My TSR.2 took a sharp turn in another direction

[upnorth]

O.K. I at least have the backstory reworked:

Airframe XS981 started it's operational life as an Eagle GR.1 assigned to 31 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore in the late1960s; the Cottesmore Eagle Wing consisted of  2, 31 and 208 Squadrons. In RAF circles, Cottesmore became known as the "Eagles' Nest" as it was the hub of UK based TSR.2 action.

The early 70s saw the introduction of the GR.3 variant of the Eagle and the subsequent upgrade of several GR.1s to the more capable GR.3 variant. As 31 Sqn. Was one of the first GR.1 units selected to upgrade to the GR.3, XS981 was one of the first airframes chosen for conversion. However, the impending introduction of the newly developed "Black Sun" cruise missile changed XS981's destiny.

The Bristol Black Sun ALCM was the direct result of the RAF being relieved of the responsibility of Britain's nuclear deterent duties and the retirement of the Blue Steel missile employed by the V Bomber force in the late 60s. Although the RN had taken over the job with Polaris missiles, it was still felt by many that an air launched weapon was also still needed for the job.

In early 1970, Bristol was tasked with the very secret development of the weapon that would become the Black Sun. Several designs were developed and tested, however, the MoD's priority was a short a development time as possible. This lead to Bristol reworking their existing Bloodhound SAM into an air launched weapon. The BAC Eagle was chosen to carry it.

XS981 was the first of several GR.1s to be redirected from GR.3 conversion to the newly declared GR.4 standard. The GR.4 was specialized to carry the Black Sun and its avionics package. The most notable change to the airframe was the rebuilding of the weapons bay so that the missile could be carried in a semi recessed fashion on the aircraft's centreline. Additionaly there was an avioncs buldge between the weapons bay and nose gear bay.

After conversion, XS981 spent a brief period of time assigned to the final phase of Black Sun testing. As most of the testing of the missile had been done from Victors, all that was left to do was prove that it could work with the Eagle, and it did so flawlessly. Subsequently, XS981 and the first batch of GR.4 converted aircraft became the nucleus of the newly reformed 19 Squadron in early 1972 , primarily tasked as the OCU for the GR.4 and Black Sun.

All training for air and ground crews took place at RAF St. Mawgan under very tight security. In the early days very few people got close to a GR.4 and fewer still to a Black Sun. Despite the secrecy, the world at large found out about the Black Sun nearly as soon as it hit service when, during a routine training flight over the mid Atlantic, two GR.4s with inert Black Suns were approached by a pair of USN F-4 Phantoms. The Phantom crews took more than a few pictures. News of Britain's new weapon did not sit well with America, who made a public spectacle of it, consequently alerting the Soviets to the Black Sun's existence.

In the press circus that ensued, RAF St. Mawgan came under a much unwanted media spotlight. At the end of training for the first operational GR.4 unit, 60 Squadron, all Black Sun related equipment and units were quietly relocated to RAF Chuch Fenton. 19 Squadron was retasked as an operational GR.4 unit after the last of the four Black Sun units had finished its training course. 19 left Chuch Fenton for Leuchars in early 1975.

XS981 earned herself the nickname "Lazy Susan" with both air and ground crews owing to some peculiarities and idiosyncrasies that seemed all her own and gave her something of a "personality" not generally seen in other aircraft in the Eagle fleet. She was certainly far from being a hangar queen, and there was nothing technically wrong with her. Perhaps the best desription of the situation came from one of the pilots who flew her frequently: "She's a lot like my wife, argumentative, but ultimately not unreasonable. She'll do whatever you ask of her, as long as you know how to ask."

Interestingly, that nickname was bestowed upon her after the Black Sun conversion and transfer to 19 Sqn. Nobody who worked with her or flew her during her time as a GR.1 with 31 Sqn. found her any different than any other Eagle on the flightline.

Roughly 60 GR.4s were built and armed 4 squadrons: 3, 7,19 and 60 which were located at Wattisham, Scampton, Leuchars and Lossiemouth respectively. Plans for a fifth, Germany based unit were quickly abandoned when the German government refused to give permission for the Black Sun to be stationed on German soil.

