G'day, Be that as it may, After WW-2 Britain was Broke, broken, and wildly indebted to the Financiers who had lent the Exchequer the funds to win The Great Patriotic War To End All Wars - from 1914 to 1918 ; and then they'd doubled down on their "Mortgage"..., (Mort is French for Dead, and a Guage measures things...; so a Mort-Guage calculates how much one may Repay With usurious "Interest" Before they die of Overwork... (Which is..., Probably, why Usury is considered to be blasphemous, due to it having being prohibited by the Godtheories of Ahura-Mazd-ism (aka"Zoroasterism"), Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - to name but the biggest 5...!). And, then, broke and in debt to the Eyeballs, Britain borrowed STILL MORE, To pay for their Second Great War..., In only 20 years... The one in which the USSR did Most of the Fighting and Dying So by the 1950s & '60s when the British Aviation Industry Was patriotically FANTASISING about how, "Now...; Britain simply MUST.. "URGENTLY upgrade and Modernise it's existing aging Air Farce Equipment furnishing All new Shite and Briny Jet-powered Death Machines - Just(ifiably ?) In case their Erstwhile GLORIOUSLY VICTORIOUS Allies (As Churchill called the Stalinists - back when the USSR was busy keepin' all of Pommieland safe from the nasty Nazi Germans, who were all- by the '60s, being paid to build Skyrockets for Unkle Spam to go and Litter The surface of the Moon. The USSR, which had suffered 14,736 of it's CitiZens Killed every day between 22 June 1941 and the day Hitler became a World Hero - by assassinating the lunatic Nazi Fuhrer (!)..... During which time AmeriKa Only Suffered 265,000 KIA across ALL FRONTS, ANd AmeriKa's "biggest Day" was D-Day at Okinawa, and about 2,000 Yanquis died... 19,000 for the entire Invasion if Okinawa AmeriKa"s Worst MONTH of WW-2 was not even NEARLY as Deadly as any average Normal WW-2 Day's Dead-Listings, in the USSR. But, So, not only was there No actually genuine "Threat"..., for the Militaristic Wannabes & Worriers Being driven by all their own Paranoid Personality Complexes - to Defend against... And thus the British Taxpayers VOTED to instruct the British Military Aeroplane Building Industry to Sit down, shut up about the "Necessity" of endlessly trying to prepare to Re-fight the Last War - ("In case they try That, again ; Durrr...!"), And instead try to think up Something Actually worthwhile, and productive, to do with the remainder of their Lifetimes... And, Nobody on Earth, not even out within the Ex-Imperial Colonial Outposts of the Commonwealth, was there anyone who had Any even remotely realistic use, for the TSR-2. It was a huge fat stinking expensive White Elephant of an Aeroplane - which drank stupid amounts of Kerosene, while Making Global Warming measurably far Far FAR Worse than it would otherwise be, now. Oz was not at all interested, because it lacked the range to ENACT Australia's # 1 Military Strategic Response to what Frightened Canberra the MOST, (ie," The Yellow Peril...", forever lurking to Oz' North). Hence the planned Response being to, immediately, "bomb jakarta...! Bomb Jakarta...! BOMB JAKARTA to the Ground...; Bomb Jakarta BOMB JAKARTA Keep 'Straya(!) Safe and Sound...!" Or, words to that effect...(!). So, we didn't want the silly bloody things With their teeny tiny itsy-bitsy little Wings. Vickers successfully (Suck Cess Fully ?) Sold a batch of a dozen Mk-5 RAF Aircrew Helmets - developed for the TSR-2, to the RAA..., Optimistically hoping to flog the things off for our Aardvark Crews to have to wear..., but it would have added an extra Technician for every 6 Helmets fielded, to keep them in trim and working properly. In 1979 I bought one of those 12, in a Military Surplus Disposal Store in Sydney, for $180...; the RAAF had paid $2,500, and I heard that the production Units were to have been 10 times that price. The TSR-2 was ALWAYS a Boondoggle. A Make-Work Sinecure, to provide "Jobs For The Boys...! at Taxpayer Expense, while Chest-Thumping and pretending that Britain was still a "Great Power"....(?). Currently, in 2024 The Pommies are still Pretending unto Greatness ; While the Statisticians say that actuarially, right now, 40% of Britain's Population are living so far below the "Poverty-Line" that they are Missing out on Meals at least 5 times per week. "Great Britain" cannot Afford a Sheetmetal Pot, In which to Piss Since their Empire evaporated, Thus it's now devolved unto this. Just(ifiably ?) sayin'. Such is life. Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
RAAF knew what a shit state the TSR2 project was in. The had Officers based in the UK who were involved in the planning of stuff at Woomera and other projects and they did keep their ears on the ground as regards other projects that the RAAF were interested in but had not committed to.
