The idea of a supersonic aircraft with short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities was proposed by the Special Project Group in April 1952, in the document titled ‘Proposal for a Gas Turbine Propelled Aircraft of Circular Planform’.
A second design (Project-Y July 1, 1952), was a modified variant of the Omega concept with ‘D’ shaped planform and deflector vanes replaced by two extra flaps.
The air for the engine is drawn in through two forward-facing intakes on the upper and lower surfaces of the fuselage.
The unusual landing gear consisted in a 13.7 ft long telescopic strut ended in a double tyre boggie, a tail wheel and two bumpers mounted in the tips of the fish tail. In the ground the airplane sat at a 47-degree angle on its tail, this arrangement led to the aircraft being called Praying Mantis.
Their scalloped nozzles on the airframe sides directed the jet thrust rearwards for near vertical 75-degree STOL operation, after a short run.
Two glass panels under the cockpit floor allowed the pilot to see the ground during landing.
Two wind tunnel models, including one afterburning version, were tested between December 1952 and January 1953 at the Hawker Siddeley-Woolford facilities.
Project-Y technical data
Wingspan: 22.3 ft (6.8 m), length: 29 ft (8.8 m), height: 21.2 ft (6.5 m), estimated max speed: Mach 2.25, estimated ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,817 m), estimated range: 1,000 miles (1,609 Km).
