Australian what-if

[Captain Canada]

I'd take 50 Buccs over 10 TSR.2s anyday !

And Vulcans sweeping through the hills of Vietnam would have been an awesome sight !



And screw the Vigilante.....Arrow all the way !

 

[elmayerle]

I don't know about the semi-conformal carriage

I'm just referring to the way that (on the F-15E) laser-bombs look snuggly attached to the corners of the fuselage or conformal fuel tanks because of the really short pylons.  It just looks like a good way of carrying a little more without creating too much additional drag.

Hmm, that would likely be doable (I'm not familiar enough with the Vigi's structure, but I don't think any beef-ups and other changes that would require would affect the really critical structural items).  The trick is to keep the stores within the boundary layer and to have a strong enough ejection system to punch them through it and into the free air.  I'd be more inclined. though, to look at combined stores with conformal carriage for the four wing hardpoints rather than add new structure and such under the fuselage, but that's just this engineer's preferences.

[mgp]

Several other aircraft were being considered at the same time as Canberra replacements: TSR2, Mirage IV, A-5 Vigilante, F-4 Phantom and F-111.

According to my references the British were offering 25 TSR2s as well as the loan of 2 squadrons of either Vulcans, Victors or Valiants and their crews until the TSR2 was delivered.
The Americans offered the free lease of up to 2 squadrons of B-47E and RB-47E Stratojets to sweeten the F-111 deal.

As you can see, there are a large range of aircraft on offer as possible what-if RAAF craft.

Now if only I didn't have to work and was rich.......

[Geoff_B]

From what i recall the Vigilante was the RAAF preferred option and wanted to match its capability (WAPJ shows a manufactures model of the RA-5C in an Alumininum & White scheme with the belly recon pack and four bullpups in Roo roundels.

TSR-2 should have been able to match it, the Mirage IVO may have struggled to meet it but built upon the successful introduction of the Mirage IIIO in RAAF service.

The RAAF eventually got F-4E Phantoms as a stop gap untill the F-111 problems were resolved (which they rather liked)

And the F-111 was the chosen option but was more a political decision rather than the preferred option from the RAAF.

A pity we didn't set the restrictions on the V-bomber loan as i bet the RAAF would have loved to use them.

Geoff B

[Bryan H.]

Lot's of great what-ifs...  Maybe the Australian's go for the TSR & take the Vulcans or Victors as loaners.  If the British keep the TSR alive, the Aussies get it also.  However, if (as in reality) the TSR is cancelled, the RAAF can go back to North American and order the Vigilante.  Either way, lots of good what-ifs!

Bryan

[nev]

So, if you had a choice of 50 Buccaneers or 10 TSR2s for your airforce, what would you choose???

Well its not like the Bucc was a bad plane is it?

Something tells me though that Mountbatten was probly including the development cost in her per unit cost of the "one" TSR2 and not including the development cost in the per unit cost for the Buccaneer.  Its a standard tactic of any opponent of a particular weapons system (B-2 and F-22 are 2 that spring to mind where the cost per plane varies wildly depending on whose figures you use).