Re: Is their hardware history better or worse than their software history?
The US gave us money to develop the P.1127/Kestrel/Harrier under the guise of Mutual Weapons Development so, among other things, Bristol only had to cover 25% of the cost of engine development.
Plus the idea was part French.
Overall it's all so complex
http://www.airvectors.net/avav8_1.html