the-BA : Vertical take off

The Harrier “jump jet” – a British-designed aeroplane – was the only fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically when it was first manufactured back in the 1960s. Since then it’s been through many modifications and is now widely used by the military. Harriers can fly at 660mph, which is more than three-times faster than a Formula One racing car. Yet speed is actually its weakness! The vertical take-off ability is the selling point, making them ideal for ground attack in close support of troops, as well as being able to take-off and land easily, even on rough airstrips.

Have you ever wondered how the Harrier takes off vertically?

You might like to …

• construct an air blower to test how materials perform in a vertical airstream
• investigate the effects, for example, stability, of changing the material or changing the shape on the performance of materials in a vertical airstream
• use a model of a wing to investigate drag, thrust, lift
• find out why vertical take off (VTO) is not used for commercial aircraft
• compare the characteristics of a Chinook helicopter with an ordinary one.

Further links:
http://www.nrich.maths.org.uk/askedNRICH/edited/559.html

www.harrier.org.uk

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