Первый F.D.2, или Fairey Delta 2, изображен здесь с надписью, нанесенной в память об установленном им мировом рекорде скорости.

Английский экспериментальный самолет с дельтовидным крылом FD.2 «Дельта»
6 октября 1954г.: первый полет выполнил прототип самолета Fairey FD.2. В марте 1956 года на нем был установлен мировой рекорд скорости - 1670 км/ч.

The only occasion on which both Fairey F.D.2s, WG774 and WG777, appeared at the SBAC show at Farnborough together was 1956, as seen here, when the two were flown by test pilots Peter Twiss and Gordon Slade; the plan was for the pair to cross high above the airfield at Mach 1-25; the weather refused to co-operate, however.

The Fairey F.D.2 in flight

THE FAIREY DELTA 2 is powered by a ROLLS-ROYCE AVON turbo jet engine

The Fairey F.D.2 in which Twiss broke the world air speed record on March 10, 1956.

В конце 1947 года английское Министерство снабжения, наконец, признало, что Великобритания утеряла лидерство в разработке сверхзвуковых самолетов, и составило экспериментальную "спецификацию W3" на новый опытный самолет. Компания "Fairey" ответила созданием усовершенствованного Delta Two или F. D.2.
Climbing at an angle of 45 degrees, the first prototype Fairey Delta 2 (WG774) is flown by Lt.-Commander Peter Twiss, D.S.C., prior to the successful attempt on the world 's speed record on 10th March, when Twiss established the F.A.1. record of 1,132 m.p.h. (1,822 Ikm./hr.) over a nine-mile course between Chichester and Ford, Sussex. Two runs were made, the first (east to west) was covered at 1.117 m.p.h. (1,798 km./hr.) and the second (west to east) at 1,147 m.p.h. (1.846 km./hr.), thus exceeding by 37 per cent the existing record of 824 m.p.h. set up by Col. Horace A. Hanes in an F-100A Super Sabre on 20th August 1955. The Delta 2, powered by a 10,000-lb.s.t. Rolls-Royce (re-heat) Avon, undertook the record runs at an altitude of 7 1/4 miles (38,000 ft.) after taking off from A. & A.E .E., Boscombe Down, Hampshire. The span of the FD-2 is 26 ft. and the length 52 ft. 3 in. First flight was on 6th October 1954.
This aircraft was later fitted with a sharp-edged ogival wing and flown as the BAC 221 on research into Concorde-type delta wing flight characteristics.

The supersonic fuselage - whatever the wing shape may be - is essentially a cylinder with a pointed nose.

FAIREY F.D.2. The Fairey F.D.2 originally started life as a subsonic test-bed, but rapid general progress called for its redesign to undertake supersonic trials. Nothing is known of the nature of these trials, but it has been rumoured abroad that they concern British heavy bomber development. Tail-less and with an extremely thin delta wing, the F.D.2 flew for the first time on 6th October last. The Rolls-Royce Avon with afterburner is housed in the rear fuselage section, and the nose can be dropped like a drawbridge for better pilot view on the approach.
Salient features: The F.D.2 is characterised by a very long fuselage with a nose probe, and little or no taper on the rear section. The cockpit is only slightly stepped and the hood is mainly of metal. The wings have sharp leading-edge sweep, square-cut tips and bulged intakes in the leading edge for the Avon. The mainwheels retract sideways and are housed under long bulges in the wings, while the nosewheel retracts backwards. The fin has sharp sweep on the leading edge and at the base is a bullet fairing for the anti-spin or brake parachute.

В отличие от "English Electric", компания "Fairey" пыталась установить рекорд, используя F.D.2 во время плановых испытательных полетов. Новые правила Международной авиационной федерации требовали точного соблюдения всех параметров полета, но в первое время они допускали попытки установления рекордов на больших высотах.

Also repainted, and now a regal purple, the record-breaking Fairey F.D.2 Delta 2 (WG774)

The F.D.2 with "droop snoot" lowered for landing;

Holder of the Air Speed Record - the Fairey F.D.2.

На этом снимке видна отклоняемая часть фюзеляжа самолета FD.2 «Дельта»

Fairey Delta 2 (10 March 1956).

The prototype Fairey Delta Two, WG774, photographed at the time of the 1957 Farnborough airshow. Both F.D.2s were displayed at that event, one by Peter Twiss, the other by Fairey's chief test pilot Gordon Slade.

Rare picture of WG774 (Type 221) and WG777 in flight together.

Busy apron scene at Bedford on August 29, 1960, depicting flight test aircraft used by both NAD and Aero Flight. They include a hybrid all-white Hunter WW598, two Fairey Delta 2s WG774 and WG777, Buccaneer S.1 XK524, Supermarine Scimitar, and in the top left hand corner of the photograph Supermarine Type 529 VX136 delivered to NAD on April 15, 1953 for tail-down deck landing trials.

