After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet 2½ times its size, to reduce its seat cost by 30% to democratize air travel. In 1965, Joe Sutter left the 737 development to design the 747, the first twin aisle airliner. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 747-100 aircraft and in late 1966, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop its JT9D, a high-bypass turbofan. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the custom-built Everett Plant, the largest building in the world by volume. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969 and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970; it was the first airplane dubbed a "Jumbo Jet".

The 747 is a quadjet airliner, initially powered by JT9D turbofan engines, then GE CF6 and Rolls-Royce RB211 engines for the original variants. With a ten-abreast economy seating, it typically accommodates 366 passengers in three travel classes. It has a pronounced 37.5° wing sweep, allowing a Mach 0.85 (490 kn; 900 km/h) cruise speed, and its heavy weight is supported by four main landing gear legs with four-wheel bogies each. The partial double-deck aircraft was designed with a raised cockpit so it could be converted to a freighter airplane by installing a front cargo door, as it was initially thought that it would eventually be superseded by supersonic transports.

For many more details, incluing the long list of variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the 747-400. For other models see the above link.

The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its maiden flight on February 19, 1982 and it was FAA certified on December 21, 1982. Eastern Air Lines placed the original 757-200 in commercial service on January 1, 1983. A package freighter (PF) variant entered service in September 1987 and a combi model in September 1988. The stretched 757-300 was launched in September 1996 and began service in March 1999. After 1,050 had been built for 54 customers, production ended in October 2004, while Boeing offered the largest 737 NG variants as a successor.

The 757 was intended to be more capable and more efficient than the preceding 727. The focus on fuel efficiency reflected airline concerns over operating costs, which had grown amid rising oil prices during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Design targets included a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption from new engines, plus 10 percent from aerodynamic improvements, versus preceding aircraft. Lighter materials and new wings were also expected to improve efficiency. The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) was set at 220,000 pounds (99,800 kg), which was 10,000 pounds (4,540 kg) more than the 727. The 757's higher thrust-to-weight ratio allowed it to take off from short runways and serve airports in hot and high conditions with higher ambient temperatures and thinner air, offering better takeoff performance than that offered by competing aircraft. Competitors needed longer takeoff runs for these hot and high conditions. Boeing also offered options for higher payload capability.

For more details on the design, development, history and variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the basic 757-200.

The airliner was launched as the 7X7 project on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on July 30, 1982. The original 767-200 entered service on September 8 with United Airlines, and the extended-range 767-200ER in 1984. It was stretched into the 767-300 in October 1986, followed by the 767-300ER in 1988, the most popular variant. The 767-300F, a production freighter version, debuted in October 1995. It was stretched again into the 767-400ER from September 2000.

To complement the larger 747, it has a seven abreast cross-section, accommodating smaller LD2 ULD cargo containers. The 767 is Boeing's first wide-body twinjet, powered by General Electric CF6, Rolls-Royce RB211, or Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofans. JT9D engines were eventually replaced by PW4000 engines. The aircraft has a conventional tail and a supercritical wing for reduced aerodynamic drag. Its two-crew glass cockpit, a first for a Boeing airliner, was developed jointly for the 757 − a narrow-body aircraft, allowing a common pilot type rating. Studies for a higher-capacity 767 in 1986 led Boeing to develop the larger 777 twinjet, introduced in June 1995.

For more details of the design, development, deliveries,history and variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the most popular 767-300ER.

It is the world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the Triple Seven. The 777 was designed to bridge the gap between Boeing's 767 and 747, and to replace older DC-10s or L-1011s. Developed in consultation with eight major airlines, with a first meeting in January 1990, the program was launched on October 14, 1990 with an order from United Airlines. The prototype was rolled out on April 9, 1994, and first flew on June 12, 1994. The 777 entered service with the launch customer, United Airlines, on June 7, 1995. Longer range variants were launched on February 29, 2000 and were first delivered on April 29, 2004.

It can accommodate up to ten abreast seating layout and has a typical 3-class capacity of 301 to 368 passengers, with a range of 5,240 to 8,555 nautical miles (9,700 to 15,840 km). It is recognizable for its large-diameter turbofan engines, six wheels on each main landing gear, fully circular fuselage cross-section, and a blade-shaped tail cone. It has fly-by-wire controls, a first for Boeing. It initially competed with Airbus A340 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11, both now out of production, and currently competes with the Airbus A330-300 and newer Airbus A350 XWB.

The original 777 with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 545,000–660,000 lb (247–299 t) was produced in two fuselage lengths: the initial -200 was followed by the extended-range 777-200ER in 1997; and the 33.25 ft (10.13 m) longer 777-300 in 1998. Those 777 Classics were powered with 77,200–98,000 lbf (343–436 kN) General Electric GE90, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines. The longer range 777-300ER with a MTOW of 766,000–775,000 lb (347–352 t) entered service in 2004, the ultra long-range 777-200LR in 2006, and the 777F freighter in 2009. These long haul variants feature 110,000–115,300 lbf (489–513 kN) GE90 engines and extended raked wingtips. In November 2013, Boeing announced the 777X development with the -8 and -9 variants, scheduled to enter service by 2020. The 777X features composite wings with folding wingtips and General Electric GE9X engines.

