Born in 1901 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, C.H. Lowe-Wylde built his first glider at the age of 14. On 3 January 1930 he founded the Kent Gliding Club, then designed the first British Primary glider, the B.A.C.1, which was thwn built bu members of the Kent Club.
The British Aircraft Company (1935) Ltd was founded by C.H. Lowe-Wylde in 1930, the company set up a factory in a disused brewery in Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, Kent, UK.
The British Aircraft Company (1935) Ltd. built a series of eight glider types in the early 1930s. In 1932 one was fitted with landing gear and a Douglas motorcycle engine driving a pusher propeller. A small number were produced before designer and company owner C. H. Lowe Wylde was killed while flying the initial conversion on 13 May 1933. Company taken over by Austrian pilot Robert Kronfeld, becoming Kronfeld Ltd.
EAP is a single-seat aircraft with a compound-sweep delta wing and an all-moving canard. Power is provided by twin reheated RB.199 turbofans fed by chin intakes. The contract for the design, development, and construction of the demonstrator was signed in May 1983.
Prototype EAP October 1985
Prototype EAP October 1985
The EAP technology demonstrator aircraft exceeded Mach 1.1 on its first flight on August 8, 1986. Produced by British Aerospace in collaboration with several industrial partners, including Aeritalia, MBB, Rolls-Royce, Dowty, Ferranti, and GEC, the EAP has received financial support from the UK Government. Intended to demonstrate a complete weapons system for the 1990s, the EAP incorporates many advanced-technology features, including the extensive use of carbon-fibre structures, advanced aerodynamics, digital fly-by-wire with relaxed stability, a digital databus, and an integrated electronic cockpit.
EAP Engines: 2 x Turbo-Union RB 199-34R Mk, 40.0-75.7kN Take-off weight: 14515 kg / 32000 lb Empty weight: 10000 kg / 22046 lb Wingspan: 11.77 m / 38 ft 7 in Length: 17.72 m / 58 ft 2 in Height: 5.70 m / 18 ft 8 in Wing area: 51.66 sq.m / 556.06 sq ft Max. speed: 2M Crew: 1
British Aerospace’s new BAe 1000, derived from the BAe 125 800, made its first flight in June 1990 from Chester. The BAe 1000 is billed as an intercontinental range, mid sized, corporate jet. The most obvious visual difference compared with the 125 Srs 800 is the lengthened fuselage with a more prominent external ventral fairing containing more fuel, stretched in size (84cm) as well as range (by 21 percent to 3635 nm). The cabin is deeper and there is space for a maximum of 15 in high density seating.
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305 turbofans, 5,200 lb st (23,13 kN).
Hawker Siddeley announced their plans for a short-range, quiet airliner powered by four small turbo-fans in August 1973, the 146. But, with the economic recession in Britain that fol¬lowed shortly after, the HS. 146 project became “unjusti¬fiable” and was dropped. It was re-launched five years later when Hawker Siddley became British Aerospace (BAe).
Design of the BAe-146 included 15 rows of five-abreast seating, and it was powered by four Textron Lycoming ALF502R-5 high bypass turbofan engines of 6,970 lbs of thrust. The British Aerospace 146 first flew at Hatfield on 3 September 1981, flown by chief test pilot Michael Goodfellow and Peter Sedgwick, and two flight test observers. At the time of the first flight, which lasted 95 minutes, BAe reported that it had 35 aircraft “earmarked for customers”.
BAe 146-100 VH-NJA – the fourth built
The -200 development production model flew on 1 August 1982. The main point of difference between the -200 and the-100 was the increased fuselage length of the -200 by 2.40m to 28.60m. The type was granted certification on 4 February 1983, and production went ahead, with assembly of the BAe-146 beginning at Hartford and later expanding to Woodford. Annual production of the airliner reached 40 aircraft, and one of the first operators of the type was Dan-Air in Britain, which began operations with it in May 1983. QT Quiet Trader and QC convertible versions with side-opening freight doors were also available. The QT suffix under¬lines a marketing ploy; “Quiet Trader”. The 200QT combines the wide door introduced on the freighter versions with interior trim appropriate to the passenger role and has a within one hour turnaround between roles; providing either 94 seats or room for six freight pallets. The prototype QC had made its debut at the 1989 Paris Air Show. With a strengthened floor that enable pallets of up to 4000 lbs (1.815 tonnes) providing a possible gross payload of 10.05 tonnes to be shifted, with a 42.184 tonne MAUW permitted. The name Statesman refers to VIP-furnished variants for military or civil customers. The 146STA was the first dedicated military variant to reach demonstrator status, in the form of the original Srs 100 No 2 modified, by Hayes International, to incorporate a 131in/3.33m by 76in / 1.93m side-loading cargo door. The 146STA made its first flight in the USA on 8 August 1988 and featured a single air-openable (outwards and forward) parachuting door immediately behind the main freight door. A strengthened floor can take up to 7000 lb / 3175 kg single pallets and a total load of 22,300 lb / 10,115 kg.