@@richardvernon317 …. The F-111 was it’s own shitshow. For a long time. I’m saying there’s a presumption the TSR-2 would have been wonderful from the start. That it would have sold well internationally. Maybe…but I doubt it.
Most of the F-111's problems centred around the large swing wings, the TSR-2 had fixed wings, as such was less complex and less fatigue prone, so it wouldn't have those development problems.
@@Idahoguy10157 They didn't make the mistake of trying to produce the TSR-2 for both the Airforce and the Navy, as such it didn't need swing wings for short carrier take off, that the F-111 was initially designed to do Also the smaller budget probably made them not even consider the fashion for swing wings in the design, saving them from the engineering nightmare that the F-111 suffered from.
Australia had a part in the downfall of the TSR-2. There was an early indication that the RAAF wanted the TSR-2. Costs were rising and the RAAF pulled out, and eventually got the F-111.
Absolutely one the best aircraft never built. The lack of confidence in the British aerospace industry by politicians was completely unfounded and borderline criminal.
The British economy in the late 1950s/early 1960s was a financial house of cards, which collapsed between in November 1964 and after partial rebuilds keep collapsing between March 1965 and November 1967. This meant the end of the TSR-2 and after the devaluation of November 1967 the F-111K.
The politicians were right to cancel it. It would have been a very expensive way to support the UK aviation industry, but better options like the F-111 were available.
@@RJM1011 That cancelation came later. At the time the TSR2 was cancelled the F-111 look cheaper. The devaluation of the British Pound in combination with the additional development for the F-111K version inflated its price and made it also unaffordable to Britain in the end. But it would have been a better airplane than the TSR2 would have been.
A sad loss what the video fails to tell you is the F111 was cancelled by the UK government because it was going to end up costing even more than the TSR2 ! The biggest problem the TSR2 had was the government asking for an aircraft to do the roles of three to four aircraft and not thinking this was going to cost a lot of money in the sort term much like we have seen with the F35. Having been at Boscombe Down in the 1980's there were still people there that knew about this aircraft and they all said the TSR2 was excellent. What the UK ended up spending on other aircraft the TSR2 would have saved the UK a lot of money for many years. Thank you.
F-111K was Cancelled because the price had gone up massively due to the Devaluation of the Pound in 1967. Plus the delays in the program were going to push the service entry back too late in the eyes of the RAF and also the operational requirements based British National and NATO defence policies had changed massively between 1960-65 when TSR2 and F-111K development and aircraft procurement were started (TSR2 was never ordered by the RAF BTW) and 1968 when the F-111K was order was cancelled and the Buccaneer was ordered. The TSR2 which flew was nowhere near being an Operational Aircraft and a lot of the systems in the aircraft which were being tested at places other than Boscombe Down in other aircraft were nowhere near being close to met their operational requirement in performance either.
Totally wrong, the people who say that are normally the Aircraft Industry who are not as good at building stuff as they think they are!!! The British aircraft industry produced a lot of Duds. This was one of them!!!
If the weak point in the F-111 was the swing wings would the TSR2 have lasted longer in service and therefore been a better investment in the long run?