The 777 has been ordered and delivered more than any other wide-body airliner; as of August 2019, more than 60 customers had placed orders for 2,049 aircraft of all variants, with 1,609 delivered. The most common and successful variant is the 777-300ER with 844 aircraft ordered and 810 delivered. By March 2018, the 777 had become the most-produced Boeing wide-body jet, surpassing the Boeing 747. As of July 2018, Emirates was the largest operator with 163 aircraft.

For details of the development, design, production and ten variants (including 777VIP and KC777 tanker),click here.

The specifications below are for the 777-300ER.

After dropping its Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, focused on efficiency. The program was launched on April 26, 2004, with an order for 50 from All Nippon Airways (ANA), targeting a 2008 introduction. On July 8, 2007, the prototype was rolled-out without major systems, and experienced multiple delays until its maiden flight on December 15, 2009. Type certification was received in August 2011 and the first 787-8 was delivered in September 2011 before entering commercial service on October 26, 2011, with ANA.

At launch, Boeing targeted 20% less fuel burn than replaced aircraft like the Boeing 767, carrying 200 to 300 passengers on point-to-point routes up to 8,500 nmi (16,000 km), a shift from hub-and-spoke travel. The twinjet is powered by General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 high-bypass turbofans, it is the first airliner with an airframe primarily made of composite materials, and makes extensive use of electrical systems.

For details of the development, design,testing, operational history including lithium-ion battery problems, and variants, click here.

Specifications below ae for the 787-8 variant as operated by Jetstar.

The Boeing Model 40 is a United States mail plane of the 1920s. It was a single-engined biplane that was widely used for airmail services in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, especially by airlines that later became part of United Airlines. It became the first aircraft built by the Boeing company to carry passengers.

In 1925, the US Post Office issued a requirement for a mailplane to replace the ex-military DH-4s then in use. The new aircraft was required to use the same water-cooled Liberty V12 engine as used by the DH-4, of which large stocks of war-built engines were available. The resultant aircraft, the Boeing Model 40, was a conventional tractor biplane, with the required Liberty engine housed in a streamlined cowling with an underslung radiator. The aircraft's fuselage had a steel tube structure, with an aluminum and laminated wood covering. Up to 1,000 lb (450 kg) of mail was carried in two compartments in the forward fuselage, while the single pilot sat in an open cockpit in the rear fuselage. The wings and tail were of wooden construction, and the Model 40 had a fixed conventional landing gear.

The Model 40 made its first flight on July 7, 1925. Although the prototype was purchased by the US Post Office, the production order went to the Douglas M-2.

The Contract Air Mail Act of 1925 set out the gradual privatization of the Post Office's Air Mail routes. In late 1926, bids were requested for the main transcontinental trunk mail route, which was to be split into eastern and western sections, with Boeing bidding for the western section. Boeing revived the design for the tender, with the Model 40A replacing the Liberty engine with a 425 hp (317 kW) air-cooled Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine, which was 200 lb (91 kg) lighter than the Liberty, even ignoring the weight of the Liberty's radiator and cooling water. The fuselage was redesigned to make more extensive use of welded steel tubing, and an enclosed cabin was fitted between the mail compartments, allowing two passengers to be carried as well as 1,200 lb (540 kg) of mail. Boeing's bid of $3 per lb was much less than any of the competing bids, and Boeing was awarded the San Francisco to Chicago contract in January 1927, building 24 Model 40As for the route (with a further aircraft being used as a testbed by Pratt & Whitney).

The next model to reach production was the Model 40C, with an enlarged cabin allowing four passengers to be carried. Meanwhile, Boeing Air Transport's Model 40As were modified by replacing their Wasp engines with 525 hp (391 kW) Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines to become the Model 40B-2. The Model 40B-4 was a new-build aircraft combining the four-passenger cabin of the Model 40C with the Hornet engine of the B-2. Production continued until February 1932.

Boeing's airline, Boeing Air Transport, commenced operations on the San Francisco–Chicago route on July 1, 1927.

Variants

Model 40
Original 1925 design with Liberty engine.
Model 40A
Revised 1927 design for BATC. the aircraft was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine, plus seating for two passengers in an enclosed cabin; 25 built. Received Dept of Air Commerce Approved Type Certificate #2.
Model 40B
Model 40As re-engined with a 525 hp (391 kW) Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial piston engine. 19 Model 40A were converted. Redesignated Model 40B-2.

