Hawker's Secret Projects: Cold War Aircraft That Never Flew

Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston was arguably the most successful and long-lasting manufacturer of military aircraft in Great Britain and Europe. In its various evolved manifestations ? Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aerospace ? its output of war winning aircraft, mainly fighters, was unsurpassed. From the Hart and Hurricane through the Hunter, Harrier and Hawk, the company consistently produced aircraft that the UK fighting services wanted. But some designs, for whatever reason, failed to reach flight or were declined by the services. With their sometimes advanced aerodynamics and technology, these aircraft could have had successful service careers but instead were abandoned, their stories failing to reach mainstream consciousness. Having not received their just dues, the present book seeks to redress this omission. The reasons for failure are many and varied, often financial or political, but in each case the reasons behind the failure of the design are examined. In a wide-ranging investigation that documents the origins of Hawker Aircraft Ltd and its famous Project Office, this work, the third in Christopher Budgen's investigation of the inner workings of Hawker Aircraft, is a fitting tribute to the many who made the company the success it was. AUTHOR: Christopher Budgen, growing up in the shadow of Hawker's Flight Test Centre at Dunsfold in Surrey, entered employment there in the 1970s, shortly after the nationalisation of the aircraft industry and the company's amalgamation into state-owned British Aerospace. During 21 years with BAe, Chris worked on Hunter and Hawk as well as many Harrier and Sea Harrier Projects. Chris's previous books detailing Hawker history ? Hawker's Secret Cold War Airfield and Hawker's Early Jets ? are now followed by this work. As an archivist for some years at Brooklands Museum, and specializing in Hawker Aircraft Ltd and successor companies, Chris is well placed to bring to light the previously unrecorded detail of Hawker's fascinating history. 100 b/w illustrations