Alternate aircraft & helicopters for the RAF / Fleet Air Arm / Army Air Corps

[James G]

What aircraft or helicopters could have made it into British military service in the 20th and 21st Centuries?
Politics matters and let's not go too crazy...
... to crazy being apparently a late-90s idea for the RAF to have MiG-29s, something I once heard was considered on cost grounds when Russia and the UK were supposedly making nice!

I like the idea of the RAF operating the B-1B Lancer or the F-117A Nighthawk. An Army Air Corps Euro-Copter Tiger is appealing, so too a Fleet Air Arm France-British Rafale.
Ideas?

[lordroel]

Apr 23, 2019 17:43:00 GMT James G said:

What aircraft or helicopters could have made it into British military service in the 20th and 21st Centuries?
Politics matters and let's not go too crazy...
... to crazy being apparently a late-90s idea for the RAF to have MiG-29s, something I once heard was considered on cost grounds when Russia and the UK were supposedly making nice!

I like the idea of the RAF operating the B-1B Lancer or the F-117A Nighthawk. An Army Air Corps Euro-Copter Tiger is appealing, so too a Fleet Air Arm France-British Rafale.
Ideas?

Nice idea, well i always like seeing this plane, the British Aerospace EAP wich i consider the forerunner of the Eurofighter Typhoon in service with the RAF.

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[Deleted]

[Source] James G said:

I like the idea of the RAF operating the B-1B Lancer or the F-117A Nighthawk.

Both too expensive, and there is no role for them.
Spey-engined Mirage IV was nearly a thing (killed off by Polaris)


The F-111, F-4E, and F-15C were nearly operated by the RAF as well. And the UH-60L Black Hawk.

[Deleted]

Apr 23, 2019 18:17:42 GMT lordroel said:

[Nice idea, well i always like seeing this plane, the British Aerospace EAP

This would need better engines than the RB.199s, otherwise it's performance is not much better than the (much cheaper) Tornado F.3

Looks cool, though

[lordroel]

We of course cannot forget the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2, a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

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