Model 40B-4
Revised Model 40B with seating for four passengers and other improvements. Equipped with openable windows, plus seating for four passengers; 38 built.
Model 40B-4A      (Specifications below)
One Model 40B used as engine testbed by Pratt & Whitney.
Model 40H-4
Four Model 40B-4s built by Boeing Canada. Two aircraft were exported to New Zealand.
Model 40C
Similar to Model 40B-4 but with Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine of Model 40A. (ten built, all later converted to Model 40B-4 standard).
Model 40X
Unique special-order machine similar to Model 40C with only two-passenger cabin and extra open cockpit forward of pilot's cockpit.
Model 40Y
Unique special-order machine similar to Model 40X, but with Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine.

The Boeing 80 was an American airliner of the 1920s. A three-engined biplane, the Model 80 was built by the Boeing Airplane Company for Boeing's own airline, Boeing Air Transport, successfully carrying both airmail and passengers on scheduled services.

In order to take better advantage of passenger traffic, Boeing decided that it needed a larger aircraft that was more suitable for passenger carrying, and in early 1928 designed a trimotor aircraft capable of carrying 12 passengers, the Model 80. Unlike the Fokker F-10 and Ford Trimotors operated by other U.S. airlines, the Model 80 was a biplane, chosen to give good takeoff and landing performance when operating from difficult airfields on its routes, many of which were at relatively high altitude. The fuselage was of fabric covered steel and aluminium tube construction, and carried its 12 passengers in three-abreast seating in a well-appointed cabin. The flight crew of two sat in an enclosed flight deck forward of the passenger cabin. The wings were of fabric covered steel and duralumin construction, with detachable wingtips to aid storage in hangars.

The first Model 80, powered by three Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines, flew on July 27, 1928. It was followed by three more Model 80s before production switched to the improved Model 80A, which was longer, allowing 18 passengers to be carried, and was powered by more powerful Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines, first flying on July 18, 1929 and receiving its airworthiness certificate on August 20, 1929.

The Model 80 carried out its first scheduled mail and passenger service for Boeing Air Transport on September 20, 1928, and soon proved successful. The improved Model 80A entered service in September 1929.

In May 1930, Boeing Air Transport introduced female flight attendants, hiring eight including chief stewardess Ellen Church; all were unmarried registered nurses. Flights carrying stewardesses began on May 15. The Model 80 and 80A remained in service with Boeing Air Transport (later renamed United Airlines) until replaced by the Boeing 247 twin-engined monoplane in 1934.

Variants

Model 80 - original production version with Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines (four built)
Model 80A - improved aerodynamics and Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines (10 built)
Model 80A-1 - version with revised empennage with an added finlet on each tailplane; all 10 Model 80As converted to this standard
Model 80B-1 - single Model 80A built with open flight deck. Later modified to Model 80A-1 standard
Model 226 - one-off Model 80A converted to executive transport for Standard Oil. Modified tail surfaces later adopted on all Model 80As (see Model 80A-1)

The Canadair Regional Jet program was launched in early 1989. The first CRJ100 prototype made its maiden flight on 10 May 1991. Canada's first jet airliner to enter commercial service was introduced by launch customer Lufthansa in 1992.

The 50 seat aircraft is powered by two GE CF34 turbofans, mounted on the rear fuselage. The CRJ200 has more efficient turbofan engines for lower fuel consumption, increased cruise altitude and speed. During the late 1990s, it was stretched into the CRJ700 series. Production ended in 2006 but many remain in service. In 2020, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries purchased the entire CRJ line from Bombardier, and will continue support for the aircraft.

The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of jet-propelled regional airliners, based upon the design of the Challenger CL-600 business jet. Roughly, the CL-600 was stretched 5.92 metres (19 feet 5 inches), which was achieved using fuselage plugs fore and aft of the wing, and was matched with the adoption of a reinforced and modified wing, an expanded fuel capacity, improved landing gear to handle the higher weights, and an additional pair of emergency exit doors. When installed in a typical seating configuration, the CRJ100 would accommodate 50 passengers; while in a maximum configuration, 52 passengers could be accommodated. It was powered by a pair of General Electric CF34-3A1 turbofan engines, each of which was capable of generating up to 41.0 kN (4,180 kgp / 9,220 lbf) of thrust. The CRJ100 featured a Collins-built ProLine 4 avionics suite, including a weather radar.

For more details on the development, design, operational history and variants, click here.

The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are a family of regional jet airliners that were designed and manufactured by Canadian transportation conglomerate Bombardier between 1999 and 2020. Their design was derived from the smaller CRJ100 and 200 airliners, the other members of the Bombardier CRJ aircraft family. The CRJ program was acquired by Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020, which ended production of the aircraft.

During the 1990s, Bombardier initiated development on the CRJ-X, a program to produce enlarged derivatives of its popular CRJ100/200 family. Officially launched in 1997, the CRJ700's maiden flight took place on 27 May 1999; it was soon followed by the stretched CRJ900 variant. Several additional variants of the type were subsequently introduced, including the elongated CRJ1000 and the CRJ550 and CRJ705 which were modified to comply with scope clauses. Competitors included the British Aerospace 146, the Embraer E-Jet family, the Fokker 70 and the Fokker 100.

