APPENDIX III – MILESTONES

1957	March: Ralph Hooper produced the first three-view drawing of a project designated P.1127.
1957	June: Pressure from Hawker Aircraft led to the novel idea of a ‘four-poster’ thrust and lift from two pairs of nozzles gauged together.
1959	March: In the continued absence of official interest, Hawker Siddeley (HS) took the decision to commit funds to the manufacture of two prototype P.1127s.
1959	April: Bristol Aero Engines, pioneers of the Pegasus engine, merged with Armstrong Siddeley Motors to form Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd (BSEL). BSEL became part of Rolls-Royce in 1966.
1960	18 January: Wind tunnel tests for the P.1127 began at Langley.
1960	June: The Ministry of Supply provided financial support for two P.1127s (XP831 and 836).
1960	15 July: Maiden flight of the first prototype P.1127, XP831.
1960	21 October: P.1127 XP831 made first tethered hover at Dunsfold. Its Pegasus 2 engine delivered 11,000lb thrust.
1960	3–19 November: XP831 made twenty-one tethered flights.
1960	19 November: XP831 made its first free hover.
1960	December: Ministry of Supply funded four additional P.1127 development aircraft.
1961	The new British Ministry of Aviation and the Federal German Government agreed to the joint development of a lightweight VTOL strike aircraft, on the basis of the P.1127.
1961	13 March: Bill Bedford made the first conventional take-off of P.1127 XP831.
1961	12 September: XP831 completed acceleration and deceleration tests and made the first full transition from forward flight to hover.
1961	20 September: XP831 made the first transition from hover to forward flight, and back to hover.
1961	12 December: XP836 reached Mach 1.2 in shallow dive, becoming the first V/STOL aircraft to fly supersonically.
1962	10 January: Hawker Siddeley’s supersonic V/STOL design, P.1154, submitted to NATO staff in Paris.
1962	21 May: Under Ministry of Aviation contract FGA.236, nine further development aircraft, named Kestrel FGA1s, were ordered for a Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES).
1963	8 February: First V/STOL landing aboard HMS Ark Royal in Lyme Bay by Bill Bedford with XP831.
1964	7 March: Maiden flight of the first Kestrel FGA1, XS688, with a 15,500lb st Pegasus 5 engine.
1964	15 October: Nine Kestrels formed the TES at Dunsfold.
1965	2 February: P.1154(RAF) supersonic V/STOL programme was cancelled by the UK Government.
1965	April: The TES moved to RAF West Raynham and began operational evaluation.
1966	March: Sydney Camm died on the golf course and so, like Mitchell with his Spitfire, did not live to see the P.1127 reach maturity.
1966	Six XV-6A Kestrels were shipped to the USA for V/STOL research.
1966	31 August: The first P.1127(RAF), XV276, was flown by Bill Bedford.
1967	28 December: Duncan Simpson flew XV738, the first production Harrier GR1.
1969	24 April: First flight of the two-seat Harrier T2 (XW174).
1969	May: The Harrier Conversion Team started training RAF instructors at Dunsfold.
1969	4–11 May: Harriers took part in the Daily Mail Atlantic Air Race (top of GPO Tower in London to top of Empire State Building in New York).
1969	1 July: No. 1(F) Squadron at RAF Wittering replaced its Hunters with the Harrier GR1.
1970	25 July: The first Harrier T2 was accepted by the Harrier Conversion Unit (HCU) at RAF Wittering.
1970	1 October: The HCU was renamed No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit.
1970	20 November: The first USMC AV-8A (158384) was handed over at Dunsfold.
1971	16 September: First flight of Harrier Mk 52 G-VTOL (BAe two-seat demonstrator), the first two-seater with the Pegasus 102 engine.
1972	1 January: The Harrier Wing at RAF Wildenrath (on the German/Dutch frontier) was declared operational.
1972	November: Hawkers received a contract for the Sea Harrier design study and development cost plan.
1975	15 May: The Defence Minister suddenly announced that the Royal Navy was to acquire twenty-four Sea Harriers, to operate from three new ‘through-deck cruisers’.
1976	25 February: First AV-8S delivered to the Spanish Navy.
1977	5 August: First Harrier ski-jump launch at RAE Bedford.
1978	20 August: First flight of XZ450, the first Sea Harrier FRS1.
1978	13 November: The first Sea Harrier carrier landing, on HMS Hermes (XZ450 flown by a BAe test pilot).
1979	May: Maiden flight of the first American AV-8C at St Louis, Missouri.
1979	19 September: The Intensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU), 700A NAS, was commissioned at RNAS Yeovilton.
1979	24 October: First sea detachment for 700A NAS on board HMS Hermes.
1979	December: Indian Navy ordered six single-seat Sea Harrier FRS51s and two Harrier T60 trainers.
1980	23 April: 800 NAS commissioned as the first Sea Harrier operational squadron.
1981	January: 800 NAS embarked on HMS Invincible for the first time.
1981	26 February: First flight of the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II at St Louis.
1981	24 August: Agreement announced covering the joint manufacture of AV-8B/Harrier GR5 for the USMC and RAF respectively.
1982	13 July: UK Government ordered an additional fourteen Sea Harrier FRS1s to replace aircraft lost during the Falklands conflict.
1983	27 January: First Sea Harrier FRS51 (IN601) was handed over to the Indian Navy.
1983	21 September: 899 NAS received its first Harrier T4N at RNAS Yeovilton.
