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Lightning could have been developed faster if the UK had not wasted so much time and effort on other fighter programmes.
The Luftwaffe were able to move smoothly from Sabres to Starfighters and then to Phantoms.
Significantly the UK botched its Sabre equivalent (Swift) and never did get AAMs on its Hunters. The F89 Scorpion at least had two types of AAM compared with the Gloster Javelin.
If I had been Sandys I would have asked the USAF to station F102s then F106 in the UK to defend joint RAF USAF bases and given up on Lightning and ordered more Bloodhounds instead. I would also have nixed the Canberra replacement in favour of Army Blue Waters which could deploy anywhere by Beverley while Hunters took on Army Cooperation.
I might have agreed to NEAF and FEAF getting F102 and F104 if the US wanted us to be active there and provided MDAP.
The freed up industry could then have produced household goods (You've never ha it so good).

<blockquote data-quote="uk 75" data-source="post: 694886" data-attributes="member: 234">Lightning could have been developed faster if the UK had not wasted so much time and effort on other fighter programmes.The Luftwaffe were able to move smoothly from Sabres to Starfighters and then to Phantoms.Significantly the UK botched its Sabre equivalent (Swift) and never did get AAMs on its Hunters.&nbsp; The F89 Scorpion at least had two types of AAM compared with the Gloster Javelin.If I had been Sandys I would have asked the USAF to station F102s then F106 in the UK to defend joint RAF USAF bases and given up on Lightning and ordered more Bloodhounds instead.&nbsp; I would also have nixed the Canberra replacement in favour of Army Blue Waters which could deploy anywhere by Beverley while Hunters took on Army Cooperation.I might have agreed to NEAF and FEAF getting F102 and F104 if the US wanted us to be active there and provided MDAP.The freed up industry could then have produced household goods (You've never ha it so good).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="uk 75, post: 694886, member: 234"] Lightning could have been developed faster if the UK had not wasted so much time and effort on other fighter programmes. The Luftwaffe were able to move smoothly from Sabres to Starfighters and then to Phantoms. Significantly the UK botched its Sabre equivalent (Swift) and never did get AAMs on its Hunters. The F89 Scorpion at least had two types of AAM compared with the Gloster Javelin. If I had been Sandys I would have asked the USAF to station F102s then F106 in the UK to defend joint RAF USAF bases and given up on Lightning and ordered more Bloodhounds instead. I would also have nixed the Canberra replacement in favour of Army Blue Waters which could deploy anywhere by Beverley while Hunters took on Army Cooperation. I might have agreed to NEAF and FEAF getting F102 and F104 if the US wanted us to be active there and provided MDAP. The freed up industry could then have produced household goods (You've never ha it so good). [/QUOTE]

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