In Bombardier's lineup, the CRJ Series was formerly marketed alongside a family of larger jets, the CSeries (now majority-owned by Airbus and marketed as the Airbus A220), and a twin-turboprop, the QSeries (now owned by De Havilland Canada and marketed as the Dash 8). During the late 2010s, Bombardier sought to sell off several of its aircraft programs. The CRJ program was acquired by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in a deal that closed 1 June 2020. Bombardier continued to manufacture aircraft at the Mirabel facility until the order backlog was completed in December 2020. Mitsubishi will continue to manufacture parts for existing CRJ operators but does not plan to sell or build any new CRJ aircraft, and will focus instead on their SpaceJet aircraft.

CRJ700

Design work on the CRJ700 by Bombardier started in 1995 and the program was officially launched in January 1997.[25] The CRJ700 is a stretched derivative of the CRJ200. The CRJ700 features a new wing with leading edge slats and a stretched and slightly widened fuselage, with a lowered floor. Its first flight took place on 27 May 1999. The aircraft's FAA Type Certificate designation is the CL-600-2C10.[59] The CRJ700 first entered commercial service with Brit Air in 2001.

Seating ranges from 63 to 78. The CRJ700 comes in three versions: Series 700, Series 701, and Series 702. The Series 700 is limited to 68 passengers, the 701 to 70 passengers, and the 702 to 78 passengers. The CRJ700 also has three fuel/weight options: standard, ER, and LR. The ER version has an increase in fuel capacity as well as maximum weight, which in turn increases the range. The LR increases those values further. The executive version is marketed as the Challenger 870. The CRJ700 directly competes with the Embraer 170, which typically seats 70 passengers.

The early build aircraft were equipped with two General Electric CF34-8C1 engines. However, later-build aircraft are now equipped as standard with the -8C5 model, which is essentially an uprated 8C1. Most airlines have replaced the older engines with the newer model, while a few have kept the older -8C1 in their fleet.

Maximum speed is Mach 0.85 (903 km/h; 488 kn) at a maximum altitude of 12,500 m (41,000 ft). Depending upon payload, the CRJ700 has a range of up to 3,620 km (2,250 mi) with original engines, and a new variant with CF34-8C5 engines will have a range of up to 4,660 km (2,900 mi).

CRJ550

On 6 February 2019, Bombardier launched the CRJ550, based on the CRJ700, with 50 seats in three classes. The launch customer, United Airlines, ordered 50 aircraft configured with 10 first class, 20 Economy Plus and 20 economy seats. The aircraft are operated under the United Express brand by regional partner GoJet Airlines. The CRJ550 has a lower maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) than the CRJ700, to comply with scope clauses in US pilot contracts, and a lower maximum landing weight (MLW). It received type certification in the second half of 2019. The initial 50 aircraft will be sourced from existing CRJ700s, rather than being newly constructed.[65][66] On 7 August 2019, United Airlines' regional partner GoJet Airlines took delivery of the aircraft and began with a crew familiarization flight to Chicago-O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

CRJ900

The CRJ900 is a stretched 76–90 seat version of the CRJ700. The first CRJ900 (C-FRJX) was modified from the prototype CRJ700 by adding longer fuselage plugs fore and aft of the wings. It was later converted into the prototype CRJ1000 by replacing the fuselage plugs with longer plugs. The CRJ900 also features strakes located at the rear of the plane. The CRJ900 competes with the Embraer 175, and is more efficient per seat-mile, according to Bombardier. Mesa Air Group was the launch customer for the CRJ900 painted in America West livery. The FAA Type Certificate designation of the CRJ900 is the CL-600-2D24.

The wing is wider with added leading edge slats, the tail is redesigned with more span and anhedral. The cabin floor has been lowered 2 inches which gains outward visibility from the windows in the cabin as the windows become closer to eye level height. The cabin has a recirculation fan which aids in cooling and heating. The environmental packs have a target temperature instead of a hot-cold knob. The APU is a Honeywell RE220 unit, which supplies much more air to the AC packs and has higher limits for starting and altitude usage.

CRJ1000

On 19 February 2007, Bombardier launched the development of the CRJ1000, previously designated CRJ900X, as a stretched CRJ900, with up to 100 seats. The CRJ1000 completed its first production flight on 28 July 2009 in Montreal; the entry into service was planned then for the first quarter of 2010. A month after the first flight, however, a fault in the rudder controls forced the flight-test program to be grounded : the program was not resumed until February 2010, and deliveries were projected to begin by January 2011. Brit Air and Air Nostrum were the launch customers for the CRJ1000.

