BAC-111
| One-Eleven | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A British Island Airways BAC One-Eleven. | |
| Role | Short-range jetliner and business jet |
| Manufacturer | British Aircraft Corporation |
| First flight | 20 August 1963 |
| Introduction | 1965 |
| Status | In limited use |
| Primary users |
British Airways American Airlines Braniff Airways British United Airways |
| Produced | 1963–1982 (United Kingdom) 1982–1989 (Romania) |
| Number built | 244 |
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner used during the 1960s and 1970s. It was the second short-haul jet airliner to enter service, following the French Sud Aviation Caravelle. The aircraft was also produced under license in Romania during the 1980s as the Rombac One-Eleven.
The One-Eleven was originally conceived by Hunting Aircraft and was subsequently developed by the British Aircraft Corporation when Hunting merged into BAC along with several other British aircraft manufacturers in 1960. The One-Eleven was intended to replace the earlier turboprop-powered Vickers Viscount on short-range routes. The One-Eleven made it to market ahead of rivals such as the Douglas DC-9-10, which gave it a temporary edge on the market.
The aircraft proved to be popular with domestic airlines and with various international operators; over half of the One-Eleven's sales at launch were to the largest and most lucrative market, the United States. The One-Eleven was one of the most successful British airliner designs and served until a widespread retirement in the 1990s, which was partly due to the introduction of aircraft noise restrictions in many European nations. As of 2013, two examples remain in service as testbeds for Northrop-Grumman.
In the 1950s, although the pioneering de Havilland Comet jetliner had suffered multiple disasters in service, strong passenger demand for the qualities provided by jet propulsion had been demonstrated. Several aircraft manufacturers raced to release their own passenger jets, including those aimed at the short-haul market, such as the Sud Aviation Caravelle. In July 1956, British European Airways published a paper calling for a "second generation" jet airliner to operate beside their existing turboprop designs. This led to a variety of designs from all of the major players in the British aerospace industry. Hunting Aircraft started design studies on a jet-powered replacement for the successful Vickers Viscount, developing the 30-seat Hunting 107. Around the same time, Vickers started a similar development of a 140-seat derivative of its VC10 project, the VC11. Many other aviation firms had also produced their own designs.
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