Hawker Siddeley Trident

Hawker Siddeley Trident
Name	Hawker Siddeley Trident
Caption	A British European Airways Trident 1C in flight.
Type	Narrow-body jet airliner
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Hawker Siddeley
First flight	9 January 1962
Introduction	1 April 1964 with British European Airways
Retired	1995
Primary user	British European Airways
Number built	117
Developed from	de Havilland DH.121
Developed into	Hawker Siddeley HS.141

Hawker Siddeley Trident. The Hawker Siddeley Trident was a British short-to-medium-range jet airliner developed by de Havilland and later produced by Hawker Siddeley. It was the first airliner in the world to make a fully automatic landing in scheduled passenger service and became a mainstay of British European Airways' fleet for over two decades. Although its export success was limited, the Trident was a technologically advanced aircraft that pioneered many features later adopted across the aviation industry.

Development and design

The aircraft originated from the de Havilland DH.121 design, a response to a 1956 requirement from British European Airways for a new jet to replace its Vickers Viscount fleet. The design team, led by de Havilland at Hatfield Aerodrome, proposed a trijet configuration with a distinctive T-tail and rear-mounted Rolls-Royce Spey engines. Following the corporate absorption of de Havilland into Hawker Siddeley in 1960, the project was renamed the Trident. Key innovations included one of the first fly-by-wire control systems and a sophisticated Smiths Autopilot system that enabled its pioneering Autoland capability. The design prioritized operational efficiency for European routes, influencing later aircraft like the Boeing 727.

Operational history

The Trident entered service with British European Airways on the London to Copenhagen route in April 1964. It became the backbone of the BEA fleet, operating high-frequency services across Europe and on domestic routes within the United Kingdom. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) became the only major export customer, operating a fleet on its domestic network. Despite its advanced systems, sales were hampered by Boeing's dominant Boeing 727, which offered greater flexibility. The type was gradually phased out by British Airways in the early 1980s, with a few serving in secondary roles with Cyprus Airways and Channel Airways before final retirement in 1995.

Variants

The main production variants were developed sequentially. The initial Trident 1C featured a short fuselage and was optimized for BEA's needs. The stretched Trident 1E offered increased capacity and range for potential export. The definitive Trident 2E incorporated more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey engines and greater fuel capacity. The most distinctive variant was the Trident 3B, which added a small fourth Rolls-Royce RB162 booster engine in the tail to improve hot and high performance from short runways; it was the final and longest variant. A proposed long-range Trident 3E was not built.

Operators

The primary operator was British European Airways, which later became part of British Airways. The only other significant airline customer was the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the state carrier of the People's Republic of China. Several smaller airlines also flew the type, including Cyprus Airways, Channel Airways, Air Ceylon, and the Royal Air Force which used a single aircraft for navigation training. After retirement, a few aircraft were used by research establishments like the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough Airfield.

Accidents and incidents

The Trident fleet was involved in several notable accidents. The most catastrophic was the 1972 BEA Trident crash near Staines, Surrey, which resulted in the loss of all 118 people on board and led to major changes in pilot training regarding stall recovery. Another significant crash was the 1975 CAAC Trident hijacking, which ended in a fatal fire after the aircraft was commandeered. Other incidents included the 1966 Felthorpe Trident crash during a test flight and a fatal runway collision involving a Dan-Air Trident at London Heathrow Airport in 1969. These events contributed to ongoing safety investigations by the Accident Investigation Branch.

Specifications (Trident 3B)

* **Crew:** 3 (flight deck) * **Capacity:** 180 passengers (typical layout) * **Length:** 39.98 m (131 ft 2 in) * **Wingspan:** 29.87 m (98 ft 0 in) * **Height:** 8.61 m (28 ft 3 in) * **Empty weight:** 37,200 kg (82,012 lb) * **Max takeoff weight:** 68,000 kg (149,914 lb) * **Powerplant:** 3 × Rolls-Royce Spey Mk. 512-5W turbofans, plus 1 × Rolls-Royce RB162 booster turbojet * **Max speed:** 972 km/h (604 mph, 525 kn) * **Range:** 4,350 km (2,700 mi, 2,350 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 9,450 m (31,000 ft)

Category:Airliners Category:British airliners 1960–1969 Category:Twinjet aircraft