Zen9
Banned
So my figures are from ....Saro Aircraft from (I forget when to I forgot when) and I have the relevant pages photocopied somewhere. .....
Likely this is in view of the future carriers which I think was still a projected fleet of 5 each with at least one squadron of 12 aircraft. Presumably this covered reserves on a 50/50 basis and also OCU, OEU etc...
At this time they still worked on 50% being stored and cycled with service aircraft.
A sign of the times that they thought they'd have time to bring this into service with trained up personnel in time for WWIII.
RAF at the time felt this was more the way to go than the 'interim' Lightning (to replaced in a few years). Things would change of course.
Yes the initial preproduction order was something like 20 which soon contracted and contracted. 9 sounds about right.
As does DH's involvement, after all Christchurch airfield was to be used by Saro for the prototype's flights. Just over the water from Wight.
It's pretty clear though that had it gone ahead, an Attack variant was pretty certain to be forthcoming. As long as they could strengthen the wing pylons it's possible the likes of WE.177 counterbalanced by a drop tank would fullfill MRI strike.
Certainly such was looked at during the whole post Sandys development of OR.339 and NMBR.3.
As it was the Germans changed the goalposts with more emphasis on Attack. Though Saro's offering of the RB.133 is odd considering this was an Avon variant focused on high altitude operation.
That said MRI numbers are likely to match P1154 and later Jaguar numbers. Which stayed fairly consistent and is about twice the 70 F4 tasked as an interim measure.
That being about 175 single seaters and 25 two seater trainers.
Likely this is in view of the future carriers which I think was still a projected fleet of 5 each with at least one squadron of 12 aircraft. Presumably this covered reserves on a 50/50 basis and also OCU, OEU etc...
At this time they still worked on 50% being stored and cycled with service aircraft.
A sign of the times that they thought they'd have time to bring this into service with trained up personnel in time for WWIII.
RAF at the time felt this was more the way to go than the 'interim' Lightning (to replaced in a few years). Things would change of course.
Yes the initial preproduction order was something like 20 which soon contracted and contracted. 9 sounds about right.
As does DH's involvement, after all Christchurch airfield was to be used by Saro for the prototype's flights. Just over the water from Wight.
It's pretty clear though that had it gone ahead, an Attack variant was pretty certain to be forthcoming. As long as they could strengthen the wing pylons it's possible the likes of WE.177 counterbalanced by a drop tank would fullfill MRI strike.
Certainly such was looked at during the whole post Sandys development of OR.339 and NMBR.3.
As it was the Germans changed the goalposts with more emphasis on Attack. Though Saro's offering of the RB.133 is odd considering this was an Avon variant focused on high altitude operation.
That said MRI numbers are likely to match P1154 and later Jaguar numbers. Which stayed fairly consistent and is about twice the 70 F4 tasked as an interim measure.
That being about 175 single seaters and 25 two seater trainers.