Having gone back and looked at what I have on the British proposed/cancelled jet transports/airliners of the 1950s, I find the following statement:
“Handley Page tried again in 1958 with the revised HP.111, this featured a new ‘widebody’ fuselage of circular section and was proposed to the RAF as a strategic transport and to BOAC as a 200 passenger medium range or 150 passenger transatlantic transport and civil freighter. In this form it was actually selected by the RAF but politics intervened and the Govt insisted the order went to the Short Belfast and HP never offered a large transport again.”.

So you are absolutely correct, PNM1. My only question is… what was the planned cargo payload of the HP111? Could it have carried the floor weight/item size that the Belfast did?

Crap!!!

V-Bombers vs B-47

The “V” bombers were in a similar weight class as the B-47, but the Vulcan and Victor carried nearly the bomb-load of the B-52.

Type: B-47E; Function: bomber; Year in service: 1951; Crew: 3; Engines: 6 * 3,266kg G.E. J47-GE-25
Wing Span: 35.36m; Length: 33.48m; Height: 8.51m; Wing Area: 132.66m2
Empty Weight: 36,630kg; Max.Weight: 89,893kg
Speed: 975km/h; Ceiling: 12,350m; Range: 6,440km
Armament: 2*g20mm, 9,072kg

Type: Valiant B Mk.1; Function: bomber; Year: 1955; Crew: 5; Engines: 4 * 4,535kg R.R. Avon 201
Wing Span: 34.85m; Length: 32.99m; Height: 9.80m; Wing Area: 219.43m2
Empty Weight: 34,419kg; Max.Weight: 63,503kg
Speed: 912km/h; Ceiling: 16,460m; Range: 7,420km
Armament: 9,525kg

Type: Victor B Mk.2; Function: bomber; Year: 1961; Crew: 5; Engines: 4 * 7,830kg R.R. Conway RCo.11
Wing Span: 36.48m; Length: 35.03m; Height: 8.57m; Wing Area: 223.52m2
Empty Weight: 41,277kg; Max.Weight: 105,687kg
Speed: M0.95; Ceiling: 18,300m; Range: 3,700km (B Mk.1 2,400 km)
Armament: 15,875kg

Type: Vulcan B Mk.2; Function: bomber; Year: 1960; Crew: 5; Engines: 4 * 9,980kg B.S. Olympus 301
Wing Span: 33.83m; Length: 32.15m; Height: Wing Area:
Empty Weight: Max.Weight: 113,400kg
Speed: 1,030km/h; Ceiling: 19,800m Range: 7,640km
Armament: 21,454kg

Type: B-52D; Function: bomber; Year: 1956; Crew: 6; Engines: 8 * P&W J57-P-29WA
Wing Span: 56.39m; Length: 47.73m; Height: 14.72m; Wing Area: 371.60m2
Empty Weight: 85,730kg; Max.Weight: 204,120kg
Speed: Ceiling: Range: 11,860km
Armament: 4*mg12.7mm, 108 bombs (500lb GP)[54,000 lb {24,545 kg}]

Type: B-52H; Function: bomber; Year: 1960; Crew: 6; Engines: 8 * 75.6kN P&W TF-33-P-3
Wing Span: 56.39m; Length: 49.05m; Height: 12.40m; Wing Area: 371.60m2
Empty Weight: Max.Weight: +221,353kg
Speed: 957km/h; Ceiling: 16,765m; Range: 16,093km
Armament: 1*g20mm, 22,680kg (20*msl AGM-69 SRAM)

The B-47 was directly comparable to Valiant B mk1. The low-level-optimized Valiant B mk2 first flew in 1953, and was canceled in 1955… given the mission’s start date of 1954, the best “medium-bomber” option for the RAAF was to order a batch of the Valiant B mk2… and demand the UK government allow Vickers to build them… as well as 12 V1000s… 4 in tanker config & 8 in transport config.

100 F-35A; 24 F/A-18F

124 new aircraft.

Or perhaps they don’t want the only large shipbuilding facility in the UK to become the only large shipbuilding facility in Ireland?

Re-approachment/semi-unification talks seem to be on-going… and I really don’t think they will end with the Republic of Ireland re-joining the UK, now do you?

There are three primary versions of the Tornado;
IDS (Interdictor/Strike) fighter-bomber,
ADV (Air Defence Variant) interceptor, and
ECR (Electronic Combat/ Reconnaissance) suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) aircraft.

Only Germany & Italy operate the ECR. The German aircraft were new-build, and have had their recon equipment removed, while the Italian were converted from IDS airframes, and never had the recon gear installed.

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/december_2008/dh82a_tiger_moth__g_ahvv.cfm

Real accident… emergency landing, debris in the carburettor caused loss of power on take-off.

The Greenies (dry and wet) like to sit back and hope for the spoils of the blue bust up…but they have not been afraid to join in the fun.

Except that the word coming out is that the ARF (sorry, RAF 😉 ) is also going after ALL of the Army’s helicopters as well!

The RAF motto seems to have become “If it flies, it is ours”.