Thunder & Lightnings - British Aircraft Corporation TSR2

British Aircraft Corporation TSR2
Survivor XR222
Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire

XR222 was the fourth development batch airframe and was nearly complete when the programme was cancelled. The College of Aeronautics at Cranfield put in a request for a TSR2 airframe after the cancellation and in October of 1965 XR222 was transported - in bits - to Cranfield. As she was incomplete and the mass scrapping of parts, jigs and other items associated with the project was well underway, no effort was put into her finishing her off and so she arrived at Cranfield short of many panels and items of equipment. In early 1978 she was transferred to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford and remained incomplete for many years, was mostly kept outside and suffered accordingly. However, TSR2s are tough birds and no major damage occurred. A cosmetic restoration took place in the 1980s, but her home was still outside. When Duxford got a National Lottery grant to build the new American Air Museum building, this meant more room was freed up and XR222 finally came in from the cold, was cleaned, and put in the queue for a more complete restoration. This happened during 2004/2005 and was an in-depth restoration including a complete strip and repaint. She was rolled out in December 2005 and after this the aircraft was put in storage in the expanded Superhangar - the "Airspace" exhibition - while Airspace was under construction. She briefly went outdoors while building work continued, but is now back on display inside Airspace and permanently undercover at long last.

Information on this page current as of 21/04/2010

Find other photos of XR222 on the following sites:

Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - IrishAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net

Paul Adams from Buckinghamshire	Posted at 10:18pm on Thursday, September 10th, 2009
The Tsr was sacrificed instead of the Concorde
Robin Hawkins from Thatcham Berkshire	Posted at 12:38am on Sunday, April 5th, 2009
As anybody can see it's an aircraft that should have been it would have saved a lot of English pounds going to the USA and I'm sure it would be still flying to this day. What a beutiful thing it is.
Tony from Brisbane	Posted at 12:17am on Thursday, March 12th, 2009
I have had a reasonable look inside and out of Australia's (USA's)beloved F111. I hope to do the same to its rival one day.
Alex from Warboys	Posted at 4:09pm on Monday, September 1st, 2008
I have seen both static TSR.2s and they are massive aircraft, I've yet to see the cockpit section though!
Mike Callesen from Stowmarket	Posted at 6:23pm on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
It's a shame that politics is allowed to dictate what our armed forces can or cannot have in terms of weaponary. The TSR 2 was just another casualty of political expedience (and kow towing to strong arm politics!)
Paul Flavelle from Lincolnshire	Posted at 9:39pm on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
TSR2 was feared by the USSR AND the USA for different reasons, but her real enemies were closer to home
Erik van den Hoogen from Born NL	Posted at 9:27am on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Will be visiting Your museum soon, this great plane will be build in a 1/6th scale so that she will fly again!
Nigel from Rutland	Posted at 8:50am on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
I have taken my 9 year old to see both statics this year and he said wow what an aircraft! Still looks not out of place in 2008. Reminds me of a cross between a tornado and thunderbirds! well ahead of its time A child of the 60's
Frank Rainsborough from Ashford Middlesex	Posted at 10:31am on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
How dedication can show up stupidity!
gerry franklin from cambridge	Posted at 10:48pm on Thursday, April 17th, 2008
yet another example of short sigtedness and politions fear of the city!!

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