The British Aerospace EAP (Experimental Aircraft Programme) was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace (BAe) as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.
The EAP first flew on August 8, 1986, and made its public debut at the Farnborough Air Show later that year. It was powered by two Turbo-Union RB199 engines and had a maximum speed of Mach 1.4. The aircraft was made of carbon fiber composites and titanium, and featured a number of innovative technologies, including fly-by-wire controls, relaxed static stability, and an advanced radar system.
The EAP flew for over 200 hours and helped to validate many of the technologies that would later be used on the Eurofighter Typhoon. It was retired in 1991, but its legacy lives on in the Typhoon, which is one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world.
It is now on display at RAF Cosford, and here are more photographs.