Bombardier Aerospace announced on 10 November 2010 that its 100-seat CRJ1000 was awarded Aircraft Type Certificates from Transport Canada and European Aviation Safety Agency, allowing for deliveries to begin. On 14 December 2010, Bombardier began CRJ1000 deliveries to Brit Air and Air Nostrum. On 23 December 2010, it was announced that the Federal Aviation Administration had also awarded a type certificate, allowing the CRJ1000 to operate in US airspace. It has a separate type rating. Bombardier states that it offers better performance and a higher profit per seat than the competing Embraer E-190. The FAA Type Certificate designation of the CRJ1000 is the CL-600-2E25.

In 2018, a new CRJ1000 discounted price is $24.8M, a 2015 model is valued $22.0M, a 2010 one is worth $15.5M

for a $155,000 monthly lease, and it will be $12.0M in 2021 for a $145,000 monthly lease while its D Check costs $800,000 and its engine overhaul costs $0.9 to 2.4M.

For more information on the development and and sales history, click here. 

The specifications below are for the CRJ700. For other models, click here.

The Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 was an Italian four-engined airliner produced by Breda.

it was conceived by the engineer Filippo Zappata in 1942, still in time war, with all the problems connected to the priorities of the moment, so much so that the September 8, 1943 only the fuselage of the prototype was built. In the period 1944-45 the work was blocked first by the Germans and, at the end of the conflict, by the Allies, whose Allied Armistice Commission prohibited the continuation of any aeronautical project until the beginning of 1946.Vincenzo Melecca .

The B.Z.308 was a four-engined civil transport developed in the late 1940s for operation over both European and transatlantic routes. A large low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, it was powered by four Bristol Centaurus radial engines driving five-bladed propellers. It had a large tailplane with endplate fins and rudders, and had retractable landing gear. The fuselage, oval in cross-section, accommodated a flight crew of five and 55 passengers in two cabins; a high-density model was planned with seats for 80.

In early 1946 the work resumed, also slowed down by British resistance to delivering the needed engines, so the aircraft was completed in June 1946 and the first flight took place on August 27, 1948. V.Meleca 

Construction began during 1946, under aircraft designer Filippo Zappata at Breda's Sesto San Giovanni works. The Allied Commission halted the work, which was not resumed until January 1947. Further delays in the delivery of Bristol Centaurus engines delayed the first flight, which was on 27 August 1948, piloted by Mario Stoppani. Although flight testing went well, the project was abandoned as a result of financial problems, and anticipated competition from American airliners in the postwar market. Breda subsequently stopped producing aircraft entirely.

The prototype B.Z.308 was acquired by the Italian Air Force in 1949 as a transport aircraft (MM61802). Despite orders in 1950 from India, Argentina and Persia, only the prototype was built, allegedly also due to pressure from the allies for Italy to refrain from competing in civilian aircraft manufacture after the war.

On 27 August 1948 the Bz 308 made its maiden flight in front of civil and military authorities, politicians and the Italian President. The prototype, which passed to the Italian Air Force in 1950, was used to fly between Rome and Mogadishu until 21 February 1954, when it was damaged beyond repair by a collision with a cement truck, and was abandoned in a field in Somalia before being broken up.

It was also the first Italian transatlantic aircraft, and the first aircraft to fly into the new Malpensa airport in 1948.

The aircraft has a brief appearance in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday.

The Bréguet 280T was a French biplane airliner of the late 1920s, created by the manufacturer as a means of finding a civil market for their 19 warplane, as they had once tried before with the 26T.

The 280T was similar to the 26T, using the Bréguet 19's flying surfaces combined with a passenger-carrying fuselage that completely filled the interplane gap. The 280 fuselage was based on the 26T's fuselage but featured refined aerodynamics.

A single prototype was evaluated in autumn 1928, followed by eight production machines ordered by Air Union. These were flown on routes between Paris and southern France, between Paris and Switzerland, and (occasionally) between Paris and London. They were joined in service by a 10th machine (converted from one of the 281T prototypes), and six 284Ts with more powerful engines (one of these converted from the other 281T). Two of this latter type were also operated by Air Orient on routes to East Asia. Some of Air Union's 280Ts and 284Ts were still in service when the airline was absorbed into Air France.

Variants
280T   (Specifications below)
First main production version with a 370 kW (500 hp) Renault 12Jb engine, nine built.
281T
Prototypes with 340 kW (450 hp) Lorraine-Dietrich 12Ed engines. Two aircraft built, one later converted to 280T, the other to 284T standard.
284T
Second main production version with 450 kW (600 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Lbrx engine, seven built.

The Bréguet 390T, 392T and 393T were a family of French propeller-driven sesquiplane airliners of all-metal construction with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.

The newly constituted Air France operated six 393Ts, plus the sole 392T prototype that it purchased from Breguet to use as a cargo plane. The aircraft were originally deployed on the Toulouse-Casablanca route and later on the Natal-Buenos Aires route. Towards the end of their careers, all remaining 393Ts were recalled to Paris and used on short routes between Paris and nearby European destinations.

