EXHIBIT 5.1

                      SATTERLEE STEPHENS BURKE & BURKE LLP
                                230 Park Avenue
                               New York, NY 10169

                                            November 4, 1997

Tandy Corporation
100 Throckmorton Street,
Suite 1800
One Tandy Center
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Tandy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), in connection with the proposed offering, from time to time, by the
Company of its debt securities having an aggregate initial public offering price
or purchase price of up to U.S. $300,000,000 or the equivalent in foreign or
composite currencies (the "Debt Securities") pursuant to a Registration
Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), (the Registration Statement
as amended as of the date hereof being herein referred to as the "Registration
Statement").

     In connection therewith, we have examined and relied upon the original, or
copies certified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Certificate of Incorporation
and the Bylaws of the Company, as amended; (ii) minutes and records of the
corporation proceedings of the Company; (iii) the Registration Statement and
exhibits thereto; (iv) the Sales Agreement dated of even date herewith entered
into among the Company and Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., BancAmerica Robertson
Stephens, Citicorp Securities, Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc.; (v) the Indenture, dated as of May 1,
1997, entered into by and between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as
Trustee; and (vi) such other documents and instruments as we have deemed
necessary for the expression of the opinions contained herein.

     In making the foregoing examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of
all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as
originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted
to us as certified or photostatic copies.  As to various questions of fact
material to this opinion and as to the content and form of the Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws, minutes, records, resolutions, and other documents or
writings of the Company, we have relied, to the extent we deem reasonably
appropriate, upon representations or certificates of officers or directors of
the Company and upon documents, records, and 


 
 
instruments furnished to us by the Company, without independent check or
verification of their accuracy.

     Based upon the foregoing, and having due regard for such legal
considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

     1.   The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, existing, and in good
standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

     2.   The Debt Securities proposed to be sold by the Company pursuant to the
Sales Agreement have been duly authorized for issuance and, subject to (i) a
supplement or amendment to the prospectus, forming a part of the Registration
Statement, specifying certain terms with respect to the offering of such Debt
Securities being filed or mailed for filing to the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, and (ii) compliance with any
applicable Blue Sky laws, when executed by the Company, authenticated by the
Trustee, and delivered and sold in accordance with the provisions of the Sales
Agreement, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company,
enforceable in accordance with the terms and entitled to the benefits of the
Indenture, except as may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws now or
hereafter in effect affecting the rights of creditors generally.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the
reference to us under "Legal Opinions" in the Prospectus forming a part of such
Registration Statement.

                              Very truly yours,


 
                              Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke LLP