johngardner.winloseordie-第5节

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he　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　sharpen　their　skills；　with　some　weapons　and　tactical　training。　That　afternoon；　Bond　had　been　first　man　awiiy　and　was　followed　by　ihe　Spanish　officer　…　a　sullen　young　man　called　Felipe　Pantano；　who　kept　very　much　to　himself…one　of　the　Royal　Navy　Lieutenants；　and　the　American。
　To　ply　with　safety　regulations；　there　was　a　predetermined　flight　path　to　and　from　the　target；　and　Bond　swept　his　Harrier　into　a　long　climbing　turn；　then　gave　her　full　throttle；　stood　the　aeroplane　on　its　tail　and。　looking　down　at　the　small　radar　screen　on　the　starboard　side　of　his　cockpit；　swept　the　skies　immediately　above　his　return　course；　to　be　certain　none　of　the　other　aircraft　had　strayed。
　The　radar　showed　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary；　so　he　dropped　the　nose　to　a　gentle　20〃　climb。　He　had　hardly　stabilised　the　Harrier　in　its　ascent　when　a　pletely　unexpected　sound　seemed　to　fill　the　cockpit。　So　surprised　was　Bond　that　it　took　at　least　two　seconds　for　him　to　realise　what　was　happening。
　As　the　sound　became　louder　in　his　ears。　Bond　woke　to　the　danger。　So　far　he　had　only　experienced　this　in　the　simulator：　the　harsh；　rasping　neep…neep…neep　quickening　all　the　time。　There　was　a　missile　locked　on　to　him　…　judging　by　its　tone；　a　Sidewinder。　Just　under　thirty　pounds　of　high…explosive　fragmentation　was　being　guided　towards　the　engine　heat　of　his　Harrier；
　Bond　had　reacted　slowly；　and　that　was　the　way　people　got　blown　out　of　the　sky。　He　pushed　the　stick　forward；　putting　the　Harrier　into　a　power　dive；　jinking　to　left　and　right；　pulling　about　seven　Gs　to　each　jink；　holding　it　for　a　second　or　two；　then　going　the　other　way。　At　the　same　lime；　he　hit　the　button　which　would　release　four　flares　to　confuse　the　missile's　heat…seeking　guidance　system；　then；　for　luck。　Followed　it　with　a　bundle　of　chaff　…radar…confusing　metal　strips；　h　was　another　safety　regulation　thai　all　aircraft　using　ihe　bombing　range　should　carry　both　flares　and　chaff；　housed　in　special　pods　…　another　lesson　of　the　Falklands　where　chaff　had　been　stuffed　in　bundles　inside　the　airbrakes。
　The　neep…neeping　was　still　there；　quickening　as　the　missile　gained　on　the　Harrier。　He　lifted　the　nose；　jinked　again　and；　at　a　thousand　feet；　performed　a　rale　five　turn；　pulling　a　lot　of　G；　then　rolling　and　putting　the　Harrier　into　a　second　dive。　His　body　felt　like　lead；　his　throat　was　dust…dry　and　the　controls　fell　stiff　as　he　pushed　（he　Harrier　to　its　limit。
　He　had　the　aircraft　right　down　almost　to　sea　level　before　the　growling　signal　suddenly　stopped。　There　was　a　flash　far　off　to　（he　starboard；　in　the　direction　of　the　target　range。　Bond　took　a　deep　breath；　lifted　the　Harrier's　nose；　reset　his　course　and　climbed　to　30；000　feet　with　the　throttle　right　forward。　As　he　went　up　so　he　switched　his　radio　to　transmit　…　'Bluebird　to　Homespun。　Some　idiot　almost　put　a　Sidewinder　up　my　six。〃　Taking　the　points　of　a　standard　clock；　'six'meant　directly　behind。
　'Say　again。　Bluebird。'
　Bond　repeated　and　Yeovilton　asked　him　to　confirm　no　damage；　which　he　did。　adding　that　it　was　more　luck　than　judgment。　Of　the　four