Nope, I guess the conspiracy theories will always persist. People like a good mystery even if there really isn’t one.
The idea that the US somehow forced Britain into dumping TSR2 and buying F-111 is nonsense. US officials are on record stating how keen Britain was to buy it, so they certainly didn’t have to try and make us. But the real conspiracy tale is the destruction of the aircraft and jigs. This story has gone on for over 40 years but nobody has ventured to pour scorn on it.
Simple fact is that BAC suggested that XR219 and XR220 should be kept flying to complete their basic flight testing. Made good sense and for a couple of million quid we would have got useful research data from the aircraft. Jenkins and Healey considered the idea but eventually said they didn’t want to spend any more money on TSR2, but if BAC wanted to fund the test programme, then they could do it.
So, rather than obsessively demanding that everything be destroyed, they actually agreed to let BAC keep two aircraft flying. It was BAC that chose not to. So the biggest conspiracy theory of all is utter nonsense, even though nobody ever says so. But the tales carry-on. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story eh?!
Isn’t something contrdictory here. In the 3rd para you say that BAC suggested keeping the two prototypes flying but the Ministers turned down the suggestion but said that BAC could do it on their own account. Then in the last para you say that they thern changed their minds but that then BAC chose not to keep them flying, which is what they originally wanted to do.
Why the double U-turns, if that’s what they are? You offer no explanation for them.
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