Man of Honour
- Joined
- 17 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 9,712
- Location
- Retired Don
Many of you will not have even heard of this absolutely spectacular aircraft - the British 1950s Saunders Roe SR 177 Rocket Propelled fighter.
It was capable of Mach 2.35 and couple climb to 60,000 ft in a couple of minutes!! Its service ceiling was a massive 67,000ft.
This aircraft was hugely ahead of its time.
The SR.177 was roughly similar to the SR.53. It had a Gyron Junior turbojet (8,000 lb st / 3630 kgp) in place of the Viper (1,750 lb st /794 kgp). The 8,000 lb (3630 kg) Spectre 5A rocket motor was common to both aircraft; but the relative positions of the jet and rocket motors were reversed, the turbojet being the lower power plant in the SR.177.
Owing to the far greater power of the Gyron Junior engine, the small dorsal intakes of the SR.53 were replaced by a large chin intake on the SR.177, topped by a radome for the A.1 radar.
In the SR.53, the rocket motor was intended for use during interception, the jet using the remaining fuel to return to base. The better fuel economy of the Gyron Junior in the SR.177 allowed full exploitation of the benefits of mixed power. The turbojet would be used for subsonic cruise up to Mach 0.95, at which stage the rocket would carry the aircraft to its maximum speed of about Mach 2.35.
The Spectre 5A was a bi-fuel motor burning kerosene and hydrogen peroxide, controllable from 10% to 100% power. It drew its primary fuel from the same tanks as the jet engine. Full power endurance was estimated at seven minutes.
In addition to its interceptor role, the SR.177 was also intended to perform strike, low-level reconnaissance and attack roles, purely on high subsonic speed using only its jet engine. Provision was ultimately to be made for in-flight refuelling and operation from short airstrips.
In July 1956, Treasury agreed to a development batch of 27 aircraft, but authorised the building of only 9 aircraft initially, delaying construction of the remaining 18 aircraft. The delay in Treasury approval being granted was due to reviews of patterns of fighter defences of the future, and the atmosphere of financial stringency and economy generally.
The SR-177 had still not flown; it was scheduled to make its first flight in April 1958, but this was thought likely to slip by six months. But in 1957 a Defence White Paper put an end to many British projects. It decreed that the English Electric Lightning would be the RAF's last manned fighter. This eliminated any chance of the SR.177 being ordered for the RAF, but the short-sighted paper did not affect the Royal Navy for whom, by then, the project was being primarily developed. Air Staff cancellation of OR337 (the December 1955 updated requirements for the project) was formally sent to the Ministry of Supply on the 29th March.
Shortly afterwards, it became evident that developing the aircraft to serve such a relatively small order would be uneconomical. Overseas interest in the aircraft failed to solidify into actual orders. Work on the six prototypes ended, and the government-backed SR.177 project was abandoned at the end of 1957.
It was capable of Mach 2.35 and couple climb to 60,000 ft in a couple of minutes!! Its service ceiling was a massive 67,000ft.
This aircraft was hugely ahead of its time.
The SR.177 was roughly similar to the SR.53. It had a Gyron Junior turbojet (8,000 lb st / 3630 kgp) in place of the Viper (1,750 lb st /794 kgp). The 8,000 lb (3630 kg) Spectre 5A rocket motor was common to both aircraft; but the relative positions of the jet and rocket motors were reversed, the turbojet being the lower power plant in the SR.177.
Owing to the far greater power of the Gyron Junior engine, the small dorsal intakes of the SR.53 were replaced by a large chin intake on the SR.177, topped by a radome for the A.1 radar.
In the SR.53, the rocket motor was intended for use during interception, the jet using the remaining fuel to return to base. The better fuel economy of the Gyron Junior in the SR.177 allowed full exploitation of the benefits of mixed power. The turbojet would be used for subsonic cruise up to Mach 0.95, at which stage the rocket would carry the aircraft to its maximum speed of about Mach 2.35.
The Spectre 5A was a bi-fuel motor burning kerosene and hydrogen peroxide, controllable from 10% to 100% power. It drew its primary fuel from the same tanks as the jet engine. Full power endurance was estimated at seven minutes.
In addition to its interceptor role, the SR.177 was also intended to perform strike, low-level reconnaissance and attack roles, purely on high subsonic speed using only its jet engine. Provision was ultimately to be made for in-flight refuelling and operation from short airstrips.
In July 1956, Treasury agreed to a development batch of 27 aircraft, but authorised the building of only 9 aircraft initially, delaying construction of the remaining 18 aircraft. The delay in Treasury approval being granted was due to reviews of patterns of fighter defences of the future, and the atmosphere of financial stringency and economy generally.
The SR-177 had still not flown; it was scheduled to make its first flight in April 1958, but this was thought likely to slip by six months. But in 1957 a Defence White Paper put an end to many British projects. It decreed that the English Electric Lightning would be the RAF's last manned fighter. This eliminated any chance of the SR.177 being ordered for the RAF, but the short-sighted paper did not affect the Royal Navy for whom, by then, the project was being primarily developed. Air Staff cancellation of OR337 (the December 1955 updated requirements for the project) was formally sent to the Ministry of Supply on the 29th March.
Shortly afterwards, it became evident that developing the aircraft to serve such a relatively small order would be uneconomical. Overseas interest in the aircraft failed to solidify into actual orders. Work on the six prototypes ended, and the government-backed SR.177 project was abandoned at the end of 1957.
