Sad, but true. But according to the video film on the TSR2, confidence in the thing was warming up nicely at the time after that mad dash to catch up and get back on schedule. Lets face it, most of the systems on board were so new, few knew anything about them. TFR, TAR, and that strange Nav System were cutting edge technology, as requested in the original Spec. There were bound to be snags.
But I cannot forgive the B@st@rds for cancelling a plane that had most of us who were in at the time drooling; Ro Beamont was livid!
I suspect the reason that the Tories had no funds was because the previous labour mob had spent it on other things; including Very Big Bangs.
You have to remember that that video was made by people who loved the TSR2, for people who love the TSR2. Much like a number of books on the subject.
On the other hand, I've read publications like the journal of the RAFHS that have looked at the project without the rose tinted specs, and have quite rightly summarised that the project would never have been anywhere on time or on budget, and that the country couldn't afford enough of them. The biggest problem with the aircraft was the original spec, way too advanced, though there was a reason for this.
When the project was mooted in 1958/59, it was the only manned combat aircraft in development, post the 1957 Tory **** up called the Sandys defence white paper, which came about when the Tories realised that we weren't a world class power anymore post the 1956 Suez fiasco.
A whole range of aircraft and missile projects were started and killed by the Tories between 1951 (when they got into power) and 1964 (when they got kicked out) and billions were wasted (Supersonic Javelin armed with the Red Dean Active radar AAM, a Supermarine 'Super Sabre' type fighter, Hawker P1121, SARO SR 177, Avro 720 Bomber, Fairey Delta Fighter based on the FD2 (gave all of the data to the French, who used it to develop the Mirage, which sold like hot cakes) and a whole host of civil projects (i.e. Vickers V1000, which would have held its own against the Boeing 707) and some world beating guided weapons). What did we get in that time. Canberra and Hunter, development started under a Labour government, and sold all around the world in the hundreds. V-Bombers again development of all of them started under a Labour government. Lightning - Fighter developed from a research aircraft, development started in 1947 (labour government) were exported in small numbers by the 1964 Labour goverment. Javelin and DH 110 (later the Sea Vixen), development started in 1947 (labour government), and on the missile front, three SAM’s whose development were started between 1947 and 49. Only the JP, Scimitar (RN), Argosy, VC-10, Belfast, Buccaneer (RN) and Gnat (started as a PV fighter project) had their development started by a Tory government and actually made it into service (and only the Gnat was exported in any numbers, built under licence in India, who got it before the RAF did).
As for the 1964 Labour government, they only canned 3 projects. HS841 STOVL Transport, HS P1154 Supersonic VTOL fighter bomber and TSR2. Due to the IMF (Spams) putting conditions on a big loan, we had to buy Hercs hence the HS841 had to go, though it hadn’t even been built (they hadn’t even finalised the design at the time). Same for the P1154, though the Navy had already pulled out as they wanted the Phantom, so the RAF got Phantoms as well (The RAF would not have been able to operate the 1154 in the same way as the Harrier anyway, mainly due to the PCB ‘Afterburner’ in the nozzles that it would have needed to use to be able to do VTOL destroying the ground under the aircraft). TSR2 didn’t get canned straight away, though when Healey and Callaghan got to find out the real costs, along with another run on the pound at the time, the project was doomed.
The Big problem for the TSR2, was due to the fact that in 1959 when the project kicked off, it was the only new manned combat aircraft project in town for the RAF, hence the high spec avionics, the STOL performance (Mach 3 power for a Mach 2 airframe) for what was a low level nuclear recce bomber (The S in TSR stands for strike, which at the time mean ‘Nuclear Strike’). The F-111 and A-5 (USAF and USN supersonic attack aircraft from the same period didn’t have half the systems of the TSR2, and even then they had big problems and massive cost over runs) This was also the reason that so many organisations tried to get their little fingers in the single pie (the infamous committee meetings, etc), in other words the project was a mess from the start. Yes the F-111K came into the picture, but we were only going to get about 50 to use as a stop gap with the Tactical Tooms (RAF did want J-79 powered ones but the Navy did need Speys fitted to theirs, hence we got the slowest F-4s ever built). The tooms were to be used until the Anglo French Variable Geometry (AFVG) swing wing fighter bomber was developed. Meanwhile a board brush of project started for a new trainer and light attack aircraft known as ECAT and a number of badly needed helicopters and a cheap VTOL ground attack aircraft based on the Kestrel research aircraft called the Harrier. Next problems, cost overruns and another run on the pound thanks to the Six Day War kill the F-111K and the Frogs pull out of AFVG. So Healey forces the RAF to get the aircraft that should have been picked as the Canberra replacement from the git-go, the Buccaneer, cause that’s all there is that can be afforded. We get the Frogs to agree to up teeth the ECAT, which becomes the Jaguar and we start fishing around for partners to build Must Replace Canberra Again, which becomes the Tonka. Get Puma’s, Sea Kings, Gazelles and Lynx’s as well, though the planned Chinnok order gets canned due to the pound falling though the floor against the dollar. As for the new trainer, Jaguar is now too big and complicated, so enter the development of a new trainer, which becomes the Hawk..
As regards exports. Nobody, but Nobody would have bought the TSR2 besides the RAF. Reasons… Too Complicated, Too Specialised, Too Expensive. Australia had already picked the F-111 before the TSR2 had flown, and anybody who thinks the USAF would have got it is living in cloud cuckoo land.
Same as regards the Tornado and the Jaguar in some respects (ie, too complicated, too specialised and too expensive), though both did get some biggish orders in plus our partners did order them in similar numbers to ourselves (the F-16 and Mirage F-1 ****ed on their Cornflakes as regards wider exports). As for the Hawk, best selling Trainer on the market. Lynx, sold to a number of air arms. Harrier - Yanks did buy them, so did the Spanish.
As for the Labour party in 45-51, yes they did spend money on big bang’s, the British Atom bomb, due to those back stabbing hicks in the US congress cutting us out of the Manhattan project, even though we fooking gave them the information that the thing was possible in the first place. Plus of course the fact that when they got in July 45, the country was totally broke!!!
DT_Xtremez_42:
