I recently picked up a reasonable example of a Louis Marx TSR - 2 battery operated toy plane.
It’s an attractive toy based on the ill-fated real aircraft built in the early sixties, with a futuristic design that wouldn’t look out of place in a Gerry Anderson series.
My toy is a light grey colour, although I believe some were available in yellow at the time. Pop the batteries in, flick the on switch and the front wheels drive the plane forward, a bulb at the rear illuminates the engine exhausts - marvellous!
The only downside is the tail fin which once the toy’s out of it’s box, this has to be clipped into the fuselage. Once it’s pushed in, there’s no way you’d get it out without breaking the locating lugs off. I’m not taking a chance so mine won’t be going back into its box.
The box has a nice airbrushed illustration of the plane and working
instructions on the box side. There’s no date on the box but I believe it came
out around 1964.
Following the real aircraft’s cancellation in 1965, Marx altered the toy’s
title to ’Superjet’ and revamped the box artwork which showed two red TSR-2
aircraft flying over countryside. Some time later Marx converted their toy to a
friction drive with a red and yellow colour scheme and repackaged it as a ’
Stratojet’. This time the box artwork showed a TSR-2 taking off. I understand
this version continued to be produced up to the mid seventies.
The real TSR-2 was developed as a Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance
aircraft with the capability of speeds up to Mach 2 . It was to incorporate some
of the most advanced avionics and design techniques the British Aircraft
Corporation had ever produced.
However, the American company General Dynamics were developing the swing
wing F-111 aircraft which was designed to fill a similar role. In Britain a
change of government meant the controversial cancellation of the TSR-2 and for
General Dynamics no real competition for the F-111.
Out of the 23 built only one flew.- the XR219. Following the cancellation
this historic aircraft was to end up at a test range as target practice along
with two others, the XR221 and XR223.
All the other remaining aircraft along with jigs and tooling were ordered
to be destroyed by the powers that be ensuring that the project could never be
revived.
However, two did survive. The XR220 and the XR222. Both are sadly
incomplete and will never fly.
The controversy and conspiracy theories still surround the TSR-2, but
whatever the truth, I reckon if this sleek advanced aircraft had it been given a
chance it is certain it would have been a world beater.
Mike B.
VERY attractive design and certanly at home in a Gerry Anderson production. The mission capacity of low altitude,'very' high speed strikes and or high altitude recon gets the imagination going! Controversial end echoes the demise of the Avro Aero. The TSR-2 and Aero would have a complementary look if one was building a fleet.
ReplyDeleteAs you point out CS, the similarities between the British TSR-2 and the Canadian Aero's cancellation was all too real and very murky. The advanced designs of both these craft were so far ahead of their time.
ReplyDeleteDuring the fifties there were so many exotic and innovative aircraft ideas being developed to combat the supposed threat brought on by the Cold War. It makes me wonder that if some of them had been built would they have helped to push technology forward to a point when all the predictions about the then proposed future might have happened - or worst - would the Cold War have become Hot!
Fabulous model Mike, one ive often seen in passing on ebay, but never been tempted to invest in. I think i may have to look closer in future.
ReplyDeleteLove the cool prototype aircraft designs from the 50s and 60s. Airfix do 1/48 and 1/72 scale kits of the TSR2 these days and Corgi have a diecast in 1/72 too. I remember having the Airfix 1/72 Saunders-Roe SR53 jet/rocket interceptor as a kid. Would love some manufacturer to make more of this kind of stuff.
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