So Variant Type 508 with swept wings is offered to OR.228 (F.43/46) in '47 as a possibly refinement of the Type 508 should it be selected for the day fighter requirement.
The Committee viewed this Supermarine offering as less developed than Glosters and at the time no RN order had yet happend....however this type was clearly more develop-able for the introduction of Red Hawk AAM. It's of note that they thought the swept wing version would meet manoeuvrability needs, while the straight wing wouldn't.
They hoped that choosing it as a back up for the Glosters design, would be shared with the RN.
Later in '49 the Type 525 denavalised was offered and felt to be attractive.
So an AH scenario could well proceed with the Type 525 instead of the Swift. This would mean superpriority would fund the procurement of 450 though maybe the increased cost of a twin engine machine might reduce this figure.
This in turn forces the Hunter to be ordered with hooks for RN trials....
This could impact in a twin seater offered alongside the Type 511 to the FAW and drive out the DH110.to OR.227 (F.44/46).
This is becoming a Supermarine wank.....But the logic is there as the day and night fighter solutions merge together into single and twin seater versions of what we know as the Scimitar.
Type 537 was a Strike version but suspended due to lack of money in 1950.
Type 567 was a interim offering to cover the gap until Buccaneer arrived. However a lot of Type 556 and Type 562 could meet this with strengthening for the nuclear store and potentially kill off the Buccaneer.
Scimitar was rolling off the Marston factory. If this is occupying Vickers Supermarine staff, it could restrict them from contesting Or.339.
However the Type 571-single engine, still looks like the natural successor. But Vickers will be lured away by the benefits of VG and the lack of pressing need. In essence better AAMs, better radar and better engines would extend the useful life of these Scimitar variants well into the 70's.
Developments....firstly the use of reheat is going to expose the issues of vibration damage to the tail section of the fusilage. Either this will utterly kill the whole thing, or drive some solution. Likely making that part more substantial.
But since the OTL was built for 1,000 hours flight time the likelyhood is this would be applied to later production, rather than retrofitted to existing machines.
There was an issue with a fuel pump solenoid I seem to remember reading. Something likely to be fixed in later marks.
We can assume the FAW will get AI.18 and there is a clear path of developments upto and including SARH guidance function and AMTI for look-down shoot-down capability (with the right AAM).
AI.23 is more likely for the single seater, but a variant which became Blue Parrot would be used for Strike variants.
Though the RAF might want the TFR set for the MRI tasked machines....and no F4K or Jaguar.
Later the early FICMW AI.24 (not Foxhunter that's a later effort) might equip final production FAW machines.
We can see the RB.106 or later Spey as replacement powerplants for the Avons.
So we have F mk1 enter service '54? Followed by several marks of Day fighter. AI equipped version by '59. 450-ish in total
FAW mk1 IOC 1056 followed by several marks, early machines are likely equipped with AI.17? Later AI.22 (AN/APQ-43), then Ai.18 and ultimately AI.24. 600-ish total
S mk1 IOC '57-'58 modified F type for nuclear store delivery to the RN. 60-120-ish
RAF G(R)A version IOC potentially by '65 or even earlier as nuclear stores supply permit...? 70-155-ish.