The Rocket Planes War | Genius, Politics, And Corruption | Upscaled Vintage Footage
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- The story of the last rocket aircraft, also recalled by Eric Winkle Brown. The Sauders Roe SR.53 and SR.177 against the might of Lockheed, their F-104 Starfighter, and the corruption scandal that followed.
Also, a short history of Nazi Germany rocket fighters, such as the extraordinary, but dangerous Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, or the British Swallow, and the story of great designers, such as Alexander Lippisch, and Hans Multhopp.
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SAUNDERS ROE SR.53
The Saunders-Roe SR.53 was a British prototype interceptor aircraft of mixed jet and rocket propulsion developed for the Royal Air Force (RAF) by Saunders-Roe in the early 1950s. As envisaged, the SR.53 would have been used as an interceptor aircraft, using its rocket propulsion to rapidly climb and approach incoming hostile bombers at high speeds; following its attack run, the aircraft would then return to its base using jet propulsion.
Although the SR.53 proved to have promising performance during test flights, the requirement for such an aircraft had been overtaken by rapid advances in surface-to-air missile technology, leading to reconsideration of the aircraft's purpose. In July 1960, the development program was formally canceled, by which time a total of 56 test flights had been performed. A pair of prototype SR.53 aircraft had been completed and used during flight tests. The second prototype was destroyed during one such test flight in June 1958. The first prototype has been preserved to this day. It rests on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.
SAUDERS ROE SR.177
The Saunders-Roe SR.177 was a 1950s project to develop a combined jet- and rocket-powered interceptor aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy. It was an enlarged derivative of the Saunders-Roe SR.53, which was itself an experimental combined jet-and-rocket interceptor aircraft.
The SR.177 principally differed from the smaller SR.53 in its adoption of a nose-mounted airborne interception radar unit, which allowed it to scan for and lock onto its own targets; a more powerful turbojet engine was also incorporated. In addition to British interests in the aircraft, the German Navy had also expressed their interest in the project and closely evaluated its progress with an eye toward its potential procurement. However, the SR.177 was ultimately canceled as a result of changes in Britain's military policies in 1957.
A much larger derivative of the SR.177 had been studied, which was designated as the SR.187, and was being developed with the intention of meeting the requirements of Operational Requirement F.155. However, this work was also canceled in 1957. By the time of termination, approximately 90 percent of the first prototype had been completed, while several other prototypes were in various states of completion. The prototypes were stored for several years while attempts were made to revive the project; while interest was present, including from Japan, nothing more came of the project and the remaining assets were broken up.
Me 163 KOMET
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet is a rocket-powered interceptor aircraft primarily designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It is the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft in history as well as the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (620 mph) in level flight.
The development of what would become the Me 163 can be traced back to 1937 and the work of the German aeronautical engineer Alexander Lippisch and the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS). Initially, an experimental program that drew upon traditional glider designs while integrating various new innovations such as the rocket engine, the development ran into organizational issues until Lippisch and his team were transferred to Messerschmitt in January 1939. Plans for a propeller-powered intermediary aircraft were quickly dropped in favor of proceeding directly to rocket propulsion. On 1 September 1941, the prototype performed its maiden flight, quickly demonstrating its unprecedented performance and the qualities of its design. Having been suitably impressed, Nazi officials quickly enacted plans that aimed for the widespread introduction of Me 163 point-defense interceptors across Germany. In December 1941, work began on the upgraded Me 163B, which was optimized for large-scale production.
#Me163 #engineering #aircraft 
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I was lucky to have grown up part of my life at Edwards Air Force Base.
The history of aviation around Edwards, Mojave, California City, Rosemond, Lancaster, and Palmdale, oh and China Lake Navel Base.
My father sent some letters to lippish. The man was very nice and answered my father back about his research.
Wonderful video production.
My full attention start to finish. New knowledge for me.
🤜🤛
Fascinating story of an idea that never was able to mature...
The full version of this film included the fact that Air Defence in Germany from 1963 to the end of the cold war had the SAM as king. The whole of West Germany was a Nike Hercules / Patriot High Level Missile Engagement Zone from 10,000 feet up and a lot of the Hercules's had nuclear warheads that gave a limited ABM capability. 40 miles back from the Iron Curtain was a belt of HAWK SAM batteries that did a Low Level MEZ over that airspace from 200 feet up to the High MEZ. The Fighters would muck about in that airspace in peacetime to do things like the Air Policing of the boarder , but their war role was to fight at low level below the Nike Hercules and behind the HAWK belt. Germans lost about 25% of their Starfighters, which were almost all used in the low level role.