VARIANTS

390T
First prototype, powered by Gnome-Rhône 5Kd radial engines. One aircraft built, destroyed in crash early in test programme.
391T
Second prototype, similar to 390T.
392T
Freighter version powered by Hispano-Suiza 9Qc radial engines, one built.
393T
Definitive production version with Gnome-Rhône 7Kd radial engines, six built.

The aircraft were normally called the Deux-Ponts (Double-Decker) but it was not an official name.

Bréguet began design work on the Bréguet 761 double-deck airliner even before the end of the Second World War, in 1944. It was decided that a medium-range airliner with seating for over 100 passengers would be built. The design envisaged using readily available engines with the aim of ease of manufacture and an early first-flight date. The design was known as Project 76-1. The aircraft was destined not to be the first French postwar design to fly, an honour which instead fell to the Sud-Est Languedoc, a civilianised Bloch MB161. The prototype Br.761, F-WASK, first flew at Villacoublay on 15 February 1949.

The 761 featured a cantilever wing set at mid-height on the bulky fuselage. The retractable tricycle landing gear featured dual-wheel main units. The empennage had twin fins and rudders and a vestigial central fin.

The prototype was powered by four 1,580 hp (1,180 kW) SNECMA 14R-24 radial engines. The Bréguets serving with Air France had up to 107 seats and an elevator between the two floors.

The 763 first flew on 20 July 1951 and entered service with Air France during autumn 1952.

The Air France aircraft had accommodation for 59 passengers on the top deck, and 48 on the lower deck, although the aircraft was capable of carrying 135 passengers in a high-density layout. During 1964 Air France transferred six Br.763s to the French Air Force. The air force also acquired the three pre-production Br.761S aircraft and four new Br.765 Sahara freighter aircraft with removable cargo doors.

For information on the operational history and the five variants, click here.

The Breguet 941 was a French four-engine turboprop short takeoff and landing (STOL) transport aircraft developed by Breguet in the 1960s. Although widely promoted, both by Breguet in France and by McDonnell Aircraft and McDonnell Douglas in the United States, it was not built in large numbers; only one prototype and four production aircraft were built.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the French aviation pioneer Louis Charles Breguet developed a concept for a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft using four free-turbine turboshaft engines to drive a common powershaft, which, in turn drove four oversize propellers, which were evenly spaced along the leading edge of the wing with large, full-span, slotted flaps, with the arrangement known as "l'aile soufflée" or blown wing.

An initial, experimental prototype, powered by four Turbomeca Turmo II engines, the Breguet 940 Integral, first flew on 21 May 1958,[1] and was used to prove the concept, demonstrating excellent short field performance. This led to an order being placed in February 1960 for a prototype of an aircraft employing the same concept, but capable of carrying useful loads. This aircraft, the Breguet 941, first flew on 1 June 1961.

Testing of this prototype resulted in an order for four improved production aircraft, the Breguet 941S for the French Air Force, first flying on 19 April 1967. These were fitted with more powerful engines and a modified rear cargo door to allow for air-dropping of stores.

Breguet intended to develop the 940 genre further by adding a pressurised fuselage with airline seating as the Breguet Br 942. Wings, landing gear, empennage and engines were essentially similar to the Br 941, but were to be mated to a new 3.1 m (10 ft 2.0 in) diameter circular section fuselage, with airline seating for 40 first/business class or up to 60 economy class passengers. After the limited success of the Br 941 and Br 941S and expected high running costs, further development was abandoned.

McDonnell Aircraft and McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Aircraft acquired a production licence for the 941 in the United States and began marketing the aircraft with minimal changes as the McDonnell 188.[4] The company also promoted an upgraded version with a circular-section pressurised fuselage, uprated engines, and other enhancements as the 188E.[5] Marketing of the 188E continued after McDonnell merged with Douglas Aircraft to form McDonnell Douglas, and the merged company proposed to build an even larger and more powerful version as the McDonnell Douglas 210.

For operational history and variants, click here.

It's best known use was as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances. A passenger-only version was also produced, known as the Wayfarer.

The Freighter was developed during the Second World War, having attracted official attention from the British Air Ministry, which sought the development of a rugged vehicle capable of carrying various cargoes, including a 3-ton truck. Various changes to the design were made to accommodate their requirements, but being completed too late to participate in the conflict, the majority of sales of the Freighter were to commercial operators. In response to customer demand, an enlarged version to maximise vehicle-carrying capacity, known as the Bristol Superfreighter, was developed.

The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a twin-engine, high mounted-wing monoplane that was developed specifically for the economic carriage of freight by air. It was a visually distinctive aircraft, possessing a 'boxy' fuselage, rounded nose, and a high-set flight deck.

