A different Paperclip

President Truman comes to the conclusion that a financially broken Britain woudl be about as dangerous as a completely broken Germany. He is also persuaded that an entire generation of technology could be lost in post war defence cuts. Technology that could easily be aquired for America with minimal investment.

In desperate financial straits, the UK is not in any position to say no to foreign investment, no matter how many strings are attached, and no matter how burned they feel over Truman's handling of the Manhattan Project.

Operation Paperclip is amended and exended to support British R&D in certain fields, such as aerospace, electronics, computing, artillery, and anything else the UK government wishes to recomend. (In a bid for money, the X4 rocket is suggested.) However selected American firms must be given access, and this technology must not be shared with third parties.

Ripples:
As a result, the M52 is not cancelled, though it gets no increase in funding (and is thus the second aircraft to break the sound barier) the Colossus machines are not broken up, the L7 can be introduced a few years early, and Jet technology is not sold to the soviet union. On the other hand, the soviets did have a British spy network.

What are the consiquences for the Korean War?
 
That's a very interesting question.

Just how pissed do you think the British public would be? Would they even know more than just in a general sense (ie would the terms be secret)?

Would the M52 affect British jet development to the point where the RAF could contribute a fighter force to Korea (as opposed to the Sunderland squadron that was the RAF's entire contribution?
 
As a result, the M52 is not cancelled, though it gets no increase in funding (and is thus the second aircraft to break the sound barier)...
I could be wrong but I was under the impression that if funding isn't cut, and they stick with it rather than going for scale models instead, that the M.52 had a good likelihood to of actually beating the US plane into service. And done so whilst being able to take off and land under its own power.


Would the M52 affect British jet development to the point where the RAF could contribute a fighter force to Korea (as opposed to the Sunderland squadron that was the RAF's entire contribution?
Well the M.52 is going to give them a lot of new data on transonic and supersonic flight, will also help sideline those people that were highly sceptical of the whole affair. If you want to get a decent plane available for Korea then you need to avoid the government cancelling all supersonic aircraft and effectively taking a IIRC five year holiday from developing or buying jet aircraft which allowed other countries to overtake them. If you can use the data from the M.52 and the US to get people to embrace the idea of swept wings then one idea that often comes up in these types of threads is pushing forward the development of the Hawker P.1081 and having it introduced to RAF and Royal Navy service. Considering that the US had the F-86 Sabre it's not too crazy an idea. If you want a better bomber then nudging the English Electric Canberra introduction dates up a little might help as well.
 
When did the Canberra come into service?

Because the idea of a squadron of them serving in Korea excites me greatly... :D
 
What are the consiquences for the Korean War?
Well for starters the Red Air Force gets its rear end handed to it, those MiG-9s were pathetic compared to the -15s, 160 kph slower at top speed, 500 km less range, 2000 m lower ceiling, and less than half the rate of climb, mostly down to that German derived RD-20 engine.
 
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You mentioned the Soviet espionage efforts in the UK. I don't know too much about them, but weren't they mainly focused on obtaining materials related to the nuclear weapons programs? Klaus Fuchs's spy ring and all that.
 
Assume that the M 52 breaks the sound barrier at roughly the same time as Chuck Yeager and this Hawker fighter gets adopted as a supersonic fighter.

What are they going to call it? Given its origins as an Australian project my bet would be the Dingo or the Wombat. It would probably get adopted by the RAF and perhaps the RCAF.

The big question is how long will this type survive. The Sabre (why did the Americans spell it our way here?) remained in frontline US service until the 60s and completely retired from its reserve units in 1970.

Assuming the Hawker P.1081 has a similar service life to the Sabre (think Canadian and Australian variants) This could have a profound effect on the British aircraft industry allowing them to stay competitive for longer.
 
...and this Hawker fighter gets adopted as a supersonic fighter.
Sorry, slight confusion, the P.1081 wasn't supersonic only transonic but it was projected to get up to the Mach 0.9-0.95 region which is roughly equivalent to the Sabre. The main benefits are that it gives RAF and Royal Navy pilots experience of combat in fast jets, keeps the government in the jet powered aircraft game, and definitively shows swept wing jets are the future with the data it brings in. After the success of the P.1081 and selling it to Australia and the UK Hawker then gets to move onto the Hunter. I could see them either going our timeline's F.1 and then moving to the P.1083 for a plane with greater angle of swept wing and afterburning engine which gives you a true supersonic jet, or possibly going straight for a P.1083 type plane.
 
From Project cancelled.

Scenario 1952

How does the scene look with a P.1081 type given top priority by the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm? The time is summer 1952. The RAF has three squadrons of P.1081s in service and the Royal Navy one, with a further unit forming. Naval jet experience has been gained with three squadrons of Sea Vampires and the straight wing, tail wheel undercarriage Sea Attacker has been abandoned. An RAF Squadron is operating alongside F-86’s in the Korean War and the naval squadron is preparing to embark on HMS Eagle for service in Korean waters. The P.1081 proves itself a match for the Mig15 in dog fighting over the Yalu River and with rockets and bombs does useful work in the ground attack role. The Fleet Air Arm cross-operates with US Navy carriers and for a period flies from the land base alongside the RAF.

The results are far-reaching. There is a massive inflow into the Air Ministry of up-to-date data and many young pilots are rotated through the Koran squadron to gain combat experience. Eight RAF squadrons in Britain and Germany are equipped with P.1081s and the type forms the spearhead of Fighter Command until the full advent of the Hunter in 1955-56. The vital decision is to re-equip the Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons with P.1081s and, for export, Government finance is made available for the P.1081 to be re-engined with the up-rated Rolls Royce Tay engine with afterburner. Impressed with the P.1081’s performance, the first nation to order the type is Australia. Thereafter a total of 250 are sold abroad.

The P1081’s successor, the Hunter, is chosen as the basis for long-term development. After the introduction of the Avon Hunter into RAF service, a prototype of the P.1083 variant, with 50-degree sweep and fully variable afterburning, is flown in the autumn of 1953. It is ordered into production. The P.1083 Hunter enters service in late 1956, and the RAF has its first genuine supersonic aircraft at the same time that the US Air Force introduces the Convair F-102 delta. The P.1083 proves capable of 800mph at sea level and around 780mph at 36,000ft. Export sales boom and a further development is ordered, with a twp per cent thinner wing and equipped with either air-to-air missiles or ground attack weapons. Production of single or two-seat Hunters continues into the 1970’s, mainly for export.
 
Just to be clear, while America may be paying for research, the private UK companies (as happens in the US) owns patents and earns royalties from designs and concepts. Or that's my intentionat any rate.

Anything they did purchase would of course be license built in the US (if brought by that government). Origonally via government bidding, later by partner-companies as private interests start taking over the investment opertunities.

Would this affect America's willingness to adapt foreign (British) weapons? Famously they took to the L7 105mm gun in many forms. Could the same apply to (for example) the Malkara missile? It's a toy that might appeal to them. EM-2 anyone? Would it stand a better chance if it could be presented as an American design, rather than a British one?

At a later point (if this version of the special relationship keeps up) British Rapier would serve well in the DIVAD role, and Invincible Class is a good fit for the sea-control concept that briefly grabed the attention of the USN.
 
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From Project cancelled.

Scenario 1952...
That's the one I was remembering. Given how often Project Cancelled comes up in these types of things probably need to get and read a copt for myself. :) If the M.52 has flown and the US is putting in extra, from our timeline, aid then I don't think it's completely outside the realms of possibility to possibly get them all moved forwards a little.
 
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