Through the 70s, the Black Sun remained nuclear. Britain had let America and other allies in on the weapon to restore faith. When the 80s came and the various SALT treaties were put in place, the Black Sun and the Eagle GR.4 were almost immediately affected. The Black Sun was to become a conventional weapon only and the GR.4 fleet was to be cut by half.

7 and 3 Squadrons were disbanded with the bulk of their aircraft being scrapped. The Black Sun was reworked for anti shipping purposes with 60 Squadron, soon after renumbered 3 Squadron, remaining at Lossiemouth to operate it. 19 was retasked as an EW unit and moved to Wyton in 1986. It was during this period that XS981 was converted again, this time to an Eagle EW.3.

She was deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Granby and her nickname of Lazy Susan lent itself well to the nose art she received.

Susan was withdrawn from service shortly after the end of the first Gulf War, She was spared the scrapman's torch largely because she was one of the very first Eagles in service and she had served longer than any other Eagle in the RAF.

She spent most of the 90s as a gate guard at Wyton but was taken into the care of the RAF museum at Cosford in 2000 after 19 Squadron was disbanded in conjunction with the retirement of the Eagle from EW duties.

She was briefly on public display in EW.3 form until a decision to restore her to GR.4 status and display her with one of the few surviving Black Suns was made in early 2002. She is currently at Cosford, out of public view undergoing those restorations.

[Archibald]

The most notable change to the airframe was the rebuilding of the weapons bay so that the missile could be carried in a semi recessed fashion on the aircraft's centreline

Lovely backstory... concerning the quote, this is exactly what I'm working on for two days!!! I mean, I modified my TSR-2 bomb bay. On this case, the aim is to carry the BlueSteel cruise missile "in semi recessed fashion on the aircraft centerline" . well, I managed to do it and having a correct ground clearance.
So it was possible to have a TSR-2 carrying a blueSteel  

[GeorgeC]

I was doing some reading earlier and may have found your Black Sun!

One of the options after Skybolt cancellation in 1962 was to develop a UK replacement to OR1182 for an air-launched successor to Blue Steel entering service in 1966.  The OR required a ramjet missile with a max range of 1150nm, climb to 70K+ feet and Mach 4.  BAC was planning to meet the OR with the X-12 or 'Pandora', originally developed by its Bristol predecessor, the manufacturer of Bloodhound.  (See Wynn's RAF Nuclear Deterrent Forces Chapter 24)  

Now the Bloodhound 2 has a quoted range (no doubt against a very cooperative target) of about 50 nm, and a planned Mk3 version with further improved ramjets about 75nm, all of course from 0 ft and 0 kts off the launcher.  If we assume 4, more advanced ramjets (cut the one off the 'submerged' submerged side of the SAM and stick it next to the other) double the basic range, use a simple trajectory and launch from an aircaft at altitude performing some sort of supersonic 'lofting' manoeuver we might be looking at a 3-500 mile range (expert opinion welcome).

The missile might have weighed about 6-7000 lbs carrying the 450 kt warhead sheduled for Skybolt and used in the WE177 and so is within the TSR2's bomb bay payload range.  This could have been a useful fallback development, perhaps from an experimental test vehicle, if the original OR1182 spec proved too complex/risky/unreliable/expensive like most UK missile projects in the 60s.    

Missile project figures from
http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/missi...e%20Steel%20Mk1

Regards

GeorgeC

[Eddie M.]

So, Just Cause was substituted, and security doesn't seem to have been of much importance since...

That's the thing about being the only superpower - it's sooo damn liberating!

Except for Operation Eagle Claw. You know, failed Iranian hostage rescue attempt in the desert, 1980?

Upnorth,
   I really like your back story. Great piece of writing! B) I wish I had that kind of imagination.
     Eddie

[upnorth]

Thanks Eddie, I never really thought my creative writing skill were all that great, but some folks seem to think otherwise.

Thanks again