The British Aerospace (BAe) P.1216 project of the 1980s was a supersonic Advanced Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (ASTOVL) fighter, designed by the same team that originally designed the Harrier. It was the last major attempt at an independent British fighter aircraft project, and was developed through many versions over the course of the 1980s.
Had the P.1216 been fully developed the UK could have led a programme for an ASTOVL combat aircraft that would be in service around the world today, in place of the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The fact that it did not go ahead will have a significant impact on the aerospace industry and armed forces of the UK and other nations for many years to come.
This book tells the story of the P.1216, looking behind the political, technical and business aspects of its design and testing, using access to previously secret documents and interviews with key personnel involved in the project. It is lavishly illustrated with original technical diagrams, photographs and colour artwork.
As well as telling the story of the P.1216 it also provides a new perspective on the decades-long quest to create a supersonic ‘jump jet’; in the words of Ralph Hooper, the original designer of the Harrier, “one of the last prestigious hurdles for aviation to clear”, and a formidable challenge to this day. This book will be of great interest to all those with an interest in modern combat aircraft, the technical aspects of aerospace project design and the politics of weapon system acquisition.
