The TSR-2 was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
This is one of the three prototypes, XR220, at RAF Cosford.
The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a strike and reconnaissance aircraft that was developed for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was designed to be a high-speed, low-level aircraft that could penetrate well-defended enemy airspace and attack targets with nuclear or conventional weapons.
The TSR-2 was a radical design for its time. It had a delta wing, which gave it excellent low-speed performance, and two powerful engines that allowed it to fly at Mach 2. It was also equipped with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite that would have made it difficult for enemy radar to track.
The TSR-2 was cancelled in 1965 due to a combination of factors, including rising costs, political opposition, and the changing nature of warfare. However, it remains one of the most iconic British aircraft ever designed.
Although never developed beyond the prototype stage, the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 was one of the most exciting and controversial British combat aircraft designs of the 1960s.
The cancellation of the project is a subject of great discussion and debate to this day.