• Fourth prototype airframe constructed
• Part of the collection at the Imperial War Musuem Duxford
• Link to photographs of TSR-2 XR222

On 6th April 1965 the new Labour Government announced the termination of the TSR-2 on the grounds of cost. At the start of the project in 1960 the estimates for research, development and production were put at £330m, but by 1965 had more than doubled to £750m, whilst the in-service date for the TSR-2 had changed from 1965 to 1968. The fourth prototype aircraft, designated XR222 remained in a virtually completed state at Vickers. After the cancellation of the project XR222 was due to be scrapped along with all other complete and part-built airframes.

Curiously XR222 survived the comprehensive destruction wrought on the rest of the project; she along with the second prototype XR220 were the only surviving airframes. In October 1965 XR222 was transferred to College of Aeronautics at Cranfield in Bedfordshire and displayed alongside other aircraft including a Messerschmitt Me 163B. On display XR222 was still incomplete missing a number of external panels and the leading edges of her delta wing.

On 21st March 1978 XR222 was transferred by road from Cranfield to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridge. There she was put on display outside although still missing those external panels, a far from ideal situation given the inclemencies of the British weather. After many years outside XR220 was cosmetically restored and by the 1990s was standing outside again at Duxford, although she was later displayed within the main hangar at Duxford.

The Imperial War Museum AirSpace exhibition hangar represents an investment of £25 million for Britain's premier aviation museum. AirSpace holds a number of significant civilian and military British aircraft including an Avro Lancaster (KB889) bomber, Avro Vulcan (XJ824) bomber, de Havilland Comet (G-APDB) airliner and the British Aircraft Corporation/Aerospatiale Concorde (G-AXDN) supersonic passenger aircraft. All these aircraft have been lovingly restored by volunteers and employees at Duxford for display in the Imperial War Musueum collection. On 16th December 2005 TSR-2 XR222 was officially unveiled at the Imperial War Musueum Duxford after a comprehensive eighteen month restoration programme and now resides alongside these other famous aeroplanes within the AirSpace hangar.