The lower nose of the Freighter was covered by a pair of large clamshell doors, for easy access to the main hold; as a direct consequence of this arrangement, the unpressurised fuselage was somewhat breezy during flight. The doors, which are hinged outwards, led into a main hold that had an internal volume of 2,020 cu ft; it was capable of being loaded with heavy payloads, up to a maximum of 350 cu ft per ton.

Bristol 170 Freighters were operated in Australia by Ansett ANA,, Ansett MAL, Air Express and TAA, and the RAAF.

For more information on the design, operational history and 10 variants, click here.

 The type was named Brabazon after the Brabazon Committee and its chairman, Lord Brabazon of Tara, who had developed the specification to which the airliner was designed.

Initially designated as the Type 167, the proposed aircraft was furnished with a huge 25 ft (8 m)-diameter fuselage containing full upper and lower decks on which passengers would be seated in luxurious conditions; it was powered by an arrangement of eight Bristol Centaurus radial engines which drove a total of eight paired contra-rotating propellers set on four forward-facing nacelles.

Despite its vast size, the Brabazon was designed to carry a total of only 100 passengers, each one being allocated their own spacious area about the size of the entire interior of a small car. On 4 September 1949, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. In addition to participating in a flight test programme in support to intended production aircraft, the prototype made high-profile public flying displays at the 1950 Farnborough Airshow, Heathrow Airport, and the 1951 Paris Air Show.

However, the Brabazon was unable to attract any firm commitments for the type due to the high cost per seat mile compared to the alternatives. Being unable to attract any orders, the aircraft was a commercial failure. On 17 July 1953, Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Supply, announced that the Brabazon had been cancelled due to a lack of military or civil orders for the type. In the end, only the single prototype was flown; it was broken up in 1953 for scrap, along with the incomplete turboprop-powered Brabazon I Mk.II.

For details of design, development and variants, click here.

Here is a colourised film of the Brabazon giving a demonstration flight.

During development two prototypes were lost and the turboprop engines proved susceptible to inlet icing, which delayed entry into service while solutions were sought.

By the time development was completed, "pure" jet airliners from France, United Kingdom, and the United States were about to enter service, and consequently, only 85 Britannias were built before production ended in 1960. Nevertheless, the Britannia is considered one of the landmarks in turboprop-powered airliner design and was popular with passengers. It became known as "The Whispering Giant" for its quiet exterior noise and smooth flying, although the passenger interior remained less tranquil.

Canadair purchased a licence to build the Britannia in Canada, adding another 72 variants. These were the stretched Canadair CL-44/Canadair CC-106 Yukon, and the greatly modified Canadair CP-107 Argus maritime patrol aircraft.

For details of the origins, development, operational history and many variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the Series 310 model.

Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992. A further-improved version with new engines, the Avro RJX, was announced in 1997, but only two prototypes and one production aircraft were built before production ceased in 2001. With 387 aircraft produced, the Avro RJ/BAe 146 is the most successful British civil jet airliner programme.

The BAe 146/Avro RJ is a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail. It has four turbofan engines mounted on pylons underneath the wings, and has retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft has very quiet operation, and has been marketed under the name Whisperjet. It sees wide usage at small, city-based airports such as London City Airport. In its primary role, it serves as a regional jet, short-haul airliner, or regional airliner, while examples of the type are also in use as private jets. The BAe 146/Avro RJ is in wide use with several European-based carriers such as CityJet. The largest operator of the type, Swiss Global Air Lines, retired its last RJ100 in August 2017.

Firefighting air tanker conversions

Firefighting air tanker versions of both the BAe 146 and the Avro RJ85 have been manufactured by the conversion of aircraft previously operated by airlines in scheduled passenger service. These aircraft have been used in fighting bushfires in Australia.

For more details on the BAe 146, click here.

The British Aerospace ATP (Advanced Turbo-Prop) is an airliner produced by British Aerospace, introduced in the 1980s as an evolution of the Hawker Siddeley HS 748. The fuel crisis and increasing worries about aircraft noise led business planners at British Aerospace to believe that there was a market for a short-range, low-noise, fuel-efficient turboprop aircraft. By the time it entered the market, the segment was already well represented by designs such as the de Havilland Canada Dash 8, ATR 42 and ATR 72 and production was ended after only 65 examples.

The airframe of the HS 748 was redesigned with a lengthened 26.01 metres (85.3 ft) fuselage and a 30.62 metres (100.5 ft) wing span. Minor modifications were made to the nose and tail shapes; and smaller windows on a shorter pitch than the 748's were used. The 748's twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines were replaced with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126 fuel efficient engines. A custom-designed, slow-turning, six-blade propeller was developed by Hamilton Standard.

The aircraft first flew in August 1986 and entered service with British Midland in 1988. The type has an advanced electronic flight instrument system flight deck, and has a good short-field performance. In addition to these virtues, it is also very quiet upon take off. The only U.S. operator of the ATP in scheduled passenger service was Air Wisconsin flying as United Express on behalf of United Airlines via a code sharing agreement.

