Overview

Full Product Details

9781906537197

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author McLeIIand's approach to the often-emotive subject of TSR2 is refreshingly straightforward. Earlier published volumes have variously included the words 'Folly', 'Murder', 'Phoenix' (two different volumes) and 'Ghost' in the title while their text spends - maybe wastes - considerable numbers of pages alleging conspiracy on the part of the UK Government to kill off the TSR2 programme for reasons various and nefarious. McLeIland's take is more mundane; the Government genuinely wanted to provide the RAF the equipment it wanted, but Britain's role in the world 'east of Suez' was contracting while TSR2s costs continued to escalate. All aspects of the industrial programme flight testing and the inevitable political machinations are presented in an authoritative analytical and readable manner. Photos are plentiful and well reproduced. Many are familiar but some, such as shots of nuclear stores in the TSR2 bomb bay arranged 'two WEI77As one behind the other or two WEI77Bs side-by-side', are not and this volume presents the widest selection yet seen between the covers of one book. This is a great story of what might have been And great value at under £20. * Aircraft, December 2010 * EAGERLY AWAITED, this book on the BAC TSR.2 ('Britain's Lost Cold War Strike Aircraft') is a comprehensive account of what many regard as symbolic of the start of the final decline of the British aircraft industry at the hands of politicians, specifically the British Labour government of Harold Wilson. The author covers the whole project from initial concepts through to cancellation after only one aircraft had been flown. It's a fascinating story well told. The author's depth of research is commendable and it's well-written, although the page design with its massively long paragraphs often makes the text seem overly dense and not easy to read. This is not the author's fault, but the designer's. I like the fact that the author doesn't get overly emotional about the subject as others have. It's not entirely dispassionate, but controlled. The information is presented in a straightforward way and there is a lot of it covering all the political, industrial and technical aspects of the programme. Supporting the text is what must be just about every photograph of the TSR.2 ever taken. There's also 1/72 scale line drawings and colour profiles including one depicting the official proposed camouflage scheme for production aircraft. The scale drawings make you realise what a large aeroplane it was - 20 feet (6.1m) longer than a Lancaster! One chapter is devoted to attempts to sell the TSR.2 to Australia and this makes for interesting reading. So are the parts covering Lord Louis Mountbatten, who took it upon himself to try to scuttle the project from the start and did it a great deal of damage in the process. This is a welcome addition to my library. * Aero Australia Magazine *

Author Information

Tim McLelland is an established aviation writer and photographer with an interest in all aspects of aerospace, specialising primarily in post-war military subjects. He has authored a wide range of books on a variety of subjects. He has also produced numerous features for many aerospace both in the UK and overseas. He has been fortunate to fly as a passenger in a wide range of combat aircraft including the Jaguar, Lightning, Harrier and Tornado, among a list of many other key military fighters and bombers, so he has first-hand knowledge of military flying. He lives in Sheffield.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available