1983	20 December: First Indian Sea Harrier (IN605) landed aboard INS Vikrant (ex-HMS Hercules).
1984	16 January: The USMC accepted the first of 328 AV-8B Harrier IIs into service.
1985	February: UK Government announced the Sea Harriers’ Mid-Life Update (MLU) programme.
1985	30 April: First Harrier GR5 (DB-1), ZD318, made its maiden flight at Dunsfold.
1986	21 October: First USMC TAV-8B two-seat trainer made its initial flight at St Louis.
1987	1 July: First Harrier GR5 handed over to the RAF.
1988	19 April: The MOD placed an order worth £350 million for thirty-four more Harrier GR7s for the RAF, which brought the number ordered to ninety-six.
1988	19 September: The Sea Harrier FRS2 prototype, ZA195, made its first flight.
1988	7 December: The MOD placed a contract to convert the remaining fleet of Sea Harrier FRS1s to FRS2s, beginning in October 1990.
1989	29 November: Maiden flight of the Harrier GR7 night-attack aircraft.
1990	28 February: It was announced that the RAF was to receive fourteen new Harrier T10 training aircraft.
1990	24 May: Sea Harrier FRS2 XZ439 flew for the first time with its Blue Vixen radar switched on.
1990	July: First new production GR7 delivered to the MOD(PE).
1990	12 September: First delivery of a production Harrier GR7 to the RAF at Gütersloh, Germany.
1990	September: First AMRAAM weapon release trials from a Sea Harrier FRS2 successfully carried out.
1990	September: The first night-time FLIR trials carried out by a Harrier GR7 from A&AEE Boscombe Down.
1990	2 October: First ski-jump take-off by a Sea Harrier FRS2, at RNAS Yeovilton.
1990	November: MOD awarded BAe contract to upgrade fifty-eight Harrier GR5s to GR7s.
1991	January: Eighty-six USMC AV-8Bs operated in the Gulf theatre of operations during Operation Desert Storm, flying from Saudi Arabia and forward bases.
1991	21 June: The first production Sea Harrier FRS2, XZ497, made its maiden flight after conversion.
1991	23 August: The Italian Navy received its first Harriers, two Harrier TAV-8Bs.
1992	2 June: The last new-build Harrier GR7, ZG862, was delivered to the RAF.
1992	1 September: No. 233 OCU at RAF Wittering became No. 20 (Reserve) Squadron.
1993	2 April: The Royal Navy received its first Sea Harrier FRS2 (ZE695) at the Operational Evaluation Unit.
1995	20 October: ZH796, the first new-build Sea Harrier FA2, was handed over to the Royal Navy. The designation FRS2 had been changed to FA2.
1998	February: A BL755 cluster bomb dropped by a Harrier for the first time, during Exercise Hammer Fist, at the USMC base at Yuma, Arizona.
1998	24 December: Last new-build Sea Harrier FA2 (ZH813) delivered to the Royal Navy.
1999	January: Additional GR7s sent to the RAF detachment at Gioia del Colle in Italy to stand by for action over Kosovo.
1999	March: NATO raids on Yugoslavia made by No. 1 Sqadron Harrier GR7s using Paveway II 1,000lb laser-guided bombs.
1999	April: GR7s of No. 4 Squadron in Germany relocated to RAF Cottesmore as part of the Harrier force reorganisation.
2000	1 April: Joint Force Harrier (JFH) established.
2000	June: No. 1 Sqadron moved to RAF Cottesmore.
2000	November: The first upgraded Pegasus 107 engines, to improve the performance of the GR7, handed over by Rolls-Royce.
2002	February: MOD announced that Joint Force Harrier would move to an all-Harrier GR7/GR9 force by 2007, to maximise investment in one aircraft type.
2002	20 September: The first Harrier GR7A, with upgraded Pegasus 107, was flown. Thirty GR7s were fitted with the ‘big engine’ and became GR7As.
2003	30 May: First flight of the Harrier GR9 development aircraft.
2004	January: Newly upgraded GR7As went to sea for the first time, aboard HMS Invincible.
2004	31 March: 800 Naval Air Squadron decommissioned at RNAS Yeovilton.
2004	24 September: Six GR7As of No. 2 Sqadron left Cottesmore for Kandahar, Afghanistan – the first major operational test for the GR7A.
2005	January: The MOD launched a new aircraft support programme for its Joint Force Harrier fleet at RAF Cottesmore.
2005	May: The Harrier GR9’s Enhanced Paveway IV integration programme began.
2005	May: A full-size replica of HMS Ark Royal’s Harrier ramp was built at RAF Wittering to enable pilots to simulate deck take-offs.
2005	May: RAF Harrier GR7As in Afghanistan were in action for the first time against Taleban forces.
2005	October: Rolls-Royce ended Pegasus engine production at its Patchway, Bristol factory. The last new engine produced was a Mk 107 for the GR7A/GR9A programme.
2005	October: The first Harrier GR9 (ZG859) to emerge from the upgrade programme at RAF Cottesmore began flight testing.
2005	November: The JFH received its first upgraded Harrier GR9 from BAE Systems’ Warton facility.
2006	March: No. 3 Squadron disbanded at RAF Cottesmore.
2006	9 March: The last tactical training mission was flown by the Sea Harrier FA2.
2006	28 March: The Sea Harrier FA2 was formally withdrawn from service at Yeovilton.
2006	1 April: No. 800 Squadron re-formed at RAF Cottesmore with Harrier GR7As.