The Avon's orifice on the Fairey Delta 2.

Peter Twiss and Gp Capt Slade indulging in horseplay with Harry Shaw of Rolls-Royce.

Ihe F.D.2, was the last fixed-wing aircraft built by the Fairey Company. The prototype, WG774, first flew at A&AEE Boscombe Down on October 6, 1954. On November 17, 1954, the aircraft suffered engine failure during a test flight but was successfully landed back at Boscombe by Twiss, the resulting damage not being serious. The pilot was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the air. Twiss shattered the World Speed Record in the F.D.2 on March 10, 1956, with a speed of 1,132 m.p.h., 310 m.p.h. faster than the record held by a US F-100C Super Sabre. The second F.D.2, WG777, had first flown on February 15, 1956, exceeding Mach 1.0 during this initial flight. Tests continued with the RAE and WG774 was later fitted with an ogival wing, becoming the BAC-221 for Concorde wing research. WG777 went into store at RAF Topcliffe for eventual exhibition in the RAF Museum.

Had interceptor development been allowed to continue, three of the front-runners would have been the Fairey Delta 3 with Red Hebe missiles, and English Electric’s P.22 (with a rotary weapons bay) and P.23 Lightning derivative (with a mixed weapons load).

LAST OF THE DEDICATED BOMBER-KILLERS: The OR.329/F.155 contenders
ISSUED BY THE Air Ministry in mid-1954, Operational Requirement 329 outlined what the Air Staff wanted from the next generation of interceptor aircraft, and Specification F.155 detailed how this requirement should be met. The demands of F.155 included the following:
- the ability to intercept an enemy bomber flying at Mach 1+ within 20min of target contact (approx 250 miles - 400km - from the UK);
- a service ceiling of at least 60,000ft (18,000m);
- the ability to carry armament of a mixture of infra-red homing and radar-guided missiles;
- a crew of two; pilot + weapons officer/navigator.
Thus the result would have to be a rapid-climbing Mach 2+ interceptor capable of carrying at least two collision-course missiles, and which would eventually replace the English Electric P.1B Lightning. Engine manufacturers also set about developing new powerplants for this new generation of fighters, including de Havilland (Gyron/Gyron Junior) and Rolls-Royce (RB.106).
Ten designs were put forward for F.155, but none proceeded beyond the design stage, the 1957 Defence White Paper sounding the death knell of the dedicated bomber-killer. The ten were:
Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow Added to F.155 towards the end of the process, the Canadian Arrow was essentially a stopgap to cover probable delays in the Fairey Delta 3 project (see below).
Avro 729 Little appears to be known about the Avro 729; it was described variously as a single-Gyron-powered all-weather fighter and a twin-engined canard design, as seen here.
Vickers-Armstrongs (Supermarine) Type 559 This canard design with a large air intake beneath the cockpit for its twin Gyrons, one atop another, as on the P.1, was to carry a pair of Red Hebe missiles on dorsal pylons. Deemed too radical
de Havilland D.H.117 Powered by a pair of Gyron Juniors and a D.H. Spectre booster rocket in the tail, the straight-winged D.H.117 was deemed not radical enough, and certainly not enough of an advance on the P.1B Lightning.
Fairey Delta 3 Based on research undertaken with the Delta 2 (F.D.2), Fairey submitted two designs to F.155; a large twin-Gyron-engined Red Hebe-carrying version that would meet the full spec, and a smaller, less ambitious single-engined version that would be easier to develop. The large version was selected by the MoS and Air Staff.
Armstrong Whitworth AW.169 With a pair of Gyron Juniors in nacelles fitted to a razor-thin straight trapezoidal wing, the T-tailed AW.169 would carry Blue Vestas on its wingtips.
English Electric P.8A much modified and larger Lightning fitted with Red Tops on its wingtips, this was considered insufficient advance on the P.1B.
Saunders-Roe P.187 A development of the company’s SR.53 and SR.177 mixed-power concepts, the P.187 was too big from the outset.
Hawker P.1103 This was to be powered by a single Gyron, with detachable rocket boosters mounted mid-wing and Red Hebes on its wingtips.

FAIREY F.D.2. Data: Manufacturer: Fairey Aviation Co. Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex. Power: one Rolls-Royce Avon. Accommodation: single-seat. No other data available.

This is the first official general arrangement drawing to be released of the Fairey Delta 2. It confirms a number of features which have been published hitherto only as intelligent surmise. Note the 10° droop of the "drawbridge" nose, the hinge line aft of the cockpit, and the 1 1/2 wing incidence. The Fairey Delta 2 may be the fastest single-engined aircraft flying today. Readers will know that the Minister of Supply officially stated on 11th November 1955 that it was regularly flying faster than sound in a climb.