Lots of searching on the web cannot unearth the reasons for the choice of WG774. Both FD2s were RAE assets and the world speed record attempt was not supported by the then government. Rolls Royce were also skeptics. It was a manufacturer's project using borrowed rented RAE property with no great national effort and came as a surprise to many, perhaps an embarrassment to the establishment. Maybe as a result it never became a cherished article at the RAE, just a tool to be exploited and fate was not on the side of WG774.
Still, they were both the most elegant of aircraft once their wheels were up and had long useful lives.<br />
Last edited by Zaxis; 9th Jan 2024 at 10:34.