按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
tain RN and returned to active service forthwith。
3
Reflections in a Harrier
The Sea Harrier taxied to the foot of the so…called ski ramp … a wide metal hill； sweeping upwards at 12° … and the nose…wheel rolled into perfect alignment with the dark painted strip that was the centreline。
The legendary V'STOL （Vertical'Short Take…Off & Landing） pronounced 'Veestol' … aircraft responded to the tiny throttle movement and climbed so that the entire fuselage became positioned into ihe upward configuration。
Bond went through the take…off checks for the last time： brakes on； flaps OUT。 ASI （Air Speed Indicator） 'bug' to lift…off speed。 The aircraft was alive； trembling to the idling of the Rolls…Royce （Bristol） Pegasus 104 turbofan which could generate an impressive 21；500 pounds of thrust。
On the Sea Harrier the thrust is channelled through two engine propulsion nozzles； set at port and starboard； capable of being rotated； from the aft horizontal position； through some 98。5°。 This is the Harrier's great advantage over conventional fixed…wing aircraft； for the jet nozzles allow vertical lift plus horizontal flight； together with all the other variables in between。 such as hover and backward flight。
Bond's hand moved to the nozzle lever； and he glanced down to confirm that it was set to short take…off position at the 50° stop mark。 He lifted his right hand into the clear thumbs…up position； which would be seen by the deck control handling officer in his 'bubble' on the starboard side； and who Bond； strapped into the cockpit and angled towards a squally grey sky。 could not see。 At the same moment he heard the mander （Air） give him the 'Go' … 'Bluebird cleared for take…off。'
Bond opened the throttle to 55 per cent RPM； released the brakes； then slammed the throttle hard into fully…open。 The Pegasus engine roared behind him； and he could feel himself pushed back against the padded metal seat as though a pair of giant hands were pressing his chest and face。
The Sea Harrier rocketed from the ramp； and as it did so； Bond flipped the gear into the 'up' position； hardly noticing the whine and thump as the wheels came up into their housings； for in the first fifteen seconds or so of the ramp take…off Ihe Harrier was not actually flying； but was shot； ballistically； into a high。 fast trajectory。 Only when the ASI 'bug' flashed and beeped did Bond set the nozzles to horizontal flight； and click flaps to IN。 The head…up…display （HUD） showed that he was climbing at an angle of almost 60° at a speed in excess of 640 knots。
If the take…off had been from a carrier； or similar ship； the sea would lie directly below； but this。 Bond's firsl real take…off from the ski…ramp； was from the Royal Naval Air Station。 Yeovilton in Somerset； among some of the Wesi Country's most beautiful landscapes。 Not that he had any view of the ground now。 for his Harrier had shot above ihc mile…high doudbase and was still climbing as he set course for the bombing range in the Irish Sea； not far from the Isle of Man。
Though this was his first real ski…run take…off； Bond had already done it a couple of dozen times on the simulator。 He was now into Ihe third week of his Harrier conversion course； and eight months into his return to active duly with the Royal Navy。
His promotion to Captain was a quantum leap； as it is for any Naval officer。 Not that the new rank had made much difference over the past months。 On all the courses Bond had taken； rank was well…nigh forgotten； and a Captain under inslruction rated ai about the same level as a Sub…Lieutenant。
Since starting the courses； he had studied the new advanced strategies of naval warfare which seemed to aller at alarming speed； another course on munications； a third on ciphers and an important fourth concerning advanced weaponry； including hands…on experience with the latest 3…D radar。 Sea Darts and SAM missiles； together with new electronic weapons control systems operating the American Phalanx and Goalkeeper CIWS … Close In Weapon Systems： 'sea…whizz' as they are known …which have now bee standard following the horrifying lessons learned during the Falklands Campaign。
Bond had always kepi up his Hying hours and instrument ratings； on jets and helicopters； in order to remain qualified as a naval pilot； but he had now reached the final and most testing course … conversion to the Sea Harrier。
After some twenty hours in Yeovilton in the flight simulator； he had flown Harriers in normal configuration of rolling take…offs and landings。 The ski…jump take…off marked the beginning of the air bat and tactical weapons course。 The whole thing appealed mightily to Bond； who revelled in learning and honing new skills。 In any case； the Sea Harrier was a wonderful machine to fly： exciting and very different。
He now checked the HUD which showed him on course and cruising at around 6（10 knots along the military airway。 Glancing down at the HDD … the Head…Down…Display … he could see the visual map。 the magic eye which gives the modern pilot a ground map view even through the thickest and most murky cloud。 He was crossing the coast； just above Southport on the north…wesi seaboard； right on a heading for the bombing range。 Now he would require total concentration as he lowered the Harrier's nose towards the peaceful cloudscape below； the horizontal bars on the HUD sliding upwards to show he had the aircraft in a ten degree dive。 Down the left hand side of the HUD he watched the speed begin to increase and blipped his airbrakes open for a second to control the dive。 The altitude figures streamed down the left hand edge of the HUD showing a steady decrease in height … 30。001） 。。。 25 。。。 20 。。。 15 。。。 By now he was in cloud； still going fast； his eyes flicking between airspeed； altitude； and the HDD； while his feet on the rudder bars made slight corrections。
He broke cloud at 3。000 feet and clicked on the air…to…ground sights； thumbing down on the button which would arm the pair of 500…pound cluster…bombs which hung； one under each wing。
Below； the sea slashed by as he held an altitude of around 500 feet。 Far ahead he glimpsed the first anchored marker Hashing to lead him onto the bombing range where a series of similar markers were set in a diamond shape； which was the target。
It came up very fast and the HUD flashed the IN RANGE signal almost before it had registered from Bond's eyes to his brain。 Instinctively he triggered the bombs and pulled up into a 30° climb； pushing the throttle fully open and pulling a hard 5G turn left； then right； so that his body felt like lead for a second before he turned； at speed； but more gently； to see the cluster…bombs explode from their small parachutes directly across the diamond of buoys。
〃Don't hang about；' the young mander had told them in ihe briefing room。 〃There are four of you at five…minute intervals； so just do the job。 then get out fast。'
Altogether； there were eight naval pilots on the conversion course： three more Royal Navy men； a US Marine Corps pilot on liaison； two Indian Navy pilots and one from the Spanish Navy。 All but Bond had already done several hours on Harriers with their home units and were at Yeovilton to sharp