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
Maurice Brennan assistant chief engineer working with Barnes Wallis on variable-geometry aircraft projects that would eventually become the basis of the AFVG project. However, he resigned again after ten months, joining Folland in 1960, replacing Teddy Petter as director and chief engineer. By this time Folland was part of Hawker Siddley, and he was responsible for developing the two-seat Gnat T.1, various twin engined and variable wing geometry Gnat proposals and the GERM hovercraft project (Ground Effect Research Machine). In 1961 he moved to Avro (also part of Hawker Siddley) succeeding Roy Ewans as a director and chief engineer. From 1961-1969 his