Nice, I'll have to find the full version of this programme!
The airframe loss rate for the German F-104 is truly horrific. Not many post-war aircraft have a reputation like that apart from the B-47 and perhaps a good number of various Soviet designs.
The river is pronounced T-ems/T-emz, not Th-ames :)
Nato competition aside It wasn't required by the RAF in the end, the entire program seems to ignore the existence of the english electric lightning, which was a program further along and had even been developed with a rocket engine capability. The rocket plan was scrapped in 1958 as the lightnings engines with afterburner were deemed good enough, it could also super cruise and refuel in the air.
By the time the SR.177 was meant to enter service things had changed again and the very bombers they were meant to intercept ironically got cancelled too so their usefulness would have been questionable.
Alas, the so-called British courage was sadly missing when it came to support for its superb aircraft industry. That industry was innovative: ( all moving tail plane and the experimental planes mentioned in this video) Its government, particularly its Labor Government stands accused of having cancelled and destroyed all traces of what might have been a superior fighter bomber, choosing instead to pursue a missile defence.
Now, in 2023 all competing nations are still looking for pilot guided defences.....but what might have been if the 1960 designs had been allowed to ' mature'.
The British wasted so many chances to be the leading aircraft manufacturer
Britain does have the world's second largest airspace industry
British made too many mistakes in choice of technologies. The US had the money to try 10 different things and at least a couple of them were sure to work. The British had money for one or two, and wasted it on Fetish projects at the wimm of the director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, the British equivalent of NACA / NASA who did most of the R/D work in the UK. T-tails and HTP rockets being the two biggest cock up's in fighters and engines in the wing roots for the airliners.
Don't forget the late 50's saw millions wasted on the Blue Streak ballistic missile.The cost of the V force including updated airfields and effective radars (not wasted a very effective deterrent) was very expensive and we still had NATO army and air force European bases, bases East of Suez and the Royal Navy and Army to fund. We were near broke.
@@kenstevens5065 That's the problem with British plane spotters, they have no idea of the big picture. UK was broke!!! That big loan we took out in 1946 had a non payment clause built into it that allowed the UK to default a years payments for 4 years total. All of those defaults were used up by the Macmillan Government.
. ty
Sadly times changed and ultimately the SR.177 never had to face planes like the M-50 “Bounder” (ironically cancelled because the Soviets understood the potential of ICBMs by that time).
To be fair, the F104 was never designed to have all the 'extras' Germany wanted, i.e. All weather radar (A heavy package it's self!) i Plus increased on board fuel (again further weight!) and extra missiles, tanks etc which made it The aircraft with the very high wing loading even more 'draggy' eventually resulting with a very difficult aircraft to fly! Even highly trained test pilots such as Eric Brown (who actually flew the F104 himself!) He declared it to be a very difficult and dangerous aircraft to fly! And before any accusations of national pride issues be levelled towards Eric Brown, it should be noted how he elogised over the F4 Phantom and even the north American Sabre at an earlier date, again both aircraft which Captain Brown had himself piloted! ( It should also be remembered that eric Brown was the only allied pilot ever to have actually flown the Me 163 so this famous test pilot's view should be listened to!)
In essence it was no longer the light aero designed high speed 'dart' And the real big giveaway is the fact that the americans themself did not buy many! They too had bases in germany and the UK so they would certainly face the same problem as the europeans in respect of getting high fast to intercept soviet Bombers that would give very little warning due to the small distances from west germany to east german bases with their accompanying Russian bomber fleets!
Lockheed have indeed a shady history with regards to money issues. Not only was it proved that 'Backhanders (To the tune of some 22 million Dollars worth!) was paid to the F104's eventual customers and this certainly helped to make their purchasing choice for the F104 (even though it proved to be a dangerous aircraft to fly in the German's eventual specification) but even as recent as the Joint strike fighter (F35) programme, the pentagon was not happy with the amount of money that had 'vanished and was not accountable, so much so that at one stage even the very viability of continuing the programme was brought into question! However a reprieve was given and the rest is history (Including some high ranking 1950's west german politicians/officials somehow gaining expensive houses, holidays and other 'fringe benefits' such as the immoral taking of bribes tend to lend to these individuals who to be fair were as guilty as Lockheed themselves in the whole F104/SR117 debacle.
