Saunders-Roe SR.177

Saunders Roe Sr. 177 stories

Saunders-Roe Sr. The 177 was developed by the British aviation industry in the early days of the Cold War as an extension of the SR. 53 (detailed elsewhere on this website). SR. The 177 is an evolution of an earlier form designed to increase endurance (and thus mission range) while incorporating an airborne radar system for autopilot and attacking air targets (via missile weapons).

Just like SR. Before 53, the SR-177 used a hybrid "combo" propulsion scheme that combined a conventional air-breathing afterburner turbojet and a rocket booster for improved performance.

As an interceptor, the aircraft needs to lift off in a short amount of time and reach operational altitude quickly - so the design decided to use two different propulsion systems.

The enemy at the time was the Soviet Union, a formidable military force keen to use bombers and high-speed anti-aircraft aircraft to attack key positions across Europe in the event of an all-out war. As a result, the interceptor was in high demand in the West, and numerous trials were carried out in the UK, France and the US during the Cold War (1947-1991). Despite best efforts, many designs are simply shelved, and few have made it into a producible, actionable form.

In the case of SR. The 177 and other promising and impressive British aircraft projects of the 1950s, the SR.

177 Cancelled after the 1957 National Defense Review (the infamous "Defense White Paper" review) - largely due to a perceived vision of a future battlefield entirely dominated by missiles and a Comprehension will depend on Western interception techniques (hence, "high and fast" flight is no longer an appropriate quality).

Sr. 177 From a 1955 mandate to advance the SR's design studies. 53 Form - This way the aircraft will retain the form and function of its predecessor and similarly use a hybrid propulsion scheme. Key features include blown flaps and a completely redesigned (ventrally positioned) intake approach for improved efficiency. Expectations for the maiden flight in 1957 were quite optimistic, and it entered service in 1960.

The platform is intended to be used as an airspace patrol aircraft, a supersonic high-altitude fighter to confront Soviet airstrikes head-on.

The wing main aircraft is amidships and mounted in the center, each member has a slight dihedral (downward angle). Each wingtip is planned to have a missile hardpoint, initially carrying 2 rounds of De Havilland FireWire air-to-air missiles (AAM).

This later became the 2 x Hawker Siddeley "Red Top" AAM. Up to 1,000 pounds of ammunition can be supported in this manner.

The cockpit is positioned in the usual way at the front of the fuselage, just behind the nose cone assembly of the radar housing (A.I 23 Airborne Intercept Radar). The frame in this position is heavy, but provides usable visibility into the nose and sides of the aircraft.

This was an acceptable design approach at the time, as airborne equipment would do most of the search, tracking, and attack tasks.

The chassis consists of a conventional tricycle arrangement. Under the nose is a single-wheeled leg that retracts forward under the cockpit floor. Below each wing element are inwardly retracted single-wheeled main legs. This will provide the interceptor with the necessary ground operations support.

The fins are in a "T-shaped" multi-hop arrangement, with the horizontal plane at the top-most edge of a single vertical fin. This greatly increases the fuselage height of the aircraft and is a common feature of many aircraft on the civilian market today.

Final dimensions of the aircraft include a wingspan of 30.2 feet and a height of 14.3 feet. Curb weight is 14,535 lbs and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 28,175 lbs.

Despite the good characteristics and expected performance of projects such as the SR, the 177 was easily abandoned by the British government at the time. With the repeal of SR. 177, Sr. The 53 was reserved for testing purposes and made its maiden flight on May 16, 1957.

It has since provided an active platform for British engineers to collect data from supersonic performers, and two airworthy prototypes eventually completed the series (though the second example was eventually lost in a June 1958 crash) . The first prototype survived in the air and is kept at the RAF Museum in RAF Cosford, Shropshire for future generations.

Sr. In 187, SR became a short-lived related design study. 177 jobs. Larger sizes should meet the requirements of O.R. F155. With the first prototype almost complete, the project was also cancelled due to a defense review in 1957, and its entire contents were scrapped a few years later.

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