[Fictional] BAC Thunderstrike S.1 (TSR.2) 3

BAC Thunderstrike S.1 for STRIKE FIGHTERS 2

This is a simple mod of bongodriver's outstanding BAC TSR.2 to give a fictional Thunderstrike S.1 strike aircraft in service with the RAF during the 1968 to 1980 timeline. Three RAF squadrons are covered and all with toned-down (pale) markings;

No.100 Squadron.

No.139 (Jamaica) Squadron.

No.617 Squadron - The famous 'Dambusters'.

BACKSTORY

In the House of Commons on April 6th 1965, when Chancellor James Callaghan stood to deliver his budget day speech most of the British aviation industry were prepared for the worst but nothing about the TSR.2 was mentioned and a collective sigh of relief was heard. On April 9th, Prime Minister Wilson made an unannounced visit to BAC Warton and, after raised voices were heard coming from the boardroom, Wilson was given a tour of the TSR.2 front office by an enthusiastic and passionate Roland Beaumont. Playing to the assembled crowd of BAC workers and the Press corps, Wilson announced that whilst some economies were needed this important aircraft was "an amazing example of British engineering and will form the backbone of a modern Royal Air Force" adding that a production order for 30 examples would be immediately placed plus another four pre-production aircraft. Astounded BAC officials looked at each in disbelief, swallowed hard and smiled for the cameras. 

In the months that followed, everything seemed to fall into place. The undercarriage retraction problems disappeared, the new Olympus 321 engines ran faultlessly both at Filton (and soon after in the newly flown XR222) whilst various highly classified black boxes arrived at Warton, were fitted and worked like a charm. Testing continued into 1966 and on April 6th, 1966 Mary Wilson (the wife of Prime Minister, Harold Wilson) smashed a bottle of champagne across the nose of XR225 in a naming ceremony christening the aircraft 'Thunderstrike'. In August 1966, the Air Ministry announced that to ease the aircraft into squadron service a Thunderstrike Test and Evaluation Squadron (TTES) would be formed during 1967 at RAF Coningsby operating the last four prototypes (XR223 to XR226) and the four pre-production aircraft (XR556 to XR559).

During the Spring of 1967 the excellent results coming from the Thunderstrike Test and Evaluation Squadron allowed the RAF to begin to plan the introduction into service of the BAC Thunderstrike S.1 and it was hoped 
to initially re-equip No.617 'Dambuster' squadron at RAF Scampton first and hopefully by April 1st, 1968 (the RAF's 50th birthbday). However, during August 1967 the RAF top brass became aware of the onset of fatigue 
problems with the two Victor B.2 squadrons at RAF Wittering and, fearful of another Valiant style mass grounding, it was decided to move the Victor B.2's away from the arduous low-level role as a matter of urgency and re-equip them with the Thunderstrike.

Deliveries to No.100 and No.139 squadrons commenced in February 1968 but by April 1st only seven aircraft had been received and these early production machines had varying standards of both engines and nav/attack 
systems but the photo-shoot held on April 1st at least gave the impression that the aircraft had entered service but it was not until February 1969 that both squadrons were declared operational and available to NATO Sacuer. 
By this time, No.617 squadron at Scampton had also began to re-equip with the Thunderstrike S.1 and had moved to Wittering at the end of March 1969. During April 1969 all three squadrons took part in Exercise Clansman, a 
NATO exercise based on mock-attacks on several Scottish hydro-electric facilities, with all three squadrons returning exceptionally high scores for serviceability, penetration and bombing accuracy.

Following this solid entry into service the Thunderstrike programme never looked back with orders placed for 60 Thunderstrike S.2's for RAF Germany plus 90 S.3's for RAF Strike Command as Vulcan replacements and a hugely
successful export campaign saw the aircraft sold to Australia, Canada, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia and West Germany.

Nurse, my medicene please.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. From the AIRCRAFT folder drag and drop the ThunderstrikeS1 folder into your Aircraft folder.

2. From the DECALS folder drag and drop the ThunderstrikeS1 folder into your main Decals folder.

3. From the EFFECTS folder move the three 'Olympus' files into your Effects folder.

4. From the PILOTS folder move the TSRSeat folder into your Pilots folder.

5. From the SOUNDS folder move the two 'Oly' files into your Sounds folder.

6.  From the WEAPONS folder move the AS-30 folder into your Weapons folder. 

COCKPIT

Please note that this mod uses a slightly modified stock Phantom pit with the pilot position altered and the air-to-air modes disabled. Cockpits and Avionics are not my thing so I'm open minded to any suggestions 
for improvements but please note that I do like to make my mods as simple as possible so rivet counters need not apply.

CREDITS

As always, thanks to Third Wire for a great little game/sim.

Massive thanks to bongodriver for bringing the TSR.2 to the Third Wire Community. Genius! It's impossible to improve on his outstanding TSR.2 add-on so this version is just a different flavour.

Equally massive thanks to sundowner for the awesome skins on this version and, indeed, on all the TSR.2's plus his developed versions... check them out!

And, finally, thanks to everyone in the wider Third Wire community.

Regards 

Spinners

Version 3 - February 6th, 2024.