the first V/STOL aircraft in production (vertical/short take off and landing)

below the awkwardly shaped USAF x-13 and lockheed-XFV-1, the U.S.’s attempt at the V/STOL

you don’t have to be a military guru to appreciate the harrier. all you need is some heart for engineering, design and problem solving. the small and originally considered, “silly-looking” harrier was developed to operate from ad-hoc facilities such as car parks or forest clearings, avoiding the need for large runways and bases that are generally vulnerable to air or missile strikes. later the design was adapted for use from aircraft carriers and the harrier found its place not only in the british RAF but also in the nato, U.S., spain, thailand and others. this documentary shows a bit of its history and its quite fascinating. by dd