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| The Type 175 Britannia, the world's first large turboprop transport aircraft, began as a piston-engined design to meet BOAC's 1947 specification for the MRE (Medium Range Empire) transport to carry 32-36 passengers and be powered by four Bristol Centaurus 662 sleeve-valve engines. The aircraft's size was soon increased and consideration given to the installation of Bristol Proteus turbines or Napier Nomad compound engines.
After some delay, in June 1948 the Ministry of Supply ordered three Centaurus-powered prototypes but stipulated that the second and third should be capable of conversion to Proteus-engined aircraft.
When the first prototype emerged in 1952 it was a much bigger aeroplane with accommodation for more than 80 passengers and powered by Proteus 625 engines. First flight was on 16 August 1952. Development trials were prolonged, partly because of engine icing problems, but on 1 February 1957 BOAC began operating Britannia 102 with 2,906kW Proteus 705 and up to 90 seats on its London-Johannesburg services.
A number of versions were developed from the Series 100 aircraft and on 19 December 1957, BOAC began the first turbine-powered North Atlantic service when it put Britannia 312 on the London-New York route. These were 3.12m longer, had accommodation for up to 139 passengers, were powered by 3,070kW Proteus 755 and had a 13,608kg increase in max weight. On the day that BOAC introduced Britannias on the North Atlantic, El Al flew a Britannia 10,328km non-stop from New York to Tel Aviv.
The Britannia was a superb aeroplane but was too late to establish itself before the introduction of turbojet transports; only 85 were built, including 23 Series 250 aircraft for the RAF.
Canadair developed the Britannia design into the military CL-28 Argus and CL-44 Yukon and the CL-44 series of passenger and cargo aircraft.
 | A three-view drawing (800 x 763) |
| CREW | 3-9 |
| PASSENGERS | 84-139 |
| ENGINE | 4 x turbo-prop Brist. "Proteus 765", 3270kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 83915 kg | 185002 lb |
| Empty weight | 42230 kg | 93102 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 43.4 m | 142 ft 5 in |
| Length | 37.9 m | 124 ft 4 in |
| Height | 11.4 m | 37 ft 5 in |
| Wing area | 192.7 m2 | 2074.20 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Cruise speed | 652 km/h | 405 mph |
| Ceiling | 9700 m | 31800 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 8600 km | 5344 miles |
| Range w/max payload | 6870 km | 4269 miles |
| tony almond, e-mail, 30.01.2011 22:30 My family and I flew this plane under British Eagle livery when we migrated to Australia in feb 1966.via Kuwait, Colombo,Singapore, Darwin and Melbourne. Onward flight to Adelaide with Ansett (I believe). I recall the only sleep I managed was through a raging storm between Singapore and Darwin.I remember smoking was allowed and most passengers seemed to smoke. The crew changed at each stop, and looked pleased to get off.I cant recall the food, but i know I lost about 10 lbs on the flight. I was 17 at the time and spent the whole journey consoling my 15yr old sister who didnt want to leave England. reply | | PH, e-mail, 21.01.2011 13:34 I also worked on the Brit from 1960 to 68 including the oil lift. Also at Changi, Lyneham and Nicosia.
Great aircraft though I still have the scar from falling down a trapdoor in the floor (at night). In many ways well ahead of its time.
I travelled with my family both to Cyprus and Singapore by Britannia. reply | | Mike Parker, e-mail, 12.12.2010 11:39 Stationed at Lyneham from 1964 to 1966. Serviced these lovely aircraft and went wuth them to East Africa to ship barrels of oil, from Dar-es Salem and then Nairobi to Lusaka in what is now Zimbabwe. They took a beating on these trips and several were left in a sorry state from which they really recovered.
Easy aircrfat to work on so much room in the frieght bays. Worst job changing torque meter tubes from engine to cockpit. reply |
| Bert Haile R.E, e-mail, 08.12.2010 14:12 I flew in the aircraft from Chrismas Island to UK in 1959,don't remember a deal about the flight only that we stopped at Honalulu and Goosebay in Canada. reply | |
| | Tom Chytil, e-mail, 04.12.2010 17:58 During a demo flight in 1954, Britannia G-ALRX suffered an engine explosion and in-flight wing fire with many people on board. Pilot Bill Pegg had to do a wheels up forced landing on the Severn mud flats. There were no injuries but the aircraft was later submerged by the incomming tide. reply | | Christine Keith, e-mail, 15.07.2010 01:00 I think I flew on this aircraft when I emigrated to Australia in 1966 travelling alone. June I think. Not very pleasant memories. We struggled to land in Abadan, Persia (then) due to a prop failure. Stuck there for 2 days while they flew parts out from Heathrow. Pilot then had a heart attack just before takeoff possibly due to the stress of landing the plane we were told. Eventually we resumed our journey via Colombo, Singapore, Darwin and finally Melbourne. I had an onward flight to Adelaide arriving 3 days late. reply | | johnsankey@live.co.uk, e-mail, 13.08.2010 08:55 Ex RAF Loadmaster - 5000hrs on 252 and 253 series.
Many round the world trips. A good aircraft to work with.