I think it's hyped simply because it was a non-U.S. jet that was canceled. I've been trying to post the below in response to another comment but it keeps getting censored. Lets see if it works here: @RJM1011 said “The people I worked with at Boscombe Down said the TSR2 was the BETTER aircraft even when they had the F111's there from the USA in the 1980's.” It seems I’m supposed to accept the opinion of a biased group with a vested interest the TSR 2. Forgive me if I ask exactly why the TSR was BETTER. Was it:
Better speed (faster)? No Better rate of climb? No. Better service ceiling? No. Better range? No. Better bombload? No. Better avionics? We’ll never know what might have been, but we do know the F-111 actually flew automated low-level at night in the weather operationally. The FB-111 version even had an astrotracker navigation system. Better as in safer and easier to fly and more capable of operating from various runways under various conditions? The RUclips viewers who pillory the F-104 for its high wing loading (as if that’s always a bad thing) would be distressed to hear that the TSR2 wing loading even as a prototype approached that of a late model F-104, and exceeded that of the F-105, which the F-111 was designed to replace. The 105 could already lift more than the TSR2, and the 111 could lift much more off shorter runways and take it further. I have to assume they thought the TSR2 was better simply because it was British.
Another example of government budgetary office myopia that crippled and eventual destroyed an industry in the UK and resulted in further brain drain to the US. Sure, Britain was still paying for the war(s), and cash was tight, but, in not keeping the native companies gainfully employed they gave up on their own workers, and motivation to innovate. AND, they're still doing it to this day!
One more thing what happened to the F111? Did it turn out to be a failure costing our government even more money than the TSR2? As the F111 was never adopted in to the RAF because of its problems Which is why the Harrier the Jaguar Tornado had to fill those rolls.
This is where things went wrong using American way of doing things was costly and time consuming. What should had happened was all aircraft companies. Looking at ways to make parts first and test them this includes the Engines which needed to be reliable and most powerful with economy in mind so all engine companies to make the engines and test them to work out which one is best. The electronics should be tested all first then designed to fit inside the aircraft without getting damaged b y any of the aircraft's parts. The wheels and bomb bay doors all must be fully tested before fitting for long use and under extreme pressures so not to fail also for easy maintenance. Same with all wing controls and tail controls tested to breaking points and made better. Then the construction of the cockpit should be designed tested to fit correctly in side the aircraft's frame. All of this going on while the design and modal is tested in wind tunnels from wings to tail then heat testing the hot spots for correct heat issues while flying at mach 2.8 so the plane could easily cruse at mach 2 for long times and distances. then all aircraft companies get together to put the aircraft together explaining every thing to the test pilots and maintenance crew. That way every aircraft company will had proven them selves for government contracts. Once the plane is built then all the modern electronics can be used knowing they will work fully and costs would had been lower also no delays. We know now our government contract was taken away buy outside interference more than money costs back then. Because testing the plane was proven better than any other aircraft in existence all the pilots were shocked at its acceleration rate of clime that could only be matched by the Lightning it hit well over mach two as the lightnings found it hard to keep with accelerated the as the TSR2 reached well over expected speeds. Corruption and many factors caused the TSR2 to not be built for the air force. Funny how British electronic inventions ended up in American aircraft after the TSR2 was cancelled?
Massive twchnical triumph but with hindsight it was designed to a requirement that had already been rendered obsolete. An advanced development of the Buccaneer would have suited the real needs of the UK much better and development of something like a more advanced Tornado could be carried through at a sensible pace
It would have bee a cool plane to fly but was not really a massive technical triumph. Aircraft of similar performance had already been built, or cancelled because of an unjustifiable expense-to-need ratio. The RAAF had already chosen the superior and less expensive F-111 by the time the TSR2 was rightly cancelled. The Tornado had less range and came along a decade later.
Not forgotten! This one is on the list of greatest planes never built. Great vid.
British aerospace industry at the end of WW2 had so much expertise and talent at hand.
G'day,
Be that as it may,
After WW-2 Britain was
Broke, broken, and wildly indebted to the
Financiers who had lent the
Exchequer the funds to win
The Great Patriotic War To End All Wars - from 1914 to 1918 ; and then they'd doubled down on their
"Mortgage"...,
(Mort is French for Dead, and a Guage measures things...; so a
Mort-Guage calculates how much one may
Repay
With usurious "Interest"
Before they die of
Overwork...
(Which is...,
Probably, why Usury is considered to be blasphemous, due to it having being prohibited by the Godtheories of Ahura-Mazd-ism (aka"Zoroasterism"), Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - to name but the biggest 5...!).
And, then, broke and in debt to the Eyeballs, Britain borrowed STILL MORE,
To pay for their Second
Great War...,
In only 20 years...
The one in which the USSR did
Most of the Fighting and
Dying
So by the 1950s & '60s when the
British Aviation Industry
Was patriotically
FANTASISING about how,
"Now...;
Britain simply MUST..
