UK Aerospace Looks to The Future

Britain Looks To The 1990s

The British aircraft industry is thinking now in terms of the 1990s, never mind the 1980s: that is the lesson I learned from a series of talks with industry people in London during a recent visit. They are taking the long-term view and not concentrating wholly on making bits of other people’s aircraft, as one would think from some of the stories written over past years.

I think a very good example of the British attitude is the industry outlook on the replacement of the Jaguar and the Harrier in the last years of this century. British Aerospace people told me they were all out to get an agreement with the Germans about a new fighter and to get going on the new project.

But I also found the situation has changed. Instead of go­ ing for one aircraft to fill the two roles, the Royal Air Force is now thinking of two. This change is due considerably to the chasm in Luftwaffe/RAF thinking. The West Germans simply do not like the idea of STOL or VTOL fighters. STOL/VTOL/Fighter are three incompatible words, in the German view. The RAF loves the Harrier and see descendants going down into the 21st century.

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