Bristol Britannia 101

In April 1950 the name Britannia was chosen, and the designation 101 was applied to the first pair of prototypes, powered by the early Proteus 625. The first, registered G-ALBO and flown by Bristol's chief test pilot A. J. "Bill" Pegg, took off on 16 August 1952 at Filton. The maiden flight was eventful: over-sensitive flying controls caused wild pitching before Pegg restored control, and on the approach smoke filled the cockpit while the main undercarriage bogie stuck, fully deploying only seconds before landing.

With the snags resolved, by September the prototype was cleared to appear at the 1952 SBAC Display at Farnborough, where spectators commented on the giant airliner's quietness. The 101s were soon re-engined with Proteus 755, and G-ALBO ended up on development work: testing the Bristol Orion in 1956 and the Proteus 765 in 1957.