Legendary Test Pilots | Roland Beamont | TSR 2 its controversial demise
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- Опубликовано: 31 мар 2023
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Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar was a British fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force and went on to become a legendary British experimental test pilot during and after the Second World War.
Working for English Electric as their Chief Test Pilot, Beamont became the first British pilot to exceed Mach 1 in a British aircraft in level flight (P.1A), and the first to fly a British aircraft at Mach 2 (P.1B).
During his career at English Electric (and later for BAC), he directed the flight test programmes of the Canberra, the Lightning and TSR-2, making the maiden flight of each type.
When he retired from test flying in 1968, he had flown 167 different types during a total of 5,100hr and 8,000 flights-of which more than 1,100 were supersonic. He set three Atlantic records in the Canberra, including the first double Atlantic flight within 24 hours for which he was awarded the Britannia Trophy. In 1971, he became Panavia flight operations director, responsible for the testing of the Tornado, retiring in August 1979 following the maiden flight of the first production Tornado.
Over a period of six months, a total of 24 test flights were conducted. Most of the complex electronics were not fitted to the first aircraft, so these flights were all concerned with the basic flying qualities of the aircraft which, according to the test pilots involved, were outstanding. Speeds of Mach 1.12 and sustained low-level flights down to 200 ft were achieved above the Pennines. Undercarriage vibration problems continued, however, and only in the final few flights, when XR219 was fitted with additional tie-struts on the already complex landing gear, was there a significant reduction in them. The last test flight took place on 31 March 1965.
Although the test flying programme was not completed and the TSR-2 was undergoing typical design and systems modifications reflective of its sophisticated configuration, "There was no doubt that the airframe would be capable of accomplishing the tasks set for it and that it represented a major advance on any other type" commented Beamont.
By the 1960s, the United States military was developing the swing-wing F-111 project . The RAF was asked to consider the F-111 as an alternative cost-saving measure to the TSR.2. In response to suggestions of cancellation, BAC employees held a protest march, and the new Labour government, which had come to power in 1964, issued strong denials. However, at two Cabinet meetings held on 1 April 1965, it was decided to cancel the TSR.2 on the grounds of projected cost, and instead to obtain an option agreement to acquire up to 110 F-111 aircraft with no immediate commitment to buy. This decision was announced in the budget speech of 6 April 1965. The maiden flight of the second development batch aircraft, XR220, was due on the day of the announcement, but following an accident in conveying the airframe to Boscombe Down, coupled with the announcement of the project cancellation, it never happened. Ultimately, only the first prototype, XR219, ever took to the air.
All airframes were then ordered to be destroyed and burned.
In 1960 Roland Beamont was appointed a special director of English Electric Aviation. In May 1965 he retired from prototype flying and was appointed as BAC Warton's flight operations director. He did however continue production test flying of Lightnings until 1968 when he retired from test flying altogether, by then he had flown 167 different types during a total of 5,100hr and 8,000 flights, of which more than 1,100 were supersonic.
In 1971, he became Panavia flight operations director, responsible for the testing of the Panavia Tornado, retiring in August 1979 following the maiden flight of the first production Tornado. After retirement he devoted himself to writing; contributing to various aeronautical publications and writing a number of books about his experiences.
Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont died on 19 November 2001 at the age of 81.
In 2002 he was posthumously awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre.
In this rare interview from 1996, Roland talks about test flying the TSR.2, as well as discussing the controversial decision to scrap the project. It is a great insight into one of the worlds legendary test pilots.
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Same story with the Arrow. Us DOD promoting different systems and couldn't have a k1ller like the Arrow coming from another country.
Indeed...the Arrow could have been an exceptional aircraft.
It's a cliche to say that this, that or the other thing was years ahead of its time, but in the case of the TSR2, it really was.
First time I've seen the footage of the tiptoe landing.
All at Boscombe Down
Seeing how Russia has kicked up again, I think a 21st century tsr2 could come in handy.
If things had worked out, the original TSR.2 may still have been in service...
Or the latest version
It would of been tsr4 or something now.
Yes, indeed with mid-life upgrades, it would now have the latest avionics, engines and weapons fit. Oh, what might have been...
Over budget it may have been - but I can't help but think (beyond the politics of Jenkins, Mountbatten and many others) that the budget argument was so short sighted. As Beamont said, the aircraft had the potential to be continuously updated, particularly as technology ensured equipment became smaller. Thus the government would have got incredible value for money from a multi role aircraft that would have been in service for a very long time.
The F111 scenario is also extraordinary - government climbing into bed with another high tech (and this time swing wing!) aircraft still being developed, with spiraling costs that resulted in cancellation appears to be a good example of TSR2 events repeating themselves. Farcical.
The main value of the TSR2 would have been as a testbed for prolonged Mach 2 flight. The Concorde suffered from the lack of a prior testbed
(a) Concorde was forced to use high take off and landing speeds due to the lack of compressor air blown wings, allowing high angles of attack, with much lower take off and landing speeds.
(b) Supersonic boom neutralization : TSR2 would have been a suitably sized testbed.
(c) Once Mach 2 flight was developed, Mach 4 would be the next step, allowing Trans Pacific range.
Had the TSR ever made it to production it would, no doubt, have been a national scandal. A vastly expensive piece of kit with a limited role.
Of coursei it's impossible not to admire Roly Beamont. But some of the received opinion and consensus around the TSR2 goes largely unquestioned and unchallenged. The F111 conspiracy theory is not exactly replete with evidence (although the complete destruction of the airframes and tooling is very odd). And his point about the Falklands seems mildly unhinged.
The Australian experience with the F111 wasn’t a raging success.
Your “received opinion and consensus “ is what exactly ?
@@californiadreamin8423 The received opinion, which seems to be subject to almost no qualification, is that the TSR2 would have been a tremendous success. We don't know that - and it had a lot of systems that were entirely untested (much like the F111). I think that has led to a lot of overclaiming for it.
@@mookie2637 I stick with the assessment of Roland Beaumont who previously was the test pilot for the Canberra, and Lightning.
@@californiadreamin8423 I know who Roly Beamont was. His long and excellent record does not mean that his assessment should go unquestioned - especially with the benefit of hindsight around the development difficulties of similar aircraft and systems.
@@mookie2637 ….whatever.
the aircraft that should have been. we are going to find the same with the typhoon and f35. the f35 is going to become a burden with unreliability and low payload for little gain compared to the typhoon leaving us dependent on the americans