The Hawker Siddeley P.1154 was a supersonic V/STOL strike fighter designed by the same team that gave the world the successful Harrier family. The P.1154's cancellation in February 1965 had a major impact on the UK's aerospace capabilities, the echoes of which resonate even today.
In this talk, Michael Pryce will give a detailed history of the P.1154, which had progressed to the prototype construction stage before cancellation. With it's Bristol Siddeley BS.100 engine run on the test stand, thousands of workers throughout industry employed on the project, and millions of pounds spent, the P.1154 was a significant cancelled project second only in it's importance during the 1960's to the famous TSR2.
Based on extensive archive research, and interviews with those in industry, the services and government, this lecture will show the P.1154 in its rightful place in UK aerospace history. Outlining the various requirements from NATO, the RAF and the Royal Navy, to which the P.1154 was designed and the various industrial responses to them, the lecture will look at the political, technical and operational aspects of the project and their complex interactions. The true reasons for, and implications of, the projects cancellation will be highlighted.
The lecture will also seek to draw parallels between the recent SDSR, which cut the UK's Harrier and carrier fleets, to events in the 1960's. It will also place the P.1154 as part of a continium of work that led to the UK's contribution to the F-35 JSF programme.
All RAeS Lectures are free to attend and we welcome both Members and Non Members. To RSVP, please click the Register button under Key Details and log in to your profile or create a user account. Alternatively, send your name and contact details to conference@aerosociety.com to reserve your place.
LOCATION
Event venue:
Royal Aeronautical Society
Address:
No. 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7BQ