"URGENTLY upgrade and
Modernise it's existing aging Air Farce Equipment furnishing
All new Shite and Briny Jet-powered
Death Machines -
Just(ifiably ?)
In case their
Erstwhile
GLORIOUSLY VICTORIOUS Allies
(As Churchill called the Stalinists - back when the USSR was busy keepin' all of Pommieland safe from the nasty Nazi Germans, who were all- by the '60s, being paid to build Skyrockets for Unkle Spam to go and
Litter
The surface of the
Moon.
The USSR, which had suffered 14,736 of it's CitiZens Killed every day between 22 June 1941 and the day Hitler became a World Hero - by assassinating the lunatic Nazi Fuhrer (!).....
During which time AmeriKa
Only
Suffered
265,000 KIA across ALL FRONTS,
ANd AmeriKa's "biggest Day" was D-Day at Okinawa, and about 2,000 Yanquis died...
19,000 for the entire Invasion if Okinawa
AmeriKa"s
Worst
MONTH of WW-2 was not even NEARLY as
Deadly as any average Normal WW-2 Day's Dead-Listings, in the USSR.
But,
So, not only was there
No actually genuine
"Threat"..., for the
Militaristic Wannabes &
Worriers
Being driven by all their own Paranoid Personality Complexes - to
Defend against...
And thus the British Taxpayers VOTED to instruct the British Military Aeroplane Building Industry to
Sit down, shut up about the
"Necessity" of endlessly trying to prepare to
Re-fight the
Last War -
("In case they try
That, again ; Durrr...!"),
And instead try to think up
Something
Actually worthwhile, and productive, to do with the remainder of their Lifetimes...
And,
Nobody on Earth, not even out within the
Ex-Imperial Colonial Outposts of the Commonwealth, was there anyone who had
Any even remotely realistic use, for the TSR-2.
It was a huge fat stinking expensive
White Elephant of an
Aeroplane - which
drank stupid amounts of Kerosene, while
Making
Global Warming measurably far Far
FAR Worse than it would otherwise be, now.
Oz was not at all interested, because it lacked the range to ENACT Australia's # 1 Military Strategic Response to what
Frightened Canberra the MOST,
(ie," The Yellow Peril...", forever lurking to Oz' North).
Hence the planned Response being to, immediately,
"bomb jakarta...!
Bomb Jakarta...!
BOMB JAKARTA to the Ground...;
Bomb Jakarta BOMB JAKARTA
Keep 'Straya(!)
Safe and
Sound...!"
Or, words to that effect...(!).
So, we didn't want the silly bloody things
With their teeny tiny itsy-bitsy little Wings.
Vickers successfully
(Suck Cess Fully ?)
Sold a batch of a dozen Mk-5 RAF Aircrew Helmets - developed for the TSR-2, to the RAA...,
Optimistically hoping to flog the things off for our Aardvark Crews to have to wear..., but it would have added an extra Technician for every 6 Helmets fielded, to keep them in trim and working properly.
In 1979 I bought one of those 12, in a Military Surplus Disposal Store in Sydney, for $180...; the RAAF had paid $2,500, and I heard that the production Units were to have been 10 times that price.
The TSR-2 was ALWAYS a
Boondoggle.
A
Make-Work Sinecure, to provide
"Jobs For The Boys...!
at
Taxpayer Expense, while
Chest-Thumping and pretending that
Britain was still a
"Great Power"....(?).
Currently, in 2024
The Pommies are still
Pretending unto
Greatness ;
While the
Statisticians say that actuarially, right now,
40% of Britain's Population are living so far below the
"Poverty-Line" that they are
Missing out on Meals at least 5 times per week.
"Great Britain" cannot
Afford a Sheetmetal Pot,
In which to
Piss
Since their Empire evaporated, Thus it's now devolved unto this.
Just(ifiably ?) sayin'.
Such is life.
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
Consider how long it took for the F-111 to work as required. Don’t imagine that the TSR-2 wouldn’t have similar problems
RAAF knew what a shit state the TSR2 project was in. The had Officers based in the UK who were involved in the planning of stuff at Woomera and other projects and they did keep their ears on the ground as regards other projects that the RAAF were interested in but had not committed to.
