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In the forefront of British rocket propulsion studies by
1952, Saunders-Roe produced a design, the SR.53, for a
single-seat target defence interceptor combining a
liquid-fuel rocket motor with an auxiliary turbojet. Submitted
to meet the requirements of Specification
F.124T, the SR.53 was recipient of a three-prototype
contract in October 1952. Of clipped delta wing configuration
with a specified armament of two wingtip-mounted
Blue Jay (de Havilland Firestreak) AAMs, the
SR.53 was powered by an 3629kg de
Havilland Spectre HTP rocket and a 744kg Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet superimposed
one above the other in the rear fuselage. In the
event, only two of the SR.53s were to be completed,
these making their initial flights on 16 May and 8 December 1957, prior to which, in April 1957, all rocket-powered
fighter development in the UK had been cancelled.
Nonetheless, the two SR.53s performed 42 test
flights before, on 15 June 1958, the second aircraft
crashed, the surviving aircraft then being permanently
grounded.
| MODEL | SR.53 |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 8618 kg | 19000 lb |
| Empty weight | 3357 kg | 7401 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 7.65 m | 25 ft 1 in |
| Length | 13.72 m | 45 ft 0 in |
| Height | 3.29 m | 10 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 25.45 m2 | 273.94 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 2135 km/h | 1327 mph |
 | A three-view drawing (1670 x 1125) |
M.J.Etheridge, metheridge(@)ukonline.co.uk, 01.03.2008
I can remember as a 10 year old in 1957 watching the very impressive flight display of the SR 53 at the Farnborough air show on television. Specifically the flight commentary highlighted the switching on and off of the rocket motor whilst the plane was in flight.There were some very good close-up pictures.
My older brother who served an apprenticeship at the Hawker aircraft factory in Kingston had promised to take me to the 1958 Farnborough show,and I was really looking forward to seing the SR 53 fly as I considered it to be right at the forefront of world aircraft technology and an example of this country's expertise. My disapointment of both the SR 53 crash and susequent cancellation of the
SR177 project just before the show was immence. However I suppose this was slightly offset by the appearance of the Blackburn NA 39 at the show.
I have a nephew working on the Nimrod 4 at BAC, and he once stated that the industry still suffers from cancellations of projects in the past particularly the TSR2.
I gather future military schemes are more likely to be for un-manned aircraft. Perhaps these aircraft will not receive the same amount of publicity as past aircraft such as the SR 53 and hence the degree of national pride.
Ben May, benmay_canterbury(@)yahoo.co.uk, 18.02.2008
In 1957 I worked as photographer to Saunders Roe and took the only good air-to-air photographs of this aircraft during the second test flight. for the first I stood at the side of the Boscombe runway just where John Booth pressed the 'fire' button to light up the Spectre. This engine is (or was)on show at the Science museum in london
Governments and the aircraft industry have never mixed well and Duncan Sands has a lot to answer for. Incideltally, my photograph of the '53 above the clouds has been appropriated by "Airliners .com" and attributed to some other photgrapher. This is not true, I have an original print and negative.
john, angermouse07(@)hotmail.co.uk, 10.06.2007
what are the dimensions of the De Havilland Spectre 5A Engine and where can I acquire a Picture of one as all sites sem to have a protection on the copying of such Pictures
W.N. Slatton, Wnslatton(@)aol.com, 30.05.2007
Can you provide a photo or drawing of the SR 53 cockpit?
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Do you have any comments concerning this aircraft ?
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