Unservoceable stops included!!!!! Queen of the skies. reply | | andy gillham, e-mail, 01.04.2010 19:37 Another Changi to Brize experience. Flew out in a "10" and back in the Brit. 34 hours and four legs of 7 /7.5 hours with 90 minutes turnarounds in Gan, Muharraq, and Akrotiri. I thought I was never going to get there. Wonderful sight and sound but boy, was I ever pleased to see Oxfordshire at last reply | | andy gillham, e-mail, 01.04.2010 19:37 Another Changi to Brize experience. Flew out in a "10" and back in the Brit. 34 hours and four legs of 7 /7.5 hours with 90 minutes turnarounds in Gan, Muharraq, and Akrotiri. I thought I was never going to get there. Wonderful sight and sound but boy, was I ever pleased to see Oxfordshire at last reply | | John Hancocks, e-mail, 07.03.2010 09:35 From a passenger's perspective I rate this as one of the least comfortable aircraft I've ever flown in. Vibration - this was incessant and pervasive, an engineering friend tells me that this must have been due to the prop. tips being allowed to over speed, if so it totally negated the benefits conferred by the turboprops. Carrier - BOAC, journey - Accra /Heathrow. reply | | Wouter Hobe, e-mail, 25.09.2009 04:03 The "Whispering Giant" was so quiet, flew from Sydney via Nadi, Honlulu, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal to Amsterdam for Canadian Pacific Airlnes. The base engeneer in Montreal arranged sails over the wing to save on glycol in the winter. The plane had trouble starting, till the engeneer kicked the electrical panel and then the engines performed beautifully. reply | | Ol Rappaport, e-mail, 18.08.2009 14:32 I flew in one of these as an eleven year old from Bahrain to Heathrow, I travelled alone. We stopped at Beirut (then in crisis and crawling with MIGs) and Rome (I think) It took over thirty hours. reply | | John Mathews, e-mail, 16.12.2008 04:08 I well remember, as a child in north London, seeing this beautiful aircraft in BOAC colours, crossing from Brookmans Park, overflying the North Circular Road on it's way into Heathrow. We'd run into the garden just to see it! Oh, happy days! Now, large aircraft are like cars - they all look alike!
Does anyone have, please...schedules of the BOAC Britannia 102 services to Australia...enroute stops, timings etc? Thanks in advance. John Mathews reply | | Augusto Daroca-Cheesman, e-mail, 14.12.2008 21:14 The first version of the Britannia had Bristol Centaurus engines. Does anybody know what happened to these piston aircrafts? reply | |
| | des, e-mail, 26.10.2008 19:06 My father was in the RAF. I know the flight to Singapore took 3 days in the mid-sixties - but can't remember where we stopped off - any ideas? reply | | Chris McBurney, e-mail, 02.09.2008 00:31 I flew as a passenger in "The Whispering Giant" three times between 1963 and 1966, in her British Eagle livery, to and from R.A.F Akrotiri, Cyprus and to Paya Lebar, Singapore. She was a great passenger aircraft. reply | | Marie Gemmell, e-mail, 18.07.2008 21:21 I flew on this aircraft with BOAC to Australia, in 1958 with my mother and two sisters and baby brother. We were to join my father, an RAF officer, on his posting at RAAF Edinburgh Fields, near Adelaide. My mother, now aged 88yrs, remembers taking 16 (!)pieces of luggage. Due to my young siblings we were the first to disembark at each stop, in the care of one of the air hostesses. We were usually whisked to a baby facility with a nurse or Amah to help my mother and had our meals in, what seemed to me, luxurious airport restaurants. Our trip was supposed to last approx two days, but because of an engine fault after taking off from Beirut, we had to return and spent two or three days in a hotel there waiting for a spare part to be flown out. My baby brother then developed prickly heat which was misdiagnosed at Singapore as measles, and the pilot refused to take him any further. We stayed in at RAF Changi for two weeks(!) before being rescued by Quantas to make our onward journey. But no air journey for me has since has ever matched the simple luxury of the flight and the in-flight and air-side passenger facilities (OK no films!). reply | | keith johns, e-mail, 14.05.2008 19:56 This was a definate improvement on the "Brab", nowhere near as noisy & the house did'nt suffer as much!!
In later years I joined the RAF, & flew many miles in the Britannia, also working on them in Trasport command. reply | | John Mannion, e-mail, 08.05.2008 05:08 Att Mark Jones
Could you contact me at johnmannion@ozemail.com.au re flight to Australia as migrant in 1960s please? reply | | Mark Jones, e-mail, 18.08.2007 06:54 I flew on this aircraft 40 years ago with my family when we emigrated to Australia. It was a British Eagle chartered by Qantas. I still have the ticket and booklet.
We flew from Heathrow to Kuwait, Kuwait to Colombo (in what was still called Ceylon), Colombo to Singapore, Singapore to Darwin and finally Darwin to Melbourne. Each stop was for an hour only (for refuelling) and took two and a half days. I remember we flew at 17,500ft. most of the way averaging about 385mph! reply |
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Torque meter change!!!! Indeed, I was with Red Team at Lyneham (Major servicing in J1 hangar). 1960 - 64.
Changed about a dozen torque meter lines in that time, outboard engines always the worse.
Did two on one aircraft at one time (Canopus) can't remember her number it took about 3 and half days.
Another was an urgent replacement, me and my buddy Alan Tucker worked for 36 hours non stop to get it done (with some breaks for scran)... Bloody knacked after that stint. Slept solidly for 14 hours afterwards... Good days back then.. I think... ðŸ¤"ðŸ˜
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