Dunsfold declared inactive in 1946 but was used again in 1948 and 1949 as part of the Berlin Airlift. In 1950 The Hawker Aircraft Company acquired the lease of the site. In October 1960 the then Hawker Siddeley flight tested its Hawker P.1127 prototype, the development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first VTOL jet fighter bomber. Final assembly of the Harrier and the Hawk trainer aircraft was at Dunsfold. Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in 1977. On 2 July 1986 British Aerospace's deputy chief test pilot Jim Hawkins was killed at Dunsfold when his developmental
Hawker Beechcraft to the bankruptcy court to sell off 20 Hawker 4000s, comprising 13 finished new 4000s, three being built and four used aircraft, at heavily discounted prices to raise money for the company. Existing owners of the aircraft type objected, indicating that this move would greatly devalue their assets. Bankruptcy judge Stuart Bernstein rejected the sale, stating that Hawker Beechcraft had not made a case for the discounted sale being necessary. On December 11, 2012 the judge reversed the order and permitted the sale of the 20 aircraft to proceed, requiring that each sale be reported to the court. In early