Supersonic Airplanes

I’m sure a lot of you, like me are interested in manned supersonic experimental planes which seem to bridge the gap between aircraft and spacecraft. Many of Britain’s test aircraft were being created in the early fifties and if the governments of the day had allowed these far reaching projects to fully develop their success might have signalled a prelude to a British manned space program.

Obviously, time has shown that this was not to be and the early British pioneers of supersonic flight and their achievements are consigned to history.

Some of these early research aircraft have survived to spend their days on show in various museums including R.A.F. Cosford, the setting for the Flights of Fantasy event.

Here's a few photos I took while I was there.

The Avro 707C was the final variant in delta wing tailless aircraft that would eventually develop into the Vulcan bomber. It made it’s first flight on 1^ST July, 1953.

The Saunders-Roe SR 53 was an experimental interceptor aircraft which used a mix of jet and rocket propulsion. It made it’s first flight on 16^th May, 1957.

　
The Fairey Delta 2 was the first jet aircraft to exceed 1000 m.p.h. at level flight reaching a terminal speed of 1132 m.p.h. on 10^th March, 1956. It had a long tapered nose which drooped during take-off and landing. A similar innovation was later used on Concorde’

　
The Bristol 188 was a supersonic research aircraft designed to travel at Mach 2. It made it’s first flight on 14^th April, 1962. It’s advanced design meant many construction techniques had be developed leading to delays and setbacks. However In spite of problems during development it did achieve a speed of 1440 m.p.h. (Mach 1.88) and earned the nicknamed ’The Flaming Pencil’.

The B.A.C. TSR-2 was a tactical strike and reconnaissance aircraft which would have used advanced avionics and be capable of speeds of up to Mach 2. It would have put Britain way ahead in military aircraft development. It made its first flight on 27^th September 1964. It was designed to be best at everything which meant spiralling costs. In 1965 the project was cancelled and to my mind any chance of Britain moving towards a manned space program at the time disappeared over the horizon.