best machine the RAF never had
A million years ago in a galaxy far, far away, when Phoon was still "Eurofighter 2000" and in trouble at many levels, there was a plot to gap-fill A2A with recently modded and lightly used F-16A ADFs - to be followed by co-development of the delta-wing F-16 variant with the diverterless inlet and LO nozzle. It had gas for days and carried all weapons conformally or semi-conformally. BAE Systems were not happy bunnies, the USAF wanted to be all-stealth (how''s that working out for ya?), and the upper Pentagon levels saw it as a threat to the nascent JAST, later JSF. The avionics ended up in the Block 60.
Most of military aviation history would have been rewritten if the Avro Arrow had continued. Its potential was greater than Lightning, better than the Phantom, and a competitor for TSR2.
Given the basic aircraft, its developments and offshoots could easily have been 'the' aircraft which the RAF didn't have, nor many other airforces, but all wished that they did have the Arrow or its descendants.
Given the basic aircraft, its developments and offshoots could easily have been 'the' aircraft which the RAF didn't have, nor many other airforces, but all wished that they did have the Arrow or its descendants.
Most of military aviation history would have been rewritten if the Avro Arrow had continued. Its potential was greater than Lightning, better than the Phantom, and a competitor for TSR2.
Given the basic aircraft, its developments and offshoots could easily have been 'the' aircraft which the RAF didn't have, nor many other airforces, but all wished that they did have the Arrow or its descendants.
Given the basic aircraft, its developments and offshoots could easily have been 'the' aircraft which the RAF didn't have, nor many other airforces, but all wished that they did have the Arrow or its descendants.
As developed, afaik it was roughly a MiG-25 equivalent, with a 400nm operating radius.
Always with the TSR2...... Am I alone in thinking that the TSR2 looked pretty awful?! Life without the Bucc and the F4 and the Jag and the Fin would have been pretty dull; albeit I'd have opted for F14D over the F3.
I standby what I said! It's like a 'nearly-ran' for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Thunderbirds contenders. In all fairness, it's a post-modernist-end-of-the-V-Force styled machine that looks unvelievably dated and square (Jag/Fin dynamics accepted).
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I had a signed copy, it now hangs on my sister’s lounge wall.
She was a teacher and has no interest in aircraft. But my father was an aircraft electrical design engineer and worked on the generator system.
He gave a sigh of relief when it was cancelled. They were pushing the technology of the time to provide enough power fir all the electronics; and very week the avionics engineers were coming back and asking for more...
She was a teacher and has no interest in aircraft. But my father was an aircraft electrical design engineer and worked on the generator system.
He gave a sigh of relief when it was cancelled. They were pushing the technology of the time to provide enough power fir all the electronics; and very week the avionics engineers were coming back and asking for more...
In a similar vein to : If you could reintroduce into service an upgraded new build of a proven design.
My vote would go for 'best machine the RAF never had' goes to the Viggen.
In the early 70s we could have been buying Viggens in the place of:
Harriers, Jaguars, and perhaps some F4s, while replacing Lightnings.
Looks good in RAF markings I think
My vote would go for 'best machine the RAF never had' goes to the Viggen.
In the early 70s we could have been buying Viggens in the place of:
Harriers, Jaguars, and perhaps some F4s, while replacing Lightnings.
Looks good in RAF markings I think
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Must have had severe trim issues when he launched that..
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Saunders Roe SR-177
Hawker P-1154
Hawker P-1216
BAC TSR-2
MiL Mi-24 Hind
Tupolev TU-95 Bear ASW & MR
F-14 Tomcat
AVRO 730
AVRO CANADA ARROW
EA-6 Prowler
Though not necessarily in that order, please
David
Hawker P-1154
Hawker P-1216
BAC TSR-2
MiL Mi-24 Hind
Tupolev TU-95 Bear ASW & MR
F-14 Tomcat
AVRO 730
AVRO CANADA ARROW
EA-6 Prowler
Though not necessarily in that order, please
David
Last edited by The AvgasDinosaur; 2nd Mar 2020 at 21:29.