The Harrier Jump Jet: How Cold War Anxiety Inspired a Vertical Takeoff

Thanks to Policygenius for sponsoring this video! To start comparing quotes and simplify insurance-buying, check out Policygenius: policygenius.com/megaprojects.

I’m a former harrier engineer, so watched this very excited. It got even better when I saw myself in the video.

Can we get some love for the Harrier pilot who, running low on fuel while out to at sea, landed on a cargo ship like an absolute legend!?

Sir Tom Sopwith founded Hawker who developed the Harrier (with Siddeley) and he lived to see his planes deal with the Kaiser, Adolf, Benito and Hirohito and then the Argentine Junta in 1982. What a life.

Pretty sure “how Cold War anxiety inspired a vertical takeoff” could also be used to describe Simon’s youtube trajectory

Dunsfold airfield..... Surely the test pilot was the Stig.... Some say he has more YouTube channels than Simon and that if you ask him to cover a subject... He will. All we know is that we call him the Stig

My memory of the Harrier. A display for senior military officers from many countries hosted by the Royal Navy in the late seventies. The Harrier made a fast low level approach. Dumped speed and went into a hover. Turned slowly to face the audience. Bowed . Leant back and soared nearly vertical into the clouds. And that was just the beginning of an impressive flying display.

Yeah that looks like its worth 7,000,000 Pepsi Points

Seeing an aeroplane take off and land vertically is a sight I will never get tired of... It defines cool

2:10 - Chapter 1 - S/VTOL 4:30 - Chapter 2 - NBMR-3 7:50 - Mid roll ads 9:05 - Chapter 3 - An engineering marvel 16:15 - Chapter 4 - Service 21:05 - Chapter 5 - Retirement

Worked on this plane for 18 years. Loved and hated her so much!

The Spanish Navy performed a mini tour of the British airshow circuit in 2019 and was the Harriers first time on the UK airshow scene for a decade. The pilots couldn't believe just how big it was for us to see a harrier again after so long they said it was a career highlight to bring the harrier home

Loved the Harrier. I saw them in combat a few times. The first was during the Gulf War. Long story short, we (3rd Battalion 6th Marines) were attacked by three or four Iraqi T-72s. Within minutes two Harriers streaked in and destroyed the tanks. During the air war over Kosovo I was a platoon sergeant on the USS Nassau and the embarked Harriers flew daily strikes. As a contractor I saw the Marines SPMAGTF CR use Harriers to pound ISIS. It was a great aircraft and a friend to the Marine grunt. It was always where you needed it to be.

Has anyone else noticed that since Simon started business blaze that all other vids on his other channels have now got a more causal tone with small blaze style comments which i think really improves the learning experience since it make its more entertaining to learn :)

That airfield was later used as the Top Gear test track. A Harrier flew the course in about half a minute. Compare that to Lewis Hamilton in a reasonably priced car at about one minute forty two seconds. Harrier may have been flown by The Stig. It started as an RCAF base in WWII. Canada!

I was a US Marine ('87-'92), stationed at MCAS Cherry Point NC - attached to a Harrier Support Squadron, MAG-32. We serviced 5 Harrier Squadrons in the MAG. When I first got to Cherry Pt from Basic Training at Parris Island, I was checking into my duty station and heard a very loud noise in the sky. I looked up and saw a Harrier approaching the flightline coming in for landing. I'd never seen a plane fly so SLOW, almost as if levitating. I knew it was going to be a special assignment for my time in the Marine Corps. Amazing plane and the pilots who flew it had balls of steel. In real action, they flew very fast and very low. As soon as it was off the ground from a short TO they'd put the wheels up - less than 10' - 20' in the air, wheels up. The other branches' pilots flew with the wheels down until they were well in the air. Good times, then.

One April Fools day we need a full MegaProjects about AirWolf

1:06 Holy crap, that's the Top Gear test track!

At an air show , a harrier jet stopped & hovered at about 50 foot .. probably 100 foot in front of the crowd , then slowly spun round ... even 30+ years later i can still smell & feel the wash of heat from the exhausts .. truly stunning

As an aviation buff, I love lots of aircraft, but I fell in love with the harrier after watching True Lies.