Today In History:  27 September  [1964]   --  The British TSR-2 aircraft XR219 makes its maiden flight.

The BAC TSR-2 was a Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by BAC for the RAF in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was designed around both conventional and nuclear weapons delivery and was expected to penetrate well-defended frontline areas at low altitudes and very high speeds, and then attack high-value targets in rear areas.
Only one airframe flew and test flights and weight-rise during design indicated that the aircraft would be unable to meet its original stringent design specifications. The TSR-2 was the victim of ever-rising costs and inter-service squabbling over Britain's future defence needs, which together led to the controversial decision in 1965 to scrap the programme.

PHOTO: The prototype BAC TSR-2 at Warton plant and airfield in 1966. This was the only example to fly.

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Photo Attribution:  CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia.  RuthAS