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British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2

The BAC TSR-2 was concieved as a replacement for the English Electric Canberra and was the winning tender to operational requirement OR339 issued in 1956. Although the Canberra was, (and is) a remarkable aircraft in many ways the Air Staff were unhappy with the aircraft for several reasons. Most importantly Canberra was subsonic and required large airstrips to operate from. OR339 required an aircraft capable of high supersonic speeds at all altitudes, but most especially at very low levels, a short field capability, inertial navigation and long range precision nuclear weapon delivery. It was intended that the TSR2 would replace the Canberra and V bombers in RAF service. In addition to this an air defence version was planned. By modern standards, let alone the mid 1950's these were hugely ambitious requirements and the British government insisted on the merger of English Electric and Vicker's in order to build the TSR2. The new company was christened, The British Aircraft Corporation.

By the early 1960's the TSR2 emerged as a large shoulder winged aircraft to be powered by two Bristol Siddely Olympus two-spool turbojets, early versions of which powered the Avro Vulcan, (later versions were to power the Anglo-French Concord). With re-heat the engine was expected to reach 33,000 lb's of thrust. Operational systems consisted of an Elliot digital computer, processing data from a Ferranti forward looking radar, EMI, side looking radar, Decca Doppler and Smiths air-data system. The processed data was transferred to the pilots head up and rolling map display, the navigator's console and the weapons delivery system. In 1959 an order was placed by the British Government for twenty pre-production aircraft and in 1963 an initial order was placed for thirty production examples. The cost for the TSR2 project at the time was quoted at 690 million pounds sterling. By far the largest defence procurement ever made by a British Government so far.

Of course the program over ran, and proved more expensive than planned. This is what happens when technology pushes into unknown regions and it must be remembered that the TSR2 was by far the most advanced military aircraft of it's day with potentially a Mach 3 performance, and put the British Aerospace industry into a position of world leadership. Perhaps the most intractable problem was the development of the military Olympus which still had not completed it's bench tests at the time of TSR-2's first flight.

On September 27th 1964 amid hysterical media interest the TSR-2 made it's maiden flight in the hands of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, from Boscombe Down, with no real problems and impressing the test pilot greatly. After a few more flights from Boscombe Down the flight test program was relocated to Warton. During the flight to Warton Roland Beaumont decided for the one and only time to stretch the TSR-2's legs. With re-heat on only one engine, The TSR-2 was eased through the sound barrier leaving Jimmy Dell in the English Electric Lightning chase plane far behind although he had both of the Lightnings Avon's at full throttle. Arriving home at Warton the entire work force of 3000 people met her arrival. Early in 1965 the incoming Labour government cancelled the entire project, ordering all unbuilt airframes and construction jigs to be destroyed immediately by the work force which had built the TSR2. What a waste!

Postscript

Cancellation of the TSR-2 very nearly destroyed the British aircraft industry and left the RAF without a modern replacement for the Canberra and the V - Force until the advent of the Jaguar and Panavia Tornado during the 1970's. Initially the plan was to buy F111's from America but an RAF evaluation team vetoed that idea because the F111 was not a very good aircraft and was experiencing even worse development problems than the TSR2, (as the Australian Government was to learn to it's cost). Because the British government had signed an agreement with General Dynamics the British tax payer had to pay punitive cancellation fee's, and in the years that followed far more money was spent on the Panavia Tornado, Sepecat Jaguar, Phantom's and Buccaneer's, than would have been spent on the TSR-2. Whichever way you look at it, cancellation of the TSR2 was a criminal decision.

Performance: BAC TSR2

A top speed of Mach 2.25, Mach 1.1 at low level
Weight: 80,000lb's all up
Powerplant: Two Bristol Siddely Olympus 320 turbojets of 30,601 lb' s of thrust.
Armament: Up to 6000, lb's of nuclear or conventional weapons internally and 4000, lb's of fuel or weaponry to be carried under the wings.