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Was there a TSR.1?


GreenDragon

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This is probably a dumb question but could any of our experts here tell me if there was a TSR.1. I've always assumed it was probably the Canberra but never referered to as such?

Paul Harrison :poppy:

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I believe the Fairey Swordfish had the TSR.1 designation. Correct me if I am wrong here.

The original Fairey private venture design that led to the Swordfish was TSR I (torpedo, spotter, reconnaisance); reworked slightly to become the Swordfish, it was TSR II.

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Thanks for the info everyone! So to recap it's a Swordfish, or a Canberra, or simply 2 standing for Mach 2. The last one from DamienB seems to ring a bell somewhere.

Paul Harrison :poppy:

Edited by GreenDragon
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Paul,

Tactical Strike/Reconnaissance 2 (TSR-2), the '2' as rightly stated by DB stood for 'mach 2' which was one of the stipulations of GOR339, the aircraft was required to achieve mach2+ performance at high altitude.

Regards,

JB.

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Paul,

Just to add a litlle more substance to what has already been said.........

The Swordfish was based on a Fairey Private Venture (PV) design; a proposed solution to the Air Ministry requirements for a Spotter-Reconnaissance plane - Spotter referring to observing the fall of a warship's gunfire. A subsequent Air Ministry specification S.15/33, added the torpedo bomber role. The "Torpedo-Spotter-Reconnaissance" prototype TSR II (the PV was the TSR I) first flew on April 17, 1934. It was a large biplane with a metal frame covered in fabric, and featured folding wings for carrier use. An order was placed in 1935 and the aircraft entered service in 1936, replacing the Fairey Seal in the torpedo bomber role.

HTH,

JB.

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  • 3 weeks later...

the TSR2 designator originally Tactical Support Reconaissance (later amended to strike) seems to have come about through internal discussions with the anocrym referring to the TSR1 as the Canberra. There is a snippet in one of the National Archives files at Kew mentioning the '2' referring to '2 seat', 'Mach 2' etc (as correctly noted by Damien) but there seems to be no official basis for the number being related to this, the note being a 'tounge in cheek' response to someone asking a similar question when the 'TSR.2' designation was released

cheers, Joe

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