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G-AMSV Returns to Coventry

An old friend returned to Coventry yesterday when G-AMSV, in her striking Indian Air force livery, landed here for extensive maintenance by our engineers. Sierra Victor was part of the Air Altantique fleet here for many years. She'll...

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Baginton Air Pageant

The initial details for the Baginton Air Pageant are up on the website! As we don't have the space for a full-on air show attracting 20,000 or so people, we're aiming for low-key, themed days like this. A couple of thousand people,...

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Newquay Pleasure flights

We promised we'd be back to fly in Cornwall, and here we are. We'll be heading south with a Rapide and Chipmunk to spend a week at Newquay from 25th July, with a further visit planned in August. The flights are bookable in the normal...

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New Dakota Book

Geoff Jones just told me that his new book on the DC-3, released to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dak's appearance, is now available. The cover sports a lovely shot of G-ANAF, shot by Simon Westwood before her radome goiter was...

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Nimrod Engine Run

We've just confirmed plans by NPT to run all four of the Nimrod's Rolls-Royce Speys on Saturday 9th May. We expect the thunder to start just after lunchtime. Come along and enjoy some audio power - and please dip into your pockets...

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Hawker Harrier - the ultimate fighting machine
XV753
Status: Static display
Owned by: Royal Navy
Current location: Newquay
Available for pleasure flights: No

No one could call her pretty. Hunched, stoop-shouldered, and covered in nozzles, slots and protuberances, the Harrier shows a brutish, angry aspect that contrasts sharply with the elegance of the Meteor or Hunter. It’s Quasimodo crouched next to Audrey Hepburn. But looks weren’t high on the design team’s priority list when they conceived what just might be the greatest multi-role combat aircraft of all time.

Our Twin Pioneer is famous for its ability to operate from a short runway. The Harrier doesn’t need any runway at all. None. It could take off and land on your drive. And, like your car, it could even reverse in and out. This strange bird can even fly backwards. The secret is in those large vents you see in the fuselage. They can be rotated through more than 900 to vector the engine’s thrust and send the aircraft in almost any direction. Further vents in the wingtips, nose and tail provide lateral and fore-and-aft control to create an aircraft that can fly up, down, sideways or back under complete control.