On display at RAFM Cosford. This is the only one of its type that was built to test the concept of blown flaps for lower take-off and landing speeds. The aircraft contained extensive ducting and nozzles for hot gases that blew over the top of the flaps and ailerons, achieving a stall speed of 32 mph. It had instrumentation to record temperature and other flight parameters. It first flew on 26 Mar 1963 and went on to fly 100 sorties with RAE between 1963 and 1967. It went to NASA in 1969-70 for further testing. The aircraft was struck off charge in 1972 and went to the RAF Museum in 1974.

Following its last flight, the H.126 jet flap research aircraft was airlifted to California in Short Belfast XR366 for wind tunnel testing at Moffett Field. Photo from: NASA Ames

Photographer Ian Evans.

On display in the open following changes in the hangars.

An experimental aircraft built to explore low speed handling, having large volumes of the jet exhaust directed over the control surfaces. Pilots were warned not to fly below 28 knots!

An experimental aircraft built to explore low speed handling, having the jet exhaust directed over the control surfaces. Seen at RAF Cosford's Aerospace Museum

The H.126 was a simple research aircraft built to test the concept of blown flaps for improved low-speed flight characteristics. The wing struts served to feed compressed air from the Orpheus engine to the nozzles fitted along the trailing edge and on the wing tips.