Great British Jets

2006 · 54 min

Within ten years of the Gloster Meteor's maiden flight, Britain's first supersonic fighter jet made its maiden flight: the English Electric Lightning. In other air forces, the fighter jet underwent a gradual evolution, but the RAF immediately made a giant leap to a design that achieved Mach 2. Later, the British aircraft industry amazed the world again with the Harrier, the first operational fighter jet that could take off and land upright, providing vital services to the troops on the ground. This program explores the development of some of the most controversial fighter jet designs in British history: the Vampire, the Hunter, the Lightning and the Buccaneer. Of course, more recent successes such as the Jaguar, the Harrier and the Tornado are also discussed in detail, and the future is aptly depicted with an introduction to the brand new Eurofighter Typhoon.

Directed by Bruce Vigar