What if?

[Dr Jekyll]

We've had plenty of threads about British designs that could allegedly have taken over the world if given a chance. But what about foreign aircraft that the UK could have bought but didn't?
For example.
Did the RAF ever get close to ordering F14 or F15?
What about the F117?
Did they consider the C5? Or the Starlifter?
What would they have used if the Hawk hadn't been available?

[treadigraph]

How about the F-111K? Post TSR-2, 50 ordered in '67 and cancelled a year later.

[chiglet]

F100 "might" have been a good 'un
watp,iktch

[Lone Star One]

There was a Shorts design that combined the tail/wings of the Starlifter with the fuselage of the Belfast.

SC.5/40 would have used Conway turbofan engines.

Then there was the SC.5/41 which would have used "Super Conway" engines which I believe never got proceeded with the development (the engines, that is).

I think there was also one that featured a swing nose as well.

[tornadoken]

Examined twice. DoD kicked it off in 1966, when UK was doing AFVG. When Dassault killed that in June,1967 US offered licenced production, inc. sole source of bits for all. RAF and Treasury liked the idea. Denis Healey, almost solo, saw the chance to join the very embryonic FRG thoughts on New Combat Aircraft-70, which became Tornado IDS.
In 1977 UK was trying to cause Marconi-Elliott to attend to (to be Foxhunter) AI on (to be)Tornado ADV, and to work in harmony with (new) BAe. They hated each other and dragged feet. MoD noisily discussed an option for 80 F-15A in the Air Defence role. BAe. and M-E presented themselves as having resolved their differences, able to work to project benefit. Ho, hum!

[evansb]

The 1957 DOD White Paper cited costs as the primary reason for cancelling many British projects. If the RAF placed a volume order for the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, it would alleviate Britain from carrying the cost burden of developing a new mach 2 fighter/interceptor,
at the same time saving the Arrow from extinction. To sweeten the deal, a home-grown British engine could have been specified.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r68/convair640/19980616-avroarrow7b.jpg

[tornadoken]

Bristol was involved in 3 splendid might-have-beens, Brits+US to improve things.
1.1947, (Centaurus, to be followed by)Theseus turboprop L-849 big Connie. Licence presented for Cabinet approval of $, just as we stared into poverty, later devaluation. Would have aborted T.167 Brabazon and T.175 Britannia. Bristol's Board abandoned Theseus, which would have led Allison 501/T56 to market.
2. 1952, then 1954: Britannia licence to Convair, then Hughes, for TWA, with Orion (Tyne-size turboprop). Would have displaced Canadair's Wright MR and Tyne CL-44; either of these US licences would have given a scare to L.188/P-3.
3. 1959, again 1964 T.222 licenced C-130 with Tynes. Off-the-shelf was cheaper and quicker, but more poke would have given C-130H in C-130E timeframe.

[Footless Halls]

Actually what about the P51 Mustang? Brit requirement. US design. Semi-lemon until re-engined with Brit engine. In fact with Brit-designed engine built in the US.

Bit off-thread but it shows how good transatlantic hybrids can be.