BAe-146STA
A further development, the BAe 146-300, made its first flight on 1 May 1987 and certification was granted on 6 September 1988. This had its fuselage lengthened again to 30.99m, seating around 90 passengers five abreast, and an upgraded “glass” cockpit, but the power plant remained the same.
The -300 prototype was a modification of the original -100 prototype, then followed by a development aircraft, G-OASF, that first flew on 22 June 1988. Flight testing led to the development of a flap/trim compensation unit to cater for the increased tail arm of the -300, and an increase in max operating speed to M 0.72, but M 0.73 in the USA. Limiting airspeed remained at 295 kt / 546 kph IAS. It was certified at 93,000 lb / 42, 185 kg, like the Srs 200, but was likely to increase.
Late in 1990, BAe offered the first of an improved series called the RJ70, and this was followed over the next two years with the RJ80, the RJ85 and, in May 1992, the RJ100. The RJ-100 (G-IRJX) first flying on 23 Sept 2001. However, the RJX programme was eventually closed, marking the end of commercial jet airliner production in Britain. In all, a total of 380 BAe-146s were produced and the type has been in worldwide service.
BAe 146-100 Engines: Four Avco Lycoming ALF 502R-3 turbofans, 6,700 lb st (3 040 kgp) for take-off. Fuel capacity: 2,540 Imp gal (11540 lt) Optional fuel: 300 Imp gal (1364 lt) Design Vmo/Mmo, 310 kts (574 km/h) CAS, M0.70 above 22,000 ft (6 705 in) Typical high cruise speed, 419 kts (775 km/h) Still air range with basic 82-pax payload, 730 nm (1352 km) Range with max payload and std fuel, 510 nm (946 km) Range with max payload and increased gross weight 1,100 nm (2037 km) Range with optional increased tankage, 1,550 nm (2871 km) with 13,000 lb (5 900 kg) payload Balanced take-off field length, 3,600 ft (1097 m), ISA at sea level. Typical operating weight empty, 45,570 lb (20 670 kg) Max take-off weight, 74,600 lb (33840 kg) Optional (-00RR) increased gross weight version, 80,750 lb (36628 kg) Max landing weight, 71,850 lb (32590 kg) Max zero fuel weight, 63,250 lb (28 690 kg). Span, 86 ft 5 in (26,34 m) Length, 85 ft 10 in (26,16 m) Height, 28 ft 3 in (8,61 m) Gross wing area, 832 sq ft (77,3 sq.m) Aspect ratio, 8.97:1 Sweepback, 15 deg at quarter chord Undercarriage track, 15 ft 6 in (4,72 m) Wheelbase, 33 ft 11 in (10,1 m) Flight crew: two Max seating, one-class, 93 pax six abreast at 29-in (74-cm) pitch Standard seating, 82 at 33-in (84-cm) pitch Underfloor baggage/cargo compartments volumes 258 cu ft (7,30 cu.m) front / 242 cu ft (6,85 cu.m) rear
BAe 146-200 Engines: Four Avco Lycoming ALF 502R-3 turbofans, 6,700 lb st (3 040 kgp) for take-off. Fuel capacity, 2,540 Imp gal (11540 lt) Optional fuel 300 Imp gal (1364 lt) Design VMO/MMO, 300 kts (557 km/h) CAS, 100M = 0. 70 above 23,750 ft (7 240 m) Typical high cruise speed, 419 kts (775 km/h) Sill-air range with basic pax payload, 1200 nm (2 223 km) Range with max payload and std fuel, 1,080 nm (2 000 km) Range optional fuel and 19,000-1b (8 618-k.g) payload, 1380 nm (2 556 km) Balanced take-off field length, ISA at sea level, 5,000 ft (1520 m) Typical operating weight empty, 45,570 lb (20 670 kg) Max take-off, 88,250 lb (40030 kg) Max landing weight, 77,000 lb (34927 kg) Max zero fuel weight, 69,250 lb (31411 kg) Span, 86 ft 5 in (26,34 m) Length, 93 ft 8 in (28,55 m) Height, 28 ft 3 in (8,61 m) Gross wing area, 832 sq ft (77,3 cu.m) Aspect ratio, 8.97:1 Sweepback, 15 deg at quarter chord Undercarriage track, 15 ft 6 in (4,72 m) Wheelbase, 36 ft 9 in (11,20 m) Flight crew: two Max seating, one-class, 109 pax six abreast at 29-in (74-cm) pitch Standard seating, 100 at 33-in (84cm) pitch. Underfloor baggage/cargo capacity, 660 cu ft (18,69 cu.m).
