British Aircraft Corporation TSR2

Mr norwichpaul at Duxford on 14th Sept

norwichpaul;31791 wrote:

'I like the guy sat on the back having a ride.....'

Do you u mean the guy is a mate of yours or you are envious of him having a ride? Sorry Peter but I had to get in there before PNK and Petertheater.

Curses. Beaten to the punch!

Take comments on videos and in books with a big pinch of salt. Having written a best-selling book on TSR2 last year, I researched the project for some time and found that most of the stories surrounding this aircraft are complete claptrap.

The project was not cancelled because of political motivation, in fact the government held-on to the project for much longer than they ought to have done. It was cancelled because it was hideously expensive and the manufacturer could not promise that it wouldn't spiral still further out of control.

As for the story of jigs being destroyed, it's also another myth. In fact the government offered to allow BAC to continue flying two aircraft, if BAC wanted to finance them. They didn't, so they were never flown again. The jigs were destroyed because they were no longer needed.

TSR2 is surrounded by daft conspiracy stories and they're all untrue. It was simply a case of a project running out of control until it was unaffordable. TSR2 had great potential (actually this wasn't even the aircraft's name - it was actually called the Vickers-Supermarine Type 571) but at far too high a price, sadly. More to the point, it was designed for a role (east of Suez) that disappeared. TSR2 eventually re-emerged not as Jaguar, but as the far more practical Tornado of course.

Are you Tim Laming? Agree 100% with what you say above.
NP, is that the engine test house that had its roof blown off when a TSR2 Olympus blew up?

I used to be Tim Laming but I changed my surname to McLelland about six years ago!

Sorry Tim, I know who you are now, didn't realise you were on this forum!