|
In the heady days after the Second World War, experimentation with
jet engines and new wing configurations was rife and lots of
futuristic designs were tested and even more proposed. Fairey
started experimenting with delta aircraft with the Fairey Delta 1 in
1950. The experiences from this was used in the development of the
more advanced Fairey Delta 2 which was first flown in 1954. The first
prototype was serialled WG774.
The F.D.2 met all expectations and it was decided that an
attempt to exceed the magic speed limit of 1000 miles per hour
(446 m/s) would be made. On 1956-03-10 Peter L. Twiss flew the
F.D.2 at 1132 miles per hour (505 m/s), raising the earlier
record by 38%!
A second F.D.2 prototype, serialled WG777, was first flown in 1956.
Both aircraft were used for test flights through the rest of the 1950s.
Meanwhile, development work on the BAC/Sud Concord(e) had begun and BAC
received permission to modify WG774 to test the untried "ogive" wing.
WG774 was transferred to BAC in 1960 and a rebuilding program started,
giving the aircraft the new wing, a longer body and taller landing
gear, so it was with good reason that the new aircraft had been renamed
the BAC 221 when it was reflown in 1964. However, by this
time construction of the Concorde was already well underway, so the BAC
221 was too late to really give any input to the wing design process.
Still it was used for other tests until it was finally retired in 1973.
Today Fairey Delta 2 WG777 resides in the Royal Air Force Museum
Cosford and BAC 221 WG774 in the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton. This
is also where the following pictures were taken.
BAC 221 in Detail
Modelling the BAC 221
There are currently no models of the BAC 221 in production.
Maintrack has produced a model in 1/72 scale and Frog produced a
1/72 model of the Fairey Delta 2 in the 1960s. The latter kit has been
recently re-released by Maquette. Should one get hold
of either, both will require considerable
effort to build into something good.
|
Sources |
 |
|
- Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation, Bracken Books, 1989.
- "F.D.2 Metamorphosis" by Barry Jones in Aeroplane
Monthly, April 1992.
|
|
BAC 221 in Detail
