[FPSPACE] UK Manned Rocket Aircraft: Britain's X-Plane

[Larry Klaes]

The British Interplanetary Society <bis.bis@virgin.net>  
 
TWO DAY Meeting

UK Manned Rocket Aircraft

to be held at

The RAF Museum Cosford, Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire
on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 November 2000
 
At the start of the 1950s the Air Ministry issued a tender for a rocket 
fighter capable of intercepting high flying, nuclear capable, Soviet jet 
bombers. Contracts to build such an aircraft were awarded to both Saunders 
Roe (S.R.) and AVRO. Changes in defence policy were to mean cancellation for
the project but by the time this occurred, the S.R.53 had already flown. 
However, the designers at S.R. had other ideas for their plane. In July
1958, presentations were made to the Ministry requesting that a modified
S.R.53 be developed as an air launched, manned re-entry test vehicle to 
aid in the development of a British manned satellite (in the same way 
that America's X-2 and X-15 were forerunners of the Space Shuttle).
 
The aim of this symposium is to bring together (possibly for the last time) 
those people who worked on what, with hindsight, was the nearest thing that 
Britain ever had to a rocket-powered "X-Plane"!
 
Provisional Programme
 
Spectre Engine, Peroxide APU & Turbo Starter, S.R.53 & S.R.177 Projects
 P.R. Stokes, former de Havilland Engine Co & Rolls Royce Heritage
 
The M.52 (UK's ill-fated contender to break the sound barrier)
 Dennis Bancroft, Chief Aerodynamicist on M.52.
 Presented by TBA
 
The M.52, RAE 1947 and the Me163B 'Komet'
 Capt E.M. Brown, RN (retd)
 
The Scorpion Rocket Engine
 TBA
 
The Screamer Rocket Engine
 TBA
 
Political and Technical Issues Pertaining to the Development and
Cancellation of the UK Rocket Fighters
 C.N. Hill, Charterhouse
 
The AVRO 720
 TBA
 
The S.R.53
 R.B. Stratton, S.R.53 Project Manager
 
The SR177
 D. Hardy, S.R.177 Chief Project Engineer
 
Development of the S.R.177 Pressure Suit
 Air-Vice Marshal J. Ernsting CB OBE, RAF (retd) former Commandant of the 
Institute of Aviation Medicine
 
P.187 & P.209 (and equivalent plans to modify the X-2 to meet X-15
specifications)  C.N. Hill, H. Matthews, I.A. Moule
 
MUSEUM TOUR 
 
Look at the exhibits at Cosford, in particular the S.R.53 and the V-Bombers 
(the Valiant was proposed as the Carrier for the air launched S.R.53, i.e.
P.209), and to photograph speakers and attendees next to their respective
"hardware".
 
For an Information Pack on: Registration, Hotel Booking, Gala Evening and 
Accompanying Person Social Tours, please contact: The Executive Secretary, 
The British Interplanetary Society, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1SZ

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/