The SR-177 was a rocket fighter developed in the 1950 because jet engines were still relatively low power. The SR-53 and SR-177 were cancelled after the notorious 1957 Defence White Paper which promoted Surface To Air Missiles (SAM) rather than piloted airctaft for bomber interception. It was one of many Interceptor Fighters cancelled at the same time.
The F-104 was a jet interceptor that was ordered for the USAF in 1955, but by 1958 the USAF was loosing interest in the aircraft. A few F-104A had been sold to Pakistan while the F-104DJ sold to Japan. Lockheed decided to revamp the aircraft as a multi-role Fighter to attract NATO sales, this was the F-104G which was ready by 1960. Lockheed resorted to massive bribes to sell the F104G to NATO, not suitable for the multi-role mission, many crashed, it quickly became known as the "Widdow Maker"
Too true, the SR rocket/jet fighter was answer, whether it was the answer is debatable.
What is so sad is that a combination of Lockheed bribery, political corruption and of course the born again idiot Duncan Sandys spelled the demise of the British aviation industry.
Given the range and accuracy of ground based missiles at the time his stupidity was beyond rational, even now air defence still relies very much on missile armed aircraft, plus of course many NATO countries finished up with a dangerous piece of junk as a front line aircraft.
Sandys knew that the primary air threat to the UK by the time the SR-177 was operational was going to be the IRBM. You cannot shoot them down with a manned Fighter, Nuclear tipped SAM on the other hand has a good chance. A Fighter was still required for the peacetime air policing mission and seeing the Lightning was actually flying at this point, it escaped the axe.
There was a bit of German Air Force black humour at the time that went:
"Does anybody want to get a Starfighter, cheap?"
"Then buy an acre of ground and wait"
@@profpepYes the GAF were stoic about the bill of goods they were sold. Lockheed literally put bomb racks on the F-104 to sell it to NATO. Most crashes I believe were flying low level, what the F-104 was never intended to do.
@@profpep Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters!!!!
The F-104NF almost killed Yeager.
The F-104 was an amazing (and record-breaking) piece of engineering, unfortunately, it could never be what it was promised to be.
(And most certainly not the “egg-laying wool-milk-sow” the German air force wanted it to be. ;)
@@aoife1122
And what does this have to do with my comment?
If you read my other comment. It says I grew up around Edwards Air Force Base.
I've spent my whole life in aviation. I grew up watching documentaries on test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base.
My biological father was an Air Force pilot.
@@Istandby666 Nothing really. Many pilots subsequently lost their lives in the F-104 but that does not necessarily make it a "bad design". There's a lot more to that story, as you most likely know yourself.
Why Germany chose F104? Follow the money.
The starfighter was a staggeringly good airplane when it was doing the job it was designed to do. And it wasn't a bad plane at all. Anyone who makes that claim doesn't know anything about it. Stunningly good plane, and easy to fly as long as training was good. It was only Germany that struggled with the plane and Only because of training. I think they would have struggled with the rocket plane as well. Absolutely. Given most of it's best pilots were dead 10 years prior. I think if they had a lot of crashes, it honestly doesn't make Brown look very good. If he was really in command of training their naval air arm which I assume used star fighters from land bases. There is always a looser and always a winner. Everyone bribed everyone back then as well anyway. That, is common knowledge.
German Starfighter losses were manly caused by operating the aircraft in the low level strike role in a country that has bad weather and mountains. German lose ratios with the F-84 were actually higher than the F-104. SR-177 was a barking idea, German Air Force wouldn't have bought it as they had already operated an aircraft with HTP. Royal Navy wouldn't have bought it as the Service would have never allow HTP powered aircraft on their Carriers due to the issues of storing large amounts of a liquid that catches fire when ever it touches anything organic on a ship. The Royal Navy delayed the introduction of getting a SAM onto their ships until they could get rid of a hazardous liquid propellent in it. SR-177 was an explosion on the Flight Line wafting to happen,
The narrator must be driving the Bridish (sic) listeners absolutely mad! Briden is very proud country and they will be damned if they are going to let some rogue narrator change the pronunciation of "t" form "t" to "d". Anyone who knows the Cockney accent knows that British is said with the "t" being silent!:)
The River Thames is pronounced as "Tems", not "Thaymes". Do your research!