was notably hard to land – while its performance, although spirited, was no match for a new generation of Mach 2 jet fighters.
The Ryan X-13 Vertijet pushing away from its launch trailer at Fort Edwards Air Force base, California, before performing a Rolls-Royce Avon-assisted vertical take-off. This delta-wing VTOL fighter was originally designed to operate from US Navy submarines; its slow and complex, if balletic, take-off and landing procedure, and its limited performance, made it redundant even before its maiden flight in December 1955.
The bug-like Short SC.1, of which two were built, was Britain’s first fixed-wing VTOL aircraft. Unveiled in 1958, it was used for research into the transition from vertical to forward flight, and vice versa. It was a great help to the Hawker team while developing the Harrier. Never intended for active service, it was a complex machine powered by five Rolls-Royce 108 turbojets. The SC.1 was retired in 1971.
It was the development of light, powerful and reliable Roll-Royce turbojets that made the single-engine P.1127 possible, and the Harrier a success. The wartime team in charge of developing the Rolls-Royce Welland, Britain’s first production jet engine, were led by Frank Whittle (centre), the Rover engineer John Herriot (left) and Stanley Hooker (right), who went on to design the Harrier’s Pegasus engine.
Bill Bedford (above left), a former Second World War RAF fighter pilot, was Hawker-Siddeley’s chief test pilot from 1956 to 1967; he was first to fly the P.1127, the Kestrel and the Harrier. From model aircraft and gliders, Sydney Camm (above right) progressed to take charge of the design of Hawker’s magnificent, and beautiful, Fury, Hurricane, Tempest and Hunter fighters as well as the P.1127/Kestrel/Harrier.
Tethered to the ground, XP831, the prototype Hawker P.1127, made its first tentative, hovering flight at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey, on 21 October 1960 with Bill Bedford at the controls. Within a month, the tethers were unloosed and the aircraft flew freely. Despite a crash at the Paris Air Show in 1963, XP831 survived and is on display today at London’s Science Museum.
Bill Bedford made the first fixed-wing VTOL flights, with XP831, from the deck of an aircraft carrier – HMS Ark Royal – off the English coast at Portland, Dorset, on 8 February 1963. Representatives of fore
ign navies were on board the carrier to watch the exercise, while the Pathe newsreel team was there to record an event that was quickly publicized around the world.
The nine FGA.1 Kestrels, a more powerful development of the P.1127, equipped the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron formed in 1965 at RAF West Raynham, Norfolk, from a team of British, US and West German fighter pilots including the former Messerschmitt Bf 109 ace, Gerhard Barkhorn. Six of the aircraft were shipped to the US after completion of rigorous trials, two serving with NASA.
Flight Lieutenant Tom Lecky-Thompson brings his brand-new GR.1 Harrier, XV741, down to land, victoriously, from New York at RAF St Pancras – a coal yard in Somers Town alongside the magnificent Victorian Gothic London railway terminus – at the end of the May 1969 Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race. The Harrier had entered service with the RAF the previous month.
Designed under the direction of Ralph Hooper, the Hawker Siddeley P.1154 was to have been a supersonic V/STOL fighter for service with the RAF and the Royal Navy. It would have been a highly able aircraft, but differences in views between the two services combined with financial cutbacks by an incoming Labour government elected in 1964 put an end to the project.
The Soviet Navy’s Yakovlev Yak-38 was a VTOL interceptor operating, from 1976, from the decks of new Kiev-class aircraft carriers. Based in part on the P.1154, the Yak was equipped, however, with three engines, two for take-off and landing, and, one – vectorable – for forward flight. The aircraft was badly affected by hot and humid conditions, and its payload was often too little for effective combat.