United Kingdom - Ireland
May 27, 1958 - Britain's First Vertical Take-off Jet Aircraft. The Short SC.1 Britain's first vertical take-off jet aircraft, during its hovering trials yesterday.The tests were carried out in a special gantry of Shorts were carried cut in a special gentry at Short Brothers and Harland's airfield at Belfast. The aircraft is seen hovering about 2 feet above the platform of the gantry Several hovering flights of this kind were made on Monday. The SC.1 is tothered by a system of cable which restrict its zone of flight and control its descent in an emergency. Later the SC.1 will cary out free hovering and vertical take-off and transition to normal forward flight. The aircraft has five Rolls Royce RB 108 jet engines. It was flown yesterday by Tom Brooke-Smith, Shot's chief test pilot who is to carry cut the whole flying programme on the aircraft