@@richardvernon317 …. The F-111 was it’s own shitshow. For a long time. I’m saying there’s a presumption the TSR-2 would have been wonderful from the start. That it would have sold well internationally. Maybe…but I doubt it.
Most of the F-111's problems centred around the large swing wings, the TSR-2 had fixed wings, as such was less complex and less fatigue prone, so it wouldn't have those development problems.
@@rocketmunkey1 … correct. The TSR-2 wouldn’t have had variable geometry swings.
@@Idahoguy10157 They didn't make the mistake of trying to produce the TSR-2 for both the Airforce and the Navy, as such it didn't need swing wings for short carrier take off, that the F-111 was initially designed to do
Also the smaller budget probably made them not even consider the fashion for swing wings in the design, saving them from the engineering nightmare that the F-111 suffered from.
Neat historical research into British aviation procurement.
Love the video Love the gorgeous TSR-2
theres so many videos on the phantoms and the mig-21s i never hear people talk about this plane
Australia had a part in the downfall of the TSR-2. There was an early indication that the RAAF wanted the TSR-2. Costs were rising and the RAAF pulled out, and eventually got the F-111.
It could be argued that the F-111 was a more mature design at that point.
Very interesting and informative.
Thank you.
☮
Absolutely one the best aircraft never built. The lack of confidence in the British aerospace industry by politicians was completely unfounded and borderline criminal.
The British economy in the late 1950s/early 1960s was a financial house of cards, which collapsed between in November 1964 and after partial rebuilds keep collapsing between March 1965 and November 1967. This meant the end of the TSR-2 and after the devaluation of November 1967 the F-111K.
The politicians were right to cancel it. It would have been a very expensive way to support the UK aviation industry, but better options like the F-111 were available.
You should watch a video about the avro arrow. We managed to do worse in canada.
@@gort8203 The F111 cost even more so that was cancelled by the UK also !
@@RJM1011 That cancelation came later. At the time the TSR2 was cancelled the F-111 look cheaper.
The devaluation of the British Pound in combination with the additional development for the F-111K version inflated its price and made it also unaffordable to Britain in the end. But it would have been a better airplane than the TSR2 would have been.
Fantastic plane
A sad loss what the video fails to tell you is the F111 was cancelled by the UK government because it was going to end up costing even more than the TSR2 ! The biggest problem the TSR2 had was the government asking for an aircraft to do the roles of three to four aircraft and not thinking this was going to cost a lot of money in the sort term much like we have seen with the F35. Having been at Boscombe Down in the 1980's there were still people there that knew about this aircraft and they all said the TSR2 was excellent. What the UK ended up spending on other aircraft the TSR2 would have saved the UK a lot of money for many years.
Thank you.
F-111K was Cancelled because the price had gone up massively due to the Devaluation of the Pound in 1967. Plus the delays in the program were going to push the service entry back too late in the eyes of the RAF and also the operational requirements based British National and NATO defence policies had changed massively between 1960-65 when TSR2 and F-111K development and aircraft procurement were started (TSR2 was never ordered by the RAF BTW) and 1968 when the F-111K was order was cancelled and the Buccaneer was ordered. The TSR2 which flew was nowhere near being an Operational Aircraft and a lot of the systems in the aircraft which were being tested at places other than Boscombe Down in other aircraft were nowhere near being close to met their operational requirement in performance either.
Impressive that an EE lightning had to work hard to keep up with a prototype with afterburning working on only one engine.
Beautiful aircraft,in fact, stunningly spectacular lines. Always reminds me of the North American Vigilante. Similar design ( apart from air intakes).
2:45 Interesting to see Wernher von Braunn working for the british...
Side hustle ;-)
@@raafdocumentaries 🤣
Didn’t similar issues befall the Avro Canada CF-105 which also had the potential to be a great aircraft?
Yes indeed, I came here looking for this comment. That was 1959.
the death knell for the aircraft was when Australia cancelled its order
Seems if the politicians are the biggest hurdles in aviation development.
Totally wrong, the people who say that are normally the Aircraft Industry who are not as good at building stuff as they think they are!!! The British aircraft industry produced a lot of Duds. This was one of them!!!
