The fuselage design was developed from the original requirement to accommodate the Blue Streak missile. This dictated a circular cross-section made up of eight separate elements including five 'barrel' sections. These were constructed vertically to save factory floor space and to simplify jigging. Most of the frames and stringers were rolled Z-sections, while those bearing increased loads were fabricated as box beams. J-section extrusions formed the basis of the freight floor, which featured honeycomb panels laid on top. Most other members were standard sections or sheet.
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