One of the very many aircraft companies in Britain was Saunders Roe.
As an example of the sheer engineering genius abundant in Britain in those days, this flying boat company turned its minds to producing a dual powerplant supersonic (Mach 2.35) fighter, due to fly in 1958.
It had a De-Havilland Gyron Junior jet engine, and above that on the centre line, a rocket engine drawing fuel from the same tanks.
It would reach an altitude of 60,000 feet in 2.5 minutes (as required-probably much faster) and was equipped with radar-controlled missiles.
Because the government was listening to 'experts' who had never flown in combat, fought an air war or built anything, all future fighters were cancelled in 1957.
The picture above is of the Saunders Roe 177 approaching completion at the time.
The SR53 prototypes actually did fly during the fifties.
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