#42, Harrier: Won a War by Taking Off From Parking Lots
In the 1982 Falklands War, 28 Royal Navy Sea Harriers faced over 200 Argentine aircraft, and scored 20 confirmed aerial victories without losing a single Harrier in air-to-air combat. A perfect 20:0 record. Using the revolutionary technique of "viffing", vectoring in forward flight, Sea Harrier pilots could decelerate abruptly in a dogfight, causing pursuing Mirages and Daggers to overshoot. No conventional fighter could replicate this maneuver.
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the world's first operational VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) fixed-wing combat aircraft. Its Pegasus vectored-thrust engine allowed it to operate from small clearings, roads, and austere forward bases, no runway required. The U.S. Marine Corps adopted the AV-8B Harrier II and operated it from amphibious assault ships for decades. Although the F-35B has now taken over the VTOL mission, the Harrier proved that vertical takeoff jets could be effective in real combat, not just on paper. The Falklands record alone makes it one of the most remarkable military aircraft ever deployed.
