XR222

XR222 was the fourth airframe of the British Aircraft Corporation's TSR.2 development batch. It was only part built, and never flew, when the government cancelled the programme in 1965. Most of the unfinished airframes and tooling were scrapped; XR222 and XR220 escaped.

The College of Aeronautics at Cranfield had asked for an airframe for teaching and research. In October 1965 XR222 was taken there in sections. It arrived without many panels and items of equipment, since nobody was finishing the work by then. For about 12 years students used it to learn modern aircraft construction.

As Cranfield grew, the big airframe became hard to house, and it was passed to the Imperial War Museum. It went to Duxford by road in early 1978. For years it stood mostly outdoors, still incomplete, and weathered without serious damage. A cosmetic repaint in the 1980s left it outside.

A fuller restoration began in the early 2000s, with the airframe stripped and repainted indoors. It was rolled out on 16 December 2005. It was then stored in the enlarged superhangar while the AirSpace exhibition was built. It has since been displayed in AirSpace, moved now and then as the hall is rearranged.

Displayed in AirSpace among the British-built aircraft. It is viewed from outside only; many internal systems were never fitted.