BAe 146 200 II QC Engines: 4 x Avco Lycoming ALF502R-5, 6970 lb thrust. MAUW: 42.184 tonne.
BAe 146 III Engines: 4 x Textron Lycoming LF507, 7000 lb thrust.
Development work on the Jetstream 41 was announced in mid-1989. A stretched development of the Jetstream 31/32 regional aircraft family by BAE Systems, the J41’s structural changes included an increase of 4.88m in length of the semi-monocoque aluminium alloy fuselage. The fuselage stretch is througha 2.51-m forward plug and a 2.36-m stretch behind the wing. The increase in length allows for 29 passenger seats, compared with the 19 typically fitted to the J31. The wingspan has been increased to 18.29 m, the ailerons and flaps have been reworked, and the entire wing has been mounted lower on the fuselage to remove the spar from the interior cabin floor. This led to a redesign of the engine mounts to increase ground clearance for the McCauley propellers, and the distance between the fuselage and the engines has also been increased. As a result, the cabin is quieter than the J31. The fuel system consists of two integral wing tanks and has the capacity for 5,818 lb (2,639 kg) of Jet Al. Both the main undercarriage and the nose gear are forward retracting and are fitted with twin wheels. Anti-skid three-rotor steel brakes are also installed.
The J41 is designed to operate to and from runways as short as 1219m. The aircraft can operate from a runway at 5,000 ft elevation at temperatures of ISA +20 with a full load for at least a one-hour sector with IFR reserves. Four “glass” screens of the Honeywell EDZ-805 EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) grace the cockpit and the flight deck instrumentation also includes a Honeywell SPZ-4500 fully digital automatic flight control system with an AH-600 attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), an AZ-810 air data computer and a Honeywell Primus II digital radio communications system with dual transponders. The J41 first flew on 25 September 1991 and 104 J41 aircraft were built before production was terminated in May 1997. Over 90 Jetstream 41s world¬wide remained operational in 2003.
Nationalized enterprise, founded in April 1977, uniting British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and Scottish Aviation. Companies retained their identities initially, but subsequently became divisions of British Aerospace. Many aircraft of former constituent companies continued as BAe products, initially under old company names, although former British Aerospace Corporate Jets division sold to Raytheon of the U.S.A. in August 1993 (becoming Raytheon Corporate Jets), thereby losing the Hawker bizjets. BAe reorganized into new business units, namely Defence, Commercial Aerospace and British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Ltd. (BARAL), which is the structure in 1999, with additional organizations for international marketing and sales, spares and logistics, Jetstream Aircraft Ltd. (offers engineering management for Jetstream customers), etc. Commercial Aerospace division encompasses British Aerospace Airbus (working on Airbus airliner programs), and British Aerospace Asset Management. British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Ltd. (BARAL) encompasses Avro International Aerospace (producing RJ airliners), plus Jetstream Aircraft, and Spares & Logistics Center.
Military aircraft activities, some as continuations of programs begun by pre-BAe companies, included the Hawk basic/advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, with air defense capabilities (first flown August 1974 and sales continuing in Hawk 50/60/100 two-seat and Hawk 200 series single-seat versions); development/upgrading/production of STOVL Sea Harrier F/A Mk 2 for Royal Navy; joint development and production with Boeing in the U.S.A. (formerly McDonnell Douglas) of land-based STOVL Harrier II (first flown November 1981) and Harrier II Plus (first flown September 1992) plus T-45 Goshawk carrier-capable jet trainer for U.S. Navy (Hawk variant); share of the Eurofighter program; share of the Tornado program; share of the Jaguar program; development and rework of existing Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft into Nimrod 2000 form for RAF service as MRA Mk 4s from the year 2003 (first flight 1999; program involves more than 200 British companies and some foreign suppliers). Civil aircraft activities included continued marketing and production of the Avro RJ family of 70- to 128- seat short-range regional airliners and freighters (developed from the previous BAe 146; RJ85 first flew March 1992). Manufacture of the Jetstream 31 (first flown March 1982 in production form) and Super 31 (April 1988), Jetstream 41 (September 1991), ATP (August 1986, as development of former HS/BAe 748) and its derivative Jetstream 61 (1994, but none sold), ended in 1998.
