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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1707.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 November 1961 95 813 CA8W VOLUME 5,160 cu -ft 7/51 19. © Iliffe Transport Publications Ltd 1961 •'95 First airliner to be powered by three rear-mounted turbojets, the D.H. Trident is due to make its first flight next month troversy, were BEA allowed to place a provisional order for the D.H. 121.Though de Havilland were prepared to finance the aircraft alone, in accordance with Government policy the Airco consortium was formedwith Fairey and Hunting to design, manufacture and develop the D.H.121, which was named Trident in September 1960. This con-sortium was abandoned when de Havilland became merged into Hawker Siddeley Aviation during 1960. and Hunting and Fairey found them-selves in another grouping, though these companies are still Trident subcontractors. The original D.H.121 (Flight, July 25. 1958, p. 120) was an 111-seater(max) with a take-off weight of 123,0001b. Powerplant was three Rolls- Royce RB.141S of 12.0001b static thrust. During the early months of1959, as RB.141 power increased, it became apparent that the 121 had grown too large for BEAs requirements. The design was revised aroundthree Rolls-Royce RB.163s of 10,1001b static thrust each, with a max weight of 105.0001b (since increased) and seating reduced to a maximumof 100. The engines are rear-mouted, and the unique triple-turbojet formulais claimed to satisfy most efficiently the thrust requirements of take-off and cruise ("with four engines the aircraft would be overpowered ontake-off, and with two would be overpowered in the cruise"). The broad strategy of the 121 might be summed up as a 600 m.p.h. jet with a6.000ft take-off and "optimized" economics for the shorter trunk-route stages of up to 1,700 miles. A firm contract for 24 aircraft, for delivery to BEA from mid-1963,was signed on August 12, 1959. All 24 aircraft should be delivered b> September 1965. First flight of the 121 should take place in December1961. Six more aircraft will join the flight test programme in 1962. From the outset the Trident, with its triplex control system (Smiths), isdesigned for autoflare, with full automatic landing en vis iged before 1970. Value of the BEA contract is £28m with spares. A development of theTrident 1, the 1A. has improved payload-range performance. Flight references: Aueust 21, 1959. page 57; August 28. 1959. page 91;September 4. 1959, page 102; January 22, I960, pages 102-104 and 120; February 19, 1960, pages 238-240 (blind landing). Powerplant: Three Rolls-Royce RB.163 by-pass turbojets of 10,1001bstatic thrust each. Dimensions: Span, 89ft lOin; length, 114ft 9in; height. 27ft; wing area.1.358 sq ft; sweepback. 35'. Heights: Max take-off 107,0001b. or 112.0001b with centre-sectiontankage; landing. 100,0001b; zero fuel. 85.5001b; capacity payload. 22,3701b; weight less fuel and pavload. 63.1301b. [Continued overleaf CON VAIR 88O drawing—see page 800 for key. "Flight" operators' reference Convair text: pages 809-8(0 *.[ •* ,7/^) 100 99
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