BAC TSR-2

BAC TSR-2 History

Similar to the USAF prototype XB-70 Valkyrie North American strategic bomber, the BAC TSR-2 was designed to be England's "super" Cold War tactical strike and reconnaissance bomber (corresponding to "TSR" "Tactical Strike/Reconnaissance" in its official name). The plan is to provide the UK with a low-altitude hypersonic bomb platform capable of accurately firing conventional and nuclear weapons.

From the outset, TSR-2 has been moving towards its intended goals. However, the cost of the balloon program (mainly due to lower initial estimates) and a change in British government policy soon doomed the plane to a chapter in aviation history.

The TSR-2 was originally a product of aviation groups English Electric and Vickers-Armstrong, whose main goal was to replace the British Electric Canberras as Britain's premier long-range, low-altitude supersonic bomber (and possibly an entire family of nuclear bombers) - capable "V-Bomber"). Construction started in 1958 and the project was established in 1959. In 1960, English Electric and Vickers-Armstrong were forced to merge with Bristol and Hunting to become British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). The aircraft utilizes the latest advances in sweeping wing technology to provide a responsive fuselage with superior airflow quality. The fuselage has a tubular design with plate sides and a raised back behind two in-line cockpits for two people.

The main wing elements are placed amidships and mounted high to provide excellent clearance and lift. The air intake is placed at the rear of the cockpit and draws in a Bristol-Sidley Olympus B. OI22R (Mk 320) turbojet pair. The side-by-side engine is exhausted under a single vertical spoiler.

Traditionally, low-set fins were placed on the rear side of the fuselage. All wing surfaces are swept along their leading and trailing edges. The landing gear is fully retractable, a tricycle arrangement with two-wheeled front legs and two two-wheeled main legs. The landing gear legs are very long, making the TSR-2 very tall when stationary. Internal controls expand to include a head-up display (HUD), dedicated weapons systems and communications (from Plessi), forward-looking and side-looking (from EMI) radars, and integrated terrain-following capabilities for low-altitude approaches (from Ferranti).

The on-board camera took on the reconnaissance mission. Avionics design was handled by Marconi.

The first flight of the airworthy TSR-2 prototype was recorded on September 27, 1964. While the TSR-2 has proven sufficient to justify a series of production orders, rising development and production costs and the now-ruling Labour Party have forced it to do so.

TSR-2 was mothballed and cancelled in 1965 - only to initially turn green to receive light just six short years after the entire project was completed. The TSR-2 prototype managed only 13 flight hours in two dozen controlled flights, and it was this single TSR-2 form that proved to be the only airworthy mount of the 23 total airframes to achieve varying levels of completion .

The British military then decided to order the US General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark through a 50-man command. However, this was also cancelled due to rising procurement costs. Then, the joint deployment of the American McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Blackburn Corsair fulfilled that need.

Panavia Tornado eventually replaced the latter in the striker role.

The BAC was decommissioned on April 29, 1977. Only two airframes in the TSR-2 program survived the follow-up scrapping initiatives sparked by the program's termination. One prototype is at the RAF Museum, Cosford, and the other at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

When completed, the TSR-2 has a barrel length of 89 feet, a wingspan of 37 feet, and a height of 23.7 feet. Curb weight is approximately 55,000 lbs and maximum takeoff weight is 103,500 lbs. Each Bristol Siddeley Olympus engine provides 22,000 pounds of dry thrust (44,000 pounds total) and 30,610 pounds of thrust (60,000 pounds total) when using the afterburner. It has a top speed of Mach 2.35, a range (ferry) of up to 2,880 miles, a combat radius of 860 miles, and operation at altitudes of up to 40,000 feet.

Climb rates approaching 15,000 feet per minute give the airframe an excellent response time.

The TSR-2 is designed to carry firearms via internal and external weapon assemblies. Up to 6,000 pounds of supplies were stored in the internal bomb bay, and up to 4,000 pounds of supplies were stored externally, for a total of 10,000 pounds of possible weapons. The airframe will support the carry and launch of a 15kg "Redbeard" nuclear weapon or a 6 x 1,000lb conventional bomb. WE is supported.

177 atomic bombs over four hardpoints. The TSR-2 can also attack using a 37-inch missile pod.

Specification

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Performance

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Changes