https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built
by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire.
During development two prototypes were lost and the turboprop engines proved
susceptible to inlet icing which delayed entry into service while solutions were
sought.
By the time development was completed, "pure" jet airliners from France, United
Kingdom and the United States were about to enter service, and consequently,
only 85 Britannias were built before production ended in 1960. Nevertheless, the
Britannia is considered one of the landmarks in turboprop-powered airliner
design and was popular with passengers. It became known by the title of "The
Whispering Giant" for its quiet exterior noise and smooth flying, although the
passenger interior remained less tranquil.
During the first eight months of operational trials, a total of 16 in-flight
engine failures and 49 unscheduled engine changes punctuated the ongoing engine
dilemma and delayed the in-service date until February 1957, roughly two years
late. The Britannia received a fair amount of attention in both the popular
press and the British House of Commons, especially when it was revealed that
BOAC had contemplated fitting Rolls-Royce Tynes to their fleet of Douglas DC-7s
as an interim measure until the Britannia was cleared for service.
Aviation historian Peter Pigott summarised the impact of the delays:
“ Had the Britannia appeared in 1950, when it was faster than every American
aircraft, it would have put the British at the forefront of commercial aviation
sales. Now, competing with the Boeing 707, the turboprop airliner had become
passé.
Fourteen Britannias were lost with a total of 365 fatalities between 1954 and
1980. The worst accident was the 1967 Nicosia Britannia disaster with a loss of
life totalling 126.
Role
Turboprop airliner
Manufacturer
Bristol Aeroplane Company
Designer
Dr. Archibald E. Russell
First flight
16 August 1952
Introduction
1 February 1957 with BOAC
Status
retired
Primary users
BOAC
Royal Air Force
Canadian Pacific Air Lines
Cubana de Aviación
Produced
1952–1960
Number built
85
Unit cost
£700,000 – £1,400,000 (1957)
Variants
Canadair CP-107 Argus
Canadair CL-44/Canadair CC-106 Yukon
Conroy Skymonster
Most aircraft were built by Bristol at Filton but 30 were built at Belfast by
Short Brothers and Harland. Due to the extended development instead of a
projected production of 180 Britannias, only 80 were sold. The negative
experience with the development of the Britannia caused BOAC to be more cautious
towards other British-made aircraft such as the Vickers VC10. Throughout the
Britannia's lifespan, the engine icing condition remained a "continual potential
hazard" that flight crews ultimately learned to manage with a "high-lo" flight
regime that minimized the danger, although the problems of the Britannia can
mainly be linked to that of a manufacturer undertaking an innovative airframe
design matched to an unproven engine, a design syndrome that remained
particularly daunting. Squadron Leader David Berry who had 5,000 hours on the
type characterised his experiences as flying "Beauty and the Beast." A more
fitting epitaph was recently proffered by the editors of Aeroplane as the "100
Great British Aircraft" (2008) were analysed with the Bristol Britannia counted
among the "greats".
Specifications (Series 310)
General characteristics
Crew: 4–7
Capacity: 139 passengers (coach class)
Length: 124 ft 3 in (37.88 m)
Wingspan: 142 ft 3 in (43.36 m)
Height: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Wing area: 2,075 ft² (192.8 m²)
Empty weight: 86,400 lb (38,500 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 185,000 lb (84,000 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Bristol Proteus 765 turboprops, 4,450 ehp (3,320 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 397 mph (345 knots, 639 km/h)
Cruise speed: 357 mph (310 kn, 575 km/h) at 22,000 ft (6,700 m)
Range: 4,430 mi (3,852 nmi, 7,129 km)
Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)
Avionics
EKCO E120 weather radar
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