Jump Jet

Victory in the Falklands War made the Harrier’s name as a world-beating British icon, as capable of giving the enemy a bloody nose as it was of thrilling the crowds at airshows with displays of aerial ballet. Its failure seemed inconceivable. But that’s not the real story of the Harrier. Though derided as a novelty, the Harrier’s designer, Ralph Hooper, knew that the naysayers were wrong. Hooper’s masterpiece was born of instinct and feel. Yet, in the end, neither Hooper’s genius nor American support were enough to beat the odds. This is the real story of a British flying legend, and of the man who made it.