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What Might Have Been? On Friday 16th December 2005, the Imperial War Museum unveiled their newly restored British Aircraft Corporation [BAC] TSR-2 in the presence of specially invited guests. The TSR-2, serial number XR222, was officially unveiled by former test pilots James [‘Jimmy’] Dell & Don Knight. One of Fighter Control’s Photographic Editors, Mick Freer, was at Duxford to record the event. When asked by Fighter Control what the TSR-2 was like to fly, Jimmy Dell likened it to a big Lightning, whilst Don Knight praised the aircraft’s low level capabilities, saying what a stable platform it was. He reminisced about the times he flew it through the Pennines - a sight that must have been wonderful to witness.

The TSR [Tactical Strike (originally Support) and Reconnaissance] - 2 was designed in the early 1960s as a supersonic tactical nuclear strike aircraft, to replace the English Electric Canberra and was to become the mainstay of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command. However, the project was plagued by cost overruns and technical problems and was axed during 1965 by the Labour Government, striking a heavy blow to the British aircraft industry. The announcement was made on Budget Day on 6th April 1965, much to the dismay of all concerned with the project. Though there were problems, in particular those with the Rolls Royce Olympus 320 engine, these were being overcome and there was even export potential with the Royal Australian Air Force. The acquisition of the more cost effective F-111 was given as the reason behind the cancellation but this in turn was cancelled on grounds of spiralling development costs. The Royal Australian Air Force however went ahead and ordered a batch of F-111s. Duxford’s TSR-2, XR222, was the fourth aircraft on the production line and was incomplete when the project was cancelled. It was allocated to the Cranfield Institute of Technology, until the Ministry of Defence transferred it to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. It is one of only two surviving TSR-2 airframes, the other being XR220, which is currently with the Royal Air Force collection at RAF Cosford.

The prototype aircraft, XR219, was transported in sections by road to the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment [A&AEE] at Boscombe Down and first flew on 27th September 1964, with Test Pilot Roland Beamont at the controls. XR220 was ready to fly when the cancellation was announced and sadly never flew. It had suffered a mishap on arrival at Boscombe Down when it fell off the low loader and some minor damage had to be repaired. It was kept at Boscombe for a year or so and then placed in storage at RAF Henlow, after all the internal equipment was literally ripped out, with the wires to the equipment being cut rather than properly disconnected. It was later transferred Cosford, where it remains today. XR221 and XR223 were taken to the shooting range at Shoeburyness, to be destroyed as 'damage to aircraft' targets. XR222 was initially to be scrapped but was instead sent to the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield and later saved for restoration and moved to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. All other part built airframes from the production line were scrapped when the project was cancelled.

The ‘ rollout ‘ of XR222 is the culmination of eighteen months hard work involving a total strip down, corrosion treatment and repainting and is a testament to the very high skill levels at Duxford. Indeed, while the author was taking photographs, some French visitors enquired what the ‘new aircraft’ was that was attracting all the attention!

After all the guests had departed and with the winter sun sinking in the sky, XR222 was towed away to it’s new home, the £25 million AirSpace exhibition hangar, which is set to be open during 2007. Supported by BAe Systems, plus £9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £995,000 by the East of England Development Agency, AirSpace will tell the story of Britain’s aviation industry from its earliest days to the present. A final stop was made on the active ramp at Duxford so that the very last photographs could be taken, prior to it being towed away to it’s new home. Bathed in winter sunshine she stood alone and proud leaving the author pondering the question... "What might have been?"