View source for Engineering:Vickers Type 559

{{Short description|1950s British interceptor aircraft design}}
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
 |name=Type 559
 |image=Vickers559 03.jpg
 |caption=
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
 |type=Interceptor
 |manufacturer=Vickers-Armstrongs
 |designer=
 |first flight=
 |introduced=
 |retired=
 |status=
 |primary user=
 |more users=
 |produced=
 |number built=None
 |variants with their own articles=
}}
|}

The '''Vickers Type 559''' was a supersonic interceptor aircraft design by the {{wipe|United Kingdom}} aircraft company Vickers-Armstrongs and was their submission for Operational Requirement F.155 in 1955.

It was not accepted for further consideration; the most valued submissions being from Armstrong Whitworth and Fairey, however the F.155 requirement was dropped as a result of the 1957 Defence White Paper.<ref name="Buttler Futile p73">Buttler 1996, p.73.</ref>

==Design and development==
The Type 559 was an unorthodox [[Engineering:Canard (aeronautics)|canard]] design with a massive chin air intake, split vertically, for two reheated de Havilland Gyron [[Engineering:Jet engine|engines]] of {{convert|20000|lbf|kN}} [[Thrust|thrust]] each, placed as in the [[Engineering:English Electric Lightning|English Electric Lightning]], one above the other. Two de Havilland Spectre Junior rockets were situated, one each side of the [[Engineering:Fuselage|fuselage]] at wing level. Two Red Hebe or Blue Jay missiles were mounted alongside the upper part of the fuselage between the canard and the mainplane, which had endplates incorporating twin rudders.{{cn|date=January 2020}}

==Specifications==

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 <ref name="Andrews&Morgan p309">Andrews and Morgan 1987, p.309.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|length ft=68
|length in=3
|length note=
|span ft=42
|span in=0
|span note=
|height ft=15
|height in=3
|height note=
|wing area sqft=615
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=41485
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=62190
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=de Havilland Gyron PS.26/1
|eng1 type=afterburning turbojet engines
|eng1 lbf=20000
|eng1 note=
|eng1 lbf-ab=27000

|eng2 number=2
|eng2 name=De Havilland Spectre Junior
|eng2 type=[[Chemistry:Kerosene|Kerosene]]/[[Chemistry:High-test peroxide|High-test peroxide]] rocket motor
|eng2 lbf=5000
|eng2 note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=2.5
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=
|range note=
|combat range miles=150
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=32 minutes
|ceiling ft=60000
|ceiling note=specified by F.155
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=<!--
* '''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Take-off distance to {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing distance from {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}-->
<!--
        Armament
-->
|missiles=2 × Red Hebe (radar guided) or Blue Jay (heat-seeking) missiles

|avionics=
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. ''Supermarine Aircraft since 1914''. London:Putnam, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85177-800-3}}.
* Butler, Tony. "Futile Rivals: F.155T - The Quest for "An Ultimate in Interceptors"". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 61, January/February 1996. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}. pp.&nbsp;65–73.
* Buttler, Tony. ''British Secret Projects: Jet Fighters Since 1950''. Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2000, {{ISBN|1-85780-095-8}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090120212604/http://vickerssupermarine.org.uk/559.html Type 559 page at VickersSupermarine.org.uk]


[[Category:Delta-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Canard aircraft]]
[[Category:Twinjets]]
[[Category:Mixed-power aircraft]]

{{Sourceattribution|Vickers Type 559}}