Jump Jet: The Secret History of the Harrier

Mike Pryce said:
The article is now online https://www.aerosociety.com/news/raiders-of-the-lost-archives/View attachment 794812
There was a related P1216 ASTOVL with an Olympus 593 too. It is in the printed version of the article but not online. If you want more behind the scenes jump jet stuff your best bet is my book. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468411/jump-jet-by-pryce-michael/9780241738078
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The Stiletto/Concorde fighter is nice, but the real secret projects glory is the Mach 3.5 ASTOVL, based on the SR-71, that also just happened to invent the F-16 chine/wing layout, from 1964. It was not from Lockheed. Some folks got a glimpse of it at the 2017 RAeS Sandys White Paper conference. It's in the book too.
 
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1600nm at M2.0 is quite something. Wouldn't it have suffered from the XB-70 issue where modern SAMs are simply too capable to evade kinematically? Running away from something like an SM-6 or Aster (at closer range) just isn't viable.
EDIT PS I just remembered that I suggested something that very similar to this might have happened only last month, though the context was about a decade earlier. Supercruise combined with manoeuvrability makes for an excellent UK QRA fighter.
 
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SailorBoy said:
View attachment 794872
1600nm at M2.0 is quite something. Wouldn't it have suffered from the XB-70 issue where modern SAMs are simply too capable to evade kinematically? Running away from something like an SM-6 or Aster (at closer range) just isn't viable.
EDIT PS I just remembered that I suggested something that very similar to this might have happened only last month, though the context was about a decade earlier. Supercruise combined with manoeuvrability makes for an excellent UK QRA fighter.
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XB-70 couldn't throw a 5g sustained turn at M2.0, and 'modern' in 1981 was more Ganef than Aster.
 
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Mike Pryce said:
The Stiletto/Concorde fighter is nice, but the real secret projects glory is the Mach 3.5 ASTOVL, based on the SR-71, that also just happened to invent the F-16 chine/wing layout, from 1964. It was not from Lockheed. Some folks got a glimpse of it at the 2017 RAeS Sandys White Paper conference. It's in the book too.
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Not really the history of the Harrier though, is it? Maybe a second volume 'Beyond Harrier ' would have been warranted.
 
Kiltonge said:
Not really the history of the Harrier though, is it? Maybe a second volume 'Beyond Harrier ' would have been warranted.
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It was part of the development of the Harrier. The P1154 was not the only thing cooking at that time in Kingston.

The book maps out how the Harrier developed, how it was used, and how they tried to follow it. The same people were involved over decades.
 
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What size book is “Jump Jet” going to be Mike?

I’m unfamiliar with Penguin books and need to plan the shelf space :)
 
Mike Pryce said:
XB-70 couldn't throw a 5g sustained turn at M2.0, and 'modern' in 1981 was more Ganef than Aster.
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I was thinking more about what would have happened over its lifetime if Stiletto went into service either as ATF or for the RAF. S300 and other HIMADS have been around since before the 1980s, and it was predictable that they would only get better.
I still think this is insanely cool as Typhoon crossed with Concorde, and it's sad it got no further.
 
Mike Pryce said:
My book has a cover.

www.penguin.co.uk

Jump Jet

www.penguin.co.uk www.penguin.co.uk

View attachment 799378
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I remember being just amazed at the length of time between when the manuscript of our XP-67 book was finalized and when Osprey actually published it, so this time I was a bit more prepared to wait for yours. "Released 09/07/2026" and I assume that's European standard date formatting, so 9 July 2026?
 
stever_sl said:
I remember being just amazed at the length of time between when the manuscript of our XP-67 book was finalized and when Osprey actually published it, so this time I was a bit more prepared to wait for yours. "Released 09/07/2026" and I assume that's European standard date formatting, so 9 July 2026?
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Yes. I find am told that's a really tight timeline too!
 
Amazon is quick of the mark Mike but I suppose it means that there are lot's of people out there that have pre-ordered the book already.
 

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Doing picture selection for the book this week.

Any preferences? There are some completely new projects on the list (Mach 3.5 jump jet from 1964!) but the book is mainly about the people who made them and how jump jets show the limits of digital technology.

Picture of computers are dull, and the text in the book tries to capture how designers think. So just loads of nice jump jet photos?

Also GAs or 3D line drawings for perspective?
 
Sounds highly interesting with the appendix, how many will there be? One or Two?
 
FighterJock said:
Sounds highly interesting with the appendix, how many will there be? One or Two?
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Just mention of 'an appendix' for them. Basic issue is that the 'plates' pages can be colour and have several pics per page so want to use them to nest effect.

I should emphasise this is not a normal projects book. Very much people focussed, but they created the projects too and had big fights over drawings.
 
Really looking forward to seeing and reading about anything new Mike.

Are GA line drawings easier to get included in the book than colour plate sections?

Christopher Budgen’s Hawker’s Secret Projects had a nice layout of GA amongst the text and a colour plate section. (Click on quote to see examples in original post).
SteveO said:
Got my copy. Well presented book with nice 3 views. At a glance a lot of the illustrations look similar to those in the Blue Envoy Press - Project Tech Profiles but it looks like a good read I would recommend it.
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(It was a good read too!)
 
For Paul!

www.penguin.co.nz

Jump Jet

The fascinating and unexpected story of the iconic Harrier jump jet, and the British engineer who built it
www.penguin.co.nz www.penguin.co.nz

Note: Every national version of the page seems to have different text describing it but hopefully it will all be the same book!
 
SteveO said:
Really looking forward to seeing and reading about anything new Mike.

Are GA line drawings easier to get included in the book than colour plate sections?

Christopher Budgen’s Hawker’s Secret Projects had a nice layout of GA amongst the text and a colour plate section. (Click on quote to see examples in original post).

(It was a good read too!)
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Plates are easier as it is physically a novel-like book.
 
Mike Pryce said:
Sorry for the slow reply. I assume their standard hardback size. The plan was 25 pics, but they just asked to double that to show all the new projects.
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Mike Pryce said:
Plates are easier as it is physically a novel-like book.
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That's what I had understood from this thread, Mr Pryce: that your forthcoming book is not the color-illustrated on glossy paper, large-trim-size volume that is usual for Secret Projects Forum, but rather a text like (for example) a Max Hastings or Antony Beevor work on military history, with a figures insert. This of course is welcome. I'm looking forward to reading your book when it's published. Not yet mentioned above is what I recall as the worldwide sensation for Harriers and various mini 'Harrier Carrier' designs and planned insta-carrier decked-over container ships immediately after the 1982 Falklands War victory. Even the Soviets got into the craze: as was only revealed years later, in 1983 they trialed VTOL Yak-38s from two modified Ro-Ro ships. I hope the Harriers' Falklands experience and the post-war sensation will be appropriately covered.

May I ask: is Jump Jet your first book?
 

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