A merger with GEC-Marconi Avionics Ltd. was being finalised in 1999.
The smallest of designs from Frederick Koolhoven when he worked for the British Aerial Transport Company was the F.K.28 Crow.
The B.A.T. Crow monoplane was built in 1919. It was very small and light. Its tail surfaces were carried by two slim booms. An ABC Gnat 2-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine – together with fuel and oil tanks – was mounted in a pusher configuration on the wing centre section. The pilot’s seat was set between the landing gear suspended below the wing. It was designed to be dismantled for road-transport with the removal of twelve bolts. It was displayed at the First Air Traffic Exhibition in Amsterdam, but it did not fly until some time later. It only flew once and proved to be underpowered. It was scrapped in 1920.
Powerplant: 1 × ABC Gnat, 40 hp (30 kW) Propeller: 2-bladed fixed-pitch Wingspan: 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m) Length: 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m) Height: 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) Empty weight: 220 lb (100 kg) Gross weight: 400 lb (181 kg) Maximum speed: 75 mph (121 km/h, 65 kn) Range: 150 mi (240 km, 130 nmi) Endurance: 2 hours Crew: 1
The last single-seat fighter of Koolhoven design built by the British Aerial Transport Company, the F.K.25 Basilisk was designed around the 350hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I nine-cylinder radial engine and carried the usual armament of twin synchronised 7.7mm Vickers guns. Of wooden construction with a monocoque fuselage, the Basilisk featured a hood-like fairing, ahead of the cockpit, which enclosed the guns and shielded the pilot. Three prototypes were ordered, the first of these flying during the summer of 1918. The second prototype, completed in 1919, differed from its predecessor primarily in having a deeper fairing ahead of the cockpit. Further work on the Basilisk was abandoned at the end of 1919.
Engine: 350hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I nine-cylinder radial Take-off weight: 990 kg / 2183 lb Empty weight: 659 kg / 1453 lb Wingspan: 7.72 m / 25 ft 4 in Length: 6.22 m / 20 ft 5 in Height: 2.49 m / 8 ft 2 in Wing area: 19.69 sq.m / 211.94 sq ft Max. speed: 228 km/h / 142 mph Armament: 2 x 7.7mm Vickers
The British Aerial Transport Company Limited F.K.24 Baboon was a two-seat training biplane produced during World War I. Using experience gained designing the Bantam, aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven (assisted by Robert Noorduyn) designed the two-bay biplane elementary trainer.
The aircraft had a flat-sided fuselage and an uncowled 170 hp (127 kW) ABC Wasp engine simply bolted to the firewall. Maintenance and repair costs have been kept to a minimum through the use of interchangeable upper and lower wing panels, ailerons, elevators and rudders.
Six aircraft were planned but only one was built in July 1918 as a consequence of the end of the First World War and the subsequent sharp reduction in orders for military aircraft.
The Baboon was registered with British Aerial Transport Co. Ltd in May 1919. The only notable act was when it won the Hendon Trophy Race over a 20-mile (32-km) circuit in July 1919 flown by Major Christopher Draper. The Baboon was scrapped at Hendon in 1920.
Powerplant: 1 × ABC Wasp I, 170 hp (130 kW) Propellers 2-bladed BAT tractor, 5 ft (1.52 m), 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) diameter Wingspan: 25 ft (7.6 m) Wing area: 259 sq ft (24.1 m2) Length: 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m) Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) Empty weight: 950 lb (431 kg) Gross weight: 1,350 lb (612 kg) Fuel capacity: 12 imp gal (54.55 l; 14.41 US gal) Maximum speed: 90 mph (140 km/h, 78 kn) Landing speed: 40 mph (64 km/h; 35 kn) Endurance: 2 hours Rate of climb: 833.33 ft/min (4.2333 m/s) Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,048.0 m) in 12 minutes Wing loading: 5.2 lb/sq ft (25 kg/m2) Power/mass: 0.126 hp/lb (0.206 kW/kg) Crew: 2 Capacity: 400 lb (181.44 kg) disposable load
