Bristol Britannia

Type 175 Britannia
BOAC Britannia Model 312 on a transatlantic flight at Manchester Airport in 1962.
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

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.

Canadair purchased a licence to build the Britannia in Canada, adding another 72 variants. These were the stretched Canadair CL-44/Canadair CC-106 Yukon, and the greatly modified Canadair CP-107 Argus patrol aircraft.

In 1942, during the Second World War, Allied aircraft construction saw the UK of necessity concentrating on heavy bombers, leaving the production of transport aircraft to the USA. This would have left the UK with little experience in transport construction at the end of the war, so in 1943, a committee under Lord Brabazon of Tara investigated the future of the British civilian airliner market. The Brabazon Committee called for several different aircraft to be developed to specifications composed by the committee for roles felt to fulfil Britain's civilian aviation needs.