If the weak point in the F-111 was the swing wings would the TSR2 have lasted longer in service and therefore been a better investment in the long run?
I really don't get the hype around that jet. Its specification wasn't even as good as the Aardvarks!
I think it's hyped simply because it was a non-U.S. jet that was canceled. I've been trying to post the below in response to another comment but it keeps getting censored. Lets see if it works here:
@RJM1011 said “The people I worked with at Boscombe Down said the TSR2 was the BETTER aircraft even when they had the F111's there from the USA in the 1980's.”
It seems I’m supposed to accept the opinion of a biased group with a vested interest the TSR 2. Forgive me if I ask exactly why the TSR was BETTER. Was it:
Better speed (faster)? No
Better rate of climb? No.
Better service ceiling? No.
Better range? No.
Better bombload? No.
Better avionics? We’ll never know what might have been, but we do know the F-111 actually flew automated low-level at night in the weather operationally. The FB-111 version even had an astrotracker navigation system.
Better as in safer and easier to fly and more capable of operating from various runways under various conditions? The RUclips viewers who pillory the F-104 for its high wing loading (as if that’s always a bad thing) would be distressed to hear that the TSR2 wing loading even as a prototype approached that of a late model F-104, and exceeded that of the F-105, which the F-111 was designed to replace. The 105 could already lift more than the TSR2, and the 111 could lift much more off shorter runways and take it further.
I have to assume they thought the TSR2 was better simply because it was British.
@gort8203
Excellent. It's great to see tha at least one other person is on the same page as me!
Its easy to say it would have been amazing when it never had to prove itself.
Another example of government budgetary office myopia that crippled and eventual destroyed an industry in the UK and resulted in further brain drain to the US. Sure, Britain was still paying for the war(s), and cash was tight, but, in not keeping the native companies gainfully employed they gave up on their own workers, and motivation to innovate. AND, they're still doing it to this day!
Only proved that the airframe was correct at time of cancellation. Vastly expensive and far overspect for UK future defense requirements.
nice new eidts
One more thing what happened to the F111? Did it turn out to be a failure costing our government even more money than the TSR2? As the F111 was never adopted in to the RAF because of its problems Which is why the Harrier the Jaguar Tornado had to fill those rolls.
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This is where things went wrong using American way of doing things was costly and time consuming. What should had happened was all aircraft companies. Looking at ways to make parts first and test them this includes the Engines which needed to be reliable and most powerful with economy in mind so all engine companies to make the engines and test them to work out which one is best. The electronics should be tested all first then designed to fit inside the aircraft without getting damaged b y any of the aircraft's parts. The wheels and bomb bay doors all must be fully tested before fitting for long use and under extreme pressures so not to fail also for easy maintenance. Same with all wing controls and tail controls tested to breaking points and made better. Then the construction of the cockpit should be designed tested to fit correctly in side the aircraft's frame. All of this going on while the design and modal is tested in wind tunnels from wings to tail then heat testing the hot spots for correct heat issues while flying at mach 2.8 so the plane could easily cruse at mach 2 for long times and distances. then all aircraft companies get together to put the aircraft together explaining every thing to the test pilots and maintenance crew. That way every aircraft company will had proven them selves for government contracts. Once the plane is built then all the modern electronics can be used knowing they will work fully and costs would had been lower also no delays. We know now our government contract was taken away buy outside interference more than money costs back then. Because testing the plane was proven better than any other aircraft in existence all the pilots were shocked at its acceleration rate of clime that could only be matched by the Lightning it hit well over mach two as the lightnings found it hard to keep with accelerated the as the TSR2 reached well over expected speeds. Corruption and many factors caused the TSR2 to not be built for the air force. Funny how British electronic inventions ended up in American aircraft after the TSR2 was cancelled?
Massive twchnical triumph but with hindsight it was designed to a requirement that had already been rendered obsolete. An advanced development of the Buccaneer would have suited the real needs of the UK much better and development of something like a more advanced Tornado could be carried through at a sensible pace
It would have bee a cool plane to fly but was not really a massive technical triumph. Aircraft of similar performance had already been built, or cancelled because of an unjustifiable expense-to-need ratio. The RAAF had already chosen the superior and less expensive F-111 by the time the TSR2 was rightly cancelled. The Tornado had less range and came along a decade later.