as it might have looked:
from a model by Guy Finch
Span = 27' 1". Span over missiles = 30' 3"
Height = 14' 3". Length = 50' 6"
view from above
view from below
Maximum speed: M2.35. Climb to 60,000 ft: 3.1mins
2 Red Top missiles on wings
Weight basic 14,522lbs. Weight Gross 25,786lbs
De Havilland PS.50 Gyron Junior DGJ 101 turbojet of thrust 14,000lb. De Havilland Spectre 5A rocket motor 10,000lbs thrust
In the 177, the rocket motor was uppermost, and the turbojet is below with a conventional nose intake. The jet engine had afterburning and considerably more power. A powerful AI-23 radar was fitted to make the 177 an all weather interceptor, and this accounted for a lot of the weight increase.
A naval variant was ordered, and the Luftwaffe and Canadian airforce expessed interest. However, the R.A.F. version fell victim to the 1957 Defence White Paper (Sandys "no more manned aircraft"), and the naval and Luftwaffe versions died some after this. At this point a full sized mock-up had been built, and construction of the wings and fuselage was well under way at the time of the final cancellation.
An impression of the Luftwaffe variant.
... back to the UK Space page ...
Nicholas Hill. Revised 17 July 2002.