Jet fighter plane landing on HMS Blake
Feb. 26 VTOL Fighter Lands in HMS Blake. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier close support jet fighter landing on the flight deck of the cruiser HMS Blake during trials over the weekend of 2nd/3rd August. These trials were the result of a directive by the Ministry of Defence for the MOD (Navy) to study the application of the Harrier for operations from ships in the mid 1970's. The aircraft was flown from Dunsfold airfield in Surrey by the Chief Test Pilot of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd. (Dunsfold), Mr. Hugh Merewether, to HMS Blake which was operating just south east of the Isle of Wight. This was the first occasion that the Harrier had landed in a Royal Naval cruiser. HMS Blake (10, 000 tons) has a flight deck 117 feet long by 56 feet at the widest point and normally carries a Squadron of four Royal Naval Wessex MK.3 helicopters. It will carry four Sea King helicopters when these aircraft come into front line service
