Record height

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 4, 19 January 1971, Page 2

Record height

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier Fighter has set two world records for vertical lift. A development aircraft carrying several hundred pounds of test instruments achieved a new record height of 45,800 feet after vertical take off from the Royal Armament and Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Boscome Down in Southern England, on January 5. It achieved record speeds of climb by reaching 35,000 feet from take off in 122/2 seconds and 40,000 feet in 142E2 seconds. The previous record height from vertical take off was around 30,000 feet. Three squadrons of Harrier s are already in service with the Royal Air Force in Britain and Federal Germany. Another squadron will be formed this year as the RAF takes further delivery of its total order for 77 single-seat and 13 two-seat aircraft. The U.S. Marine Corps, whose pilots who have already test-flown 350 hours in these revolutionary new jets, aims to form its first Harrier squadron in April this year. Harrier uses a single RollsRoyce jet to provide power for both lift and forward flight via swivelling thrust nozzles. It can deliver a heavy load of rockets or bombs at speeds of over 600 knots. The aircraft has a flight endurance of over seven hours with inflight refuelling and a ferry range of 2000 nautical miles.