▁to ▁solic it ▁their ▁subm issions . ▁ ▁Sub m issions ▁and ▁selection ▁Sau nd ers - R oe ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁companies ▁who ▁received ▁the ▁Spec ification ; ▁this ▁is ▁likely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Supp ly ▁not ▁considering ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁relevant , ▁as ▁the ▁firm ▁had ▁typically ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁flying ▁boats . ▁However , ▁Sau nd ers - R oe ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁requirement , ▁having ▁been ▁already ▁independently ▁conduct ing ▁studies ▁into ▁high - alt itude ▁and ▁high - speed ▁flight . ▁Maurice ▁B ren nan , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁chief ▁designer , ▁had ▁already ▁directed ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁team ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁prospect s ▁of ▁ro cket - prop elled ▁aircraft ▁capable ▁of ▁flying ▁at ▁alt itudes ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁and ▁had ▁published ▁a ▁report ▁entitled ▁' Inv estig ation ▁of ▁Problem s ▁of ▁P ure ▁Ro cket ▁F ighter ▁A ircraft ' ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁that ▁the ▁Ministry ▁had ▁issued ▁Spec ification ▁F 1 2 4 T . ▁Sau nd ers - R oe ▁approached ▁the ▁Ministry ▁on ▁its ▁failure ▁to ▁follow ▁conventional ▁policy ▁in ▁not ▁dispatch ing ▁the ▁specification ▁nor ▁an ▁inv itation ▁to ▁tender ▁to ▁the ▁firm ; ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁March ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁asked ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁submit ▁its ▁designs ▁alongside ▁the ▁other ▁compet itors . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 1