Saunders-Roe SR.53
The Saunders -Roe SR.53 was an experimental aircraft of the British manufacturer Saunders -Roe in the 1950s.
History
With the beginning of the supersonic age mid-1950s strove numerous renowned aircraft companies to submit projects for supersonic fighter aircraft. One of them was the P.177 by Saunders -Roe, was also in the thinking on the contribution of re- emerging German aviation industry.
First Saro built but the test aircraft SR.53 to test both required for a interceptor engines as well as the most appropriate cell design. They had decided on a mixed drive in the rear with an overhead beam and an underlying rocket engine, on the one hand not yet sufficiently powerful jet engines were available, the other by the rocket propulsion a high rate of climb for interception was possible.
On 16 May 1957, the Deltaflügler graduated with the RAF serial number XD145 made its first flight, which, as the trial was initially successful. With the other flights, the aircraft received for demonstration purposes two Firestreak - guided missiles on the wing tips, so that could already speak of a usable pattern. The second prototype ( XD151 ) crashed during a test flight on 15 June 1958. Because of the unexplained additional funding all work on the project were set. The first prototype was preserved and is on display at the Aerospace Museum RAF Cosford.