F-155T projects...

[Archibald]

Thread to discuss the F155T projects. The winner - Fairey delta-III - is well known... but competitors were some odd-looking birds.
My favorites are the Vickers type 559 and the Saro P.187 (this one was really a monster of fighter) but also the AW contender (a four engined fighter   )

[Zen]

Vickers Supermarine was considered the most agile, but they had reservations over the canard layout, and of course the missile stations where very unsatisfactory.

Saro P187 was a real monster, but does seem to have real potential to become a medium bomber as well. Strip out the rockets and you;ve got a huge fuel load.

AWA.168 was in many ways the easier machine to build, and based on more known aerodynamics. Its chief problem is its restricted to wingtip missiles, though I suspect you could mount bombs on the fusilage. Potential in to be the first 'fly-by-wire' aircraft a decade ahead of the NASA Crusader.

DH's design is really too conservative, why did'nt DH have something more 'modern'?

EE's design is so close to the Lightning it really makes you wonder why they did'nt fund it instead of the later Lightnings.

[John Howling Mouse]

Interesting, this Saro P.187 of yours.  Hard to find many images on the 'net, though.

[Archibald]

JHM... the P.187 had four rocket engines (4500 kgp each) + 2 Gyron turbojets (in their more powerfull variant at 15 tons thrust). This plane could have been an incredible experimental machine (or a bomber, Zen that's a cool idea!)
Hmm I had imagined a scebario in which Roland Beamont broke the world height record on a P.187, peaking at 130 000 ft or so...

Good article (an profile!) here
http://www.spaceuk.org/sr53/f155/f155.htm

[John Howling Mouse]

Impressive expectations.  How far did the program ever get?  Mock-up ever built?

[Zen]

No Fairey's Delta III won the F155T tender. Cheaper, and smaller than the Saro submission, and frankly of higher peformance in terms of speed and climb.
Airframe had no limits until mach3, so engine improvements permitted increases in speed.
Saros machine was better in range, ease of installation of the full weapon system and potential for other developments, because of its shear size.

AWA's 168 lasted as the fallback option for a while, until testing of models proved the Fairey design.

[Archibald]

I've just finished a Type 559 in Rasperry ripple. Model desk (I mean, on a pylon). Photos next weeks (plenty of models to show!!!)  

[naoto]

Speaking of the Supermarine Type-559...
http://www.stratos4.jp/his_mecha.html
(scroll down about 3/4 ways down)

[Archibald]

Sweeeeeeeet!!!
I heard about this Manga various times... what the plot ?