I can imagine the confusion. When the VC10 first flew in 1962 all sorts of roles were forecast for all sorts of aircraft that were just flying or entering service. As a graduate from a Vampire AFS I was allowed access to most of the technical details of the TSR2 on a course project. So much so that we travelled to Boscombe and observed one of the test flights.
In the sixties the RAF was alive with projects for new types. The 1970s fleet was already being planned for.
A year later I was buttonholed in the mess bar by an Air Commodore who was apparently in the technical branch. Surrounding him were a posse of groundocrats gloating over his every word.
"What do you think of being in a dead end job." He demanded.
Being just a Flying Officer i asked what he meant.
"Don't you know that you will be finished in a couple of years. You will be replaced by missiles"
I looked at him and his chortling disciples.
"That's fantastic" I said, " I will be able to fly around the world with a cabin full of randy hostesses.".
He seemed to lose interest.