TSR2 at 50
 

27 Sep 64 First Flight... shame we missed it, although for good reasons - younger cousin still performing.

Darn that makes me feel old. Still one of my all time favorite planes. I have a lovely model of XR-222.

TB

Thank goodness for flight simulation.

Purely in the realms of fantasy I grant you but, assuming money was not an issue, could XR220 be restored to fast-taxy status? Both burners on and blasting down the runway at Brunt' or Elvington.....in full cammo paint job.....with me in the back seat.
Well, why not?

Anti-flash white just looks so... right.

Not forgotten by the Newark Air Museum, which held a TSR2 Tribute Day on Saturday 27th. Some photos here:


Newark Air Museum Opening Times


Amazing what kit they flushed out.

Edit: Not sure why the link is titled opening times - but it does show the pics.

Feb 1976...My first job in the RAF (following Swinderby) was to wash the TSR2 at RAF Cosford...

I can't quote Bill Gunston exactly but he told the following story of an event shortly after the demise of the TSR2 project. Forgive any poetic license.

A delegation of visiting dignitaries from several foreign air forces were visiting an RAF base when a bicycle appeared towing a small trailer - the trailer contained a second crewman and was bristling with machine guns. The side of the trailer was emblazoned with the logo "TSR2".

The strange spectacle squeaked its way past the delegation without any word being passed between them and proceeded to disappear down an adjacent slipway into some deep body of water - after a few seconds of stunned silence a large white balloon appeared from the depths with the word "HELP !" written on it in large letters.

It was said that this bout of RAF humour caused much consternation among the visiting dignitaries. :E

I don't know if this has been posted before, but I came across it the other day and thought it would interest a few on here.

Quite interesting - and the live interviews are a great resource. It should be watched in conjunction with reading the RAF Historical Society conference proceedings.

The parallel between the "amalgamate or die" meeting at Shell-Mex House and the U.S. "Last Supper" that preceded JSF is quite uncanny.

Just before joining up at OCTU RAF Henlow, in '67, I heard a rumour that a TSR2 fuselage was stored in the hangar on the grass airfield. Never confirmed it. What happened to the TSR1?


3P:ok:

Not sure if it ever flew - it was a design for the Greek Navy that was adapted to the TSR II - or Swordfish.................

I always understood that the Canberra was the TSR1.

Threeputt

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...1/scan0093.jpg

TSR-2 outside the "Pickle Factory" at RAF Henlow prior to being moved the Cosford Museum, in 1974.

believe it or not, it was actually this! The Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance 1.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...rtQmHI4RJhtGYQ

A TSR of which even Lord Mountbottom approved, no doubt.....:ugh:

I liked the comment from Roland Beamont about engaging only one afterburner on the TSR 2 and then outrunning a EE Lighting with both engaged ... what a shame the project was 'murdered' :(

CoffmanStarter,

TSR2 wasn't murdered, it was put out of its misery.

The Air Staff had turned against it and were reccommending cancellation, if the Tories had won the 1964 General Election they too would have cancelled it.

it was an outmoded concept from the Trip Wire all out nuclear response age, it was over complex and over complicated, a committee designed solution to a problem that had ceased to exist.

It was massively over budget, and IF it had continued would have wreaked havoc on the RAF equipment programme as you would have had no Phantoms, no Buccaneers and no Tornado's, just 50 VERY expensive free fall nuclear delivery platforms.

Was VERY good looking though...

Budgets? From the way some people post on PPRuNe you'd be forgiven for thinking there were ever budgets in the good old days :E

Budgets - now there is a memory stirred. Posted as newly qualified CIMA accountant, and newly promoted wg cdr to OC Admin at Wyton, the STC budget trial station. Reg McK had done the short course for budget stn cdrs and we had a very experienced RAF accounting specialist as Budget Manager. Then sadly Reg and his crew died so we quickly trained MF "in house" and 3 months later DH arrived as staish. We quickly found that we gained or lost on the price of a cu metre of avtur. Fortunately, for the next 2 years we gained, overall ISTR about £2m, which conveniently double glazed the patches (both) and put central heating in the airmen's patch. Result, but the AOC was NOT a happy bunny.