Cold War Interceptor

The West was stunned when the Soviet Union dropped its first atomic bomb in August 1949 and a year later the Korean War showcased Russia's incredible technological progress in the form of the MiG-15 - a fighter capable of besting anything the RAF had to offer at that time. In the wake of the Second World War, funding for the RAF's Fighter Command had fallen away dramatically but now there was an urgent need for new jet fighters to meet the threat of Russian bombers head-on. Britain's top aircraft manufacturers, including Hawker, English Electric, Fairey, Vickers Supermarine, De Havilland, Armstrong Whitworth and Saunders-Roe, set to work on designing powerful supersonic aircraft with all-new guided missile systems capable of meeting a Soviet assault and shooting down high-flying enemy aircraft before they could unleash a devastating nuclear firestorm on British soil.

The result was some of the largest, heaviest and most powerful fighter designs the world had ever seen - and a heated debate about whether the behemoths should be built at all as guided weapons became ever more advanced. This is the story of Britain's secret cold war fighter jet designs, fully illustrated with a host of drawings, illustrations and photographs.

Occidentul a fost uimit cand Uniunea Sovietica a lansat prima sa bomba atomica in august 1949 si un an mai tarziu, razboiul coreean a prezentat incredibilul progres tehnologic al Rusiei sub forma MiG-15 - un luptator capabil sa castige tot ceea ce RAF a avut de oferit la acel moment timp. In urma celui de-al doilea razboi mondial, finantarea pentru Comandamentul de lupta al RAF a scazut dramatic, dar acum era nevoie urgenta de noi avioane de lupta pentru a face fata amenintarii bombardierilor rusi.