BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner widely used from the 1960s to the 1990s. It was the second short-haul jet airliner to enter service, following the French Sud Aviation Caravelle. The aircraft was also produced under licence in Romania during the 1980s as the Rombac One-Eleven.
The One-Eleven was conceived by Hunting Aircraft and developed by the British Aircraft Corporation when Hunting merged into BAC along with other British aircraft manufacturers in 1960. The One-Eleven was intended to replace the turboprop Vickers Viscount on short-range routes. The One-Eleven entered the market ahead of rivals such as the Douglas DC-9-10, which gave it a temporary edge on the market.
The aircraft proved popular with domestic airlines and various international operators. Over half of the One-Eleven's sales at launch were to the US. 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 May 2019, no BAC One-Eleven aircraft remain in service following Northrop-Grumman's retirement of their last aircraft.
Variants[edit | edit source]
- BAC One-Eleven 200: Initial production version, 10,410 pounds-force (46.3 kN) Spey Mk 506 engines.; individual customer designations within this series. 56 built.
- BAC One-Eleven 300: Uprated engines (11,400 pounds-force (51 kN) Spey Mk 511s), more fuel for longer range; individual customer designations within this series. 9 built.
- BAC One-Eleven 400: Series 300 with American instrumentation and equipment; individual customer designations within this series. 69 built.
- BAC One-Eleven 475: Series 400 body with Series 500 wing and powerplant plus rough-airfield landing gear and body protection. 6 built.
- BAC One-Eleven 485GD: Similar to 475, 3 for Oman.
- Rombac One-Eleven 495: Planned Romanian-built version of the Series 475. None completed.
- BAC One-Eleven 500: Extended body version with up to 119 seats and longer span wings. Fitted with more powerful engines (12,550 pounds-force (55.8 kN) Spey 512s); individual customer designations within this series. 86 built.
- BAC One-Eleven 510ED: Variant of the 500 series built for BEA/British Airways. Size and engines same as other 500s, cockpit modified to provide more commonality with HS.121 Trident and required a different type rating from all other 500 series One-Elevens.
- Rombac One-Eleven 560: Romanian-built version of the Series 500. Nine completed.
- BAC One-Eleven 670: Series 475 with improved aerodynamics and reduced noise; one converted from Series 475.
Users[edit | edit source]
- Australia
- Royal Australian Air Force
- Brazil
- Brazilian Air Force
- Oman
- Royal Air Force of Oman
- Philippines
- Philippine Air Force
- Romania
- Romanian Air Force
- United Kingdom
- Royal Air Force
- Empire Test Pilots' School
- Royal Aircraft Establishment
