Tethered flight test

Fixed wing scale models can be tested on a tether in a wind tunnel, simulating motion through the atmosphere.

As confidence in the aircraft's handling grew, tethered flights without the aid of its onboard auto-stabiliser system were conducted.

[8] Finally, on 19 November 1960, the first un-tethered free-flight hover of a P.1127 took place; flight testing of the type proceeded over the rest of the decade ahead of the first production aircraft being introduced to service in 1969.

[11] Prior to this, the VJ 1010's propulsion concept had been evaluated on a specially-produced test rig, often informally referred to as the Wippe (seesaw), during the early 1960s; it incorporated a rudimentary cockpit fixed upon a horizontal beam, which had a "lift" engine mounted vertically at the centre, for the purpose of performing preliminary single-axis tests of the control system.

[16] During early development work for the Ryan X-13 Vertijet, test rigs were repeatedly flown via remote control while tethered.