1981 TSR.2 Revival? "Tornado Style Intakes?"

TinWing

TinWing

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Thunder-and-Lightnings.co.uk said:
Strangely, in 1981, the then Conservative government briefly looked at reviving the TSR.2 programme. This got as far as looking at possible modifications to bring it up to date (Tornado style intakes, modern electronics, extensive use of carbon fibre construction to lower the weight and so on) before the project was once again returned to the grave. It was certainly a strange episode; with the Tornado shortly to enter service, developing the TSR.2 to completion (using XR220 and XR222 as a basis for the new project!) would have been a very odd thing to do.
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www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/tsr2/history.html

Does anyone have a source for this information? Have any drawings been made public?
 
TinWing said:
Thunder-and-Lightnings.co.uk said:
Strangely, in 1981, the then Conservative government briefly looked at reviving the TSR.2 programme. This got as far as looking at possible modifications to bring it up to date (Tornado style intakes, modern electronics, extensive use of carbon fibre construction to lower the weight and so on) before the project was once again returned to the grave. It was certainly a strange episode; with the Tornado shortly to enter service, developing the TSR.2 to completion (using XR220 and XR222 as a basis for the new project!) would have been a very odd thing to do.
Click to expand...

www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/tsr2/history.html

Does anyone have a source for this information? Have any drawings been made public?
Click to expand...

There was an article in an Air Pictorial about revibing the TSR2 just after maggie came to power. At the time the Tornado was just entering service and its limitations becoming known. The article was more speculative on what the TSR2 should be like if the program was resurected.

G
 
Not a bad idea, though. The running joke about the Tornado is that it's original name, MRCA, doesn't mean 'Multi Role Combat Aircraft', but means 'Must Replace Canberra Again'. As a side note, I read in a book on aircraft design where students at the UK's premier aviation college were tasked with updating the TSR.2 design to 'modern' standards. Their final design had Tornado ramp intakes, swing wings and twin rudders. I was concluded that the intakes were the only good thing. The swing wings offered a slight increase in low speed performance, but were more complex and not as strong as the delta fitted to the real thing. And the twin tail was judged as adding too much weight for a slight increase in stability. 20 years after it was cancelled, the TSR.2 continued to slap people in the face and say 'We got it right the first time'. ;D
 
That was "Must Refurbish Canberras Again" actually :)

Another one was "Mother Riley's Cardboard Aeroplane"...
 
I'd tend to agree that the 2-D intakes would be a good move, though I think an argument could be made for some good Fieri inlets, much as Vickers proposed on their original Type 571 designs.
 
Seems like MRCA has as many meanings as Ford. ;D
Here's one that just popped in my head: Misjudged Result of Co-operative Action.
 
Akaikaze said:
Seems like MRCA has as many meanings as Ford. ;D
Here's one that just popped in my head: Misjudged Result of Co-operative Action.
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Still not as good as Found On Road Dead. And it's even the name of our next carrier. :p
 
Ouch... :-X
I'm not serving on that ship! (especially if I find the word 'Explorer' written anywhere) ;D
Then again, it's named after the president and not the company, so there may be hope....
 
Akaikaze said:
Ouch... :-X
I'm not serving on that ship! (especially if I find the word 'Explorer' written anywhere) ;D
Then again, it's named after the president and not the company, so there may be hope....
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It could be worse, you could fine the word "Pinto" written somewhere. ;)
 
;D It's a good thing we don't, otherwise No One would join the Navy!
Imagine veterens meeting some years down the road:
1. ' :DSo, which ship did you serve on?'
2. 'USS Pacer.'
1. ' :eek:.....I gotta go.'
(I know, we're getting off subject, but this is fun)
 
I always thought it odd that the main complaint about the Tornado was as a TSR.2 replacement was it's lack of range.
When the TSR.2 was also said to lack sufficient range according to its critics
 

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