Hawker Siddeley Trident History (The British Tri-Star)

Video from the channel Flight Heritage about Hawker Siddeley Trident, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 8:19. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

A documentary from the Flight Heritage channel about the history of the Hawker Siddeley Trident, from British European Airways' requirement to its retirement. It covers its design, its avionics and its accidents.

In July 1956 BEA called for a second-generation short-range jet with more than two engines, capable of operating from 6,000-foot runways. De Havilland's DH.121 prevailed, and on 12 February 1958 the British Government authorised BEA to negotiate its purchase. In March 1959 the airline asked for it to be reduced: weight dropped by around a third, range by more than half and seating by a quarter. The name Trident was announced at Farnborough in September 1960 and the first flight took place on 9 January 1962. Neither the Avro 776 maritime patrol derivative nor the talks with American Airlines went anywhere. By 1975 only 117 Tridents had been sold, against more than 1,000 Boeing 727s.

It had a T-tail, a low wing swept at 35° and three rear-mounted engines; the 3B version added a fourth, booster engine. It cruised at Mach 0.88. Its wing, the work of a team led by Richard Clarkson, formed the basis for the Airbus A300's wing. The automatic landing system, by Hawker Siddeley and Smiths, made the first automatic landing in regular passenger service on 10 June 1965 and the first blind landing on 4 November 1966. The aircraft suffered eight hull losses with 343 deaths, including the Staines disaster, with 118.