Saunders-Roe SR.177

Le SR 177 sur Wikipedia.en

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The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] SR.177 was a 1950s project to develop a combined [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]- and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-powered[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] also expressed interest in the project, which was cancelled due to changes in Britain's military
policies in 1957.

A much larger development was studied under the SR.187 project for [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], but this work was also cancelled in 1957.

Design and development

In 1952, Saunders-Roe had won a contract to develop a similar aircraft, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

However, as development progressed, the shortcomings of the design became increasingly evident.

Most particularly, as with the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] rocket-powered interceptors of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the range and endurance of such an aircraft were limited by the high rate of fuel consumption by the rocket engine.

However, as turbojets developed and became increasingly powerful and efficient, soon new powerplants were available that would make the aircraft more practical.

The SR.177 began as an advanced design concept for the SR.53, but when a development contract was issued by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] ([Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]), the project was given its own designation.

Le lien renvoyant sur protoypes.free, bien documenté aussi

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The most significant difference between the two aircraft was the use of a jet engine with nearly five times the thrust of the one chosen for the earlier aircraft.

This meant that while the SR.53 relied mostly on its rocket engine for climbing, the SR.177 would be able to add considerable endurance by conserving use of its rocket for the dash towards a target only.

It was expected that the added endurance would allow the SR.177 to perform roles other than pure interception, and these were expected to include strike and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The SR.53 design was considerably enlarged to accommodate the new engine, and the original sleek lines were forfeited for a large, chin mounted intake to supply it with air.

Funding was secured in July 1956 for a total of 27 aircraft, and the first was expected to fly by April (later, October) 1958.

However, 1957 was to see a massive re-thinking of air defence philosophy in the UK, outlined in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] which called for piloted warplanes to be replaced by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

By the time that the programme was axed later that year, the aircraft had proceeded little past mock-up stage.

In 1957 a development contract for the SR.177 was announced for its use with the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Work on the aircraft continued a little longer, however, in the anticipation of continued interest from Germany.

The British [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] agreed to continue funding development of five of the six prototypes, but nothing was to come of it.

The German government had changed its priorities from looking for an interceptor to a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], leading Saunders-Roe to redesign the aircraft for this role.

This was followed immediately by another redesign when [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] successfully convinced the German government to replace the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engine intended for the SR.177 with a Rolls-Royce turbojet, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Even with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] preparing to manufacture the aircraft locally under licence, Germany
withdrew support in December 1957.

The Minister had visited the German government in November 1957 as the German wanted the arrangements to be between governments instead of between their Government and Saunders-Roe.

Of the remaining aircraft under consideration it chose to purchase the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] instead to meet the role of "high-altitude reconnaissance machine, a tactical fighter-bomber, and an all-weather fighter", along with most of the European governments.

This Lockheed coup, known as the "Deal of the Century", caused major political controversy in Europe and West German minister of defence [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was almost forced to resign over the issue.

During later investigation into Lockheeds business practices it was discovered that Lockheed had paid out millions of
dollars in 'Sales Incentives' in each of these countries to secure the deal.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] confessed to taking more than one million USD in bribes from Lockheed to buy the F-104.

With the withdrawal of German interest and no requirement for the SR.177 by the RAF, the existing Royal Navy requirement was considered not worth proceeding with and the Ministry of Suppply cancelled the project.

Saunders-Roe announced an expected 1,000 redundancies as a result.

Armament

• Missiles: 2 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] air-to-air missiles^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}
  

Avionics AI-23 airborne interception [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Fairey w:de Havilland
Firestreak missile

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