In total 65 aircraft were assembled and flown at BAe's Woodford and Prestwick facilities with the manufacture of the airframe and wings undertaken at Chadderton. Production ended at Prestwick in 1996. The ATP can accommodate between 64 and 72 passengers depending on the seat configuration.

In 2001 the ATP Freighter project allowed six ATPs to be converted into cargo aircraft for West Air Sweden. Using a modification of the HS 748 freight door, the ATPF can carry 30% more cargo than its predecessor with a 10% increase in running costs. The ATPF made its first flight from West Air Sweden's facility in Lidköping on 10 July 2002.

An ATP in service with SATA Air Açores seen at Lajes Field in April 2009
As of December 2018, 20 aircraft remain in commercial service as cargo aircraft with West Air Sweden (15), Deraya (2) and EnComm (3).

The Canadair CL-44 was a Canadian turboprop airliner and cargo aircraft based on the Bristol Britannia that was developed and produced by Canadair in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although innovative, only a small number of the aircraft were produced for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) (as the CC-106 Yukon), and for commercial operators worldwide.

The aircraft is named after the Canadian territory of Yukon.

In the 1950s, Canadair acquired a licence to build the Bristol Britannia airliner. Their first use of it was to build the heavily modified Canadair CL-28 Argus patrol aircraft (RCAF designation CP-107) that combined the Britannia's wings and tail sections with a new fuselage and engines. The resulting aircraft had lower speed and service ceiling, but it had two bomb bays and greatly extended loiter times.

The RCAF required a replacement for its C-54GM North Star, itself an extensive redesign of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster. Among many changes, the proposed new aircraft was powered by Merlin engines. Canadair began work on a long range transport primarily intended to provide personnel and logistics support for Canadian Forces in Europe. In January 1957 Canadair received a contract for eight aircraft, later increased to 12. The RCAF designation for the new design was CC-106 Yukon, while the company's civilian variant was known as the CL-44-6. In company parlance the CL-44 was simply "the Forty-Four."

The RCAF specified the CL-44 to be equipped with Bristol Orion engines. When the British Ministry of Supply canceled the Orion program, the RCAF revised the specifications to substitute the Rolls-Royce Tyne 11. The CL-44 fuselage was lengthened, making it 12 ft 4 in (3.75 m) longer than the Britannia 300 with two large cargo doors added on the port side on some aircraft, while the cabin was pressurised to maintain a cabin altitude of 2,400 m at 9,000 m (30,000 ft). The design used modified CL-28 wings and controls. The Yukon could accommodate 134 passengers and a crew of nine. In the casualty evacuation role, it could take 80 patients and a crew of 11.

The rollout of the Yukon was a near-disaster because the prototype could not be pushed out of the hangar since the vertical fin could not clear the hangar doors.] The first flight took place 15 November 1959 at Cartierville Airport. During test flights many problems were encountered, from complete electrical failure to engines shaking loose and almost falling off. Rolls-Royce had problems delivering engines, resulting in the sarcastically-named "Yukon gliders" being parked outside Canadair as late as 1961.

For operational history and details of 7 variants, click here.

The Canadair CL-66 was a turboprop version of the civilian Convair CV-440 Metropolitan. The CC-109 Cosmopolitan or "Cosmo" in RCAF service became the standard VIP aircraft as well as replacing the Douglas Dakota and the North American B-25 Mitchell in light transport duties. After a lengthy career stretching into the 1990s, the CC-109 was replaced by the CC-142 Dash 8 and CC-144 Challenger.

With the close of production of the Convair CV-440 in San Diego, Canadair acquired the rights to the design along with the jigs, tooling and even three unsold 440s. With the availability of a Napier Eland turboprop conversion, the re-engined CV-440s became the CV-540, an all-cargo variant.

In 1958, the RCAF wanted to replace their aging C-47 Dakotas with a turbine-powered aircraft.

Their choice was the Vickers Viscount, but the Canadian government decided against this aircraft. Instead, Canadair offered a series of CV-540 variants powered by Napier Eland turboprops. The project was given the number CL-66 and three versions were considered. The CL-66A was to be a 48/64 passenger aircraft. The CL-66B designed to be a cargo/passenger configuration with a payload of 14200 lb. The CL-66C used the Convair-built CV-440s, having only their new engines fitted at Canadair.

The first CL-66 to fly was a "C" version with its first flight in February 1959; the CL-66B had its first flight in January 1960. No "A" versions were built.

Canadair was not able to get contracts from any major airline for the CL-66. It was too expensive and other similar types had better performance. The two aircraft, both of them CL-66Cs, that had been used for extensive sales demonstrations, were sold to the local carrier Quebecair. The RCAF took ten aircraft, mainly Bs. The Eland not only proved to be unreliable, but also did not deliver the expected power, consequently, the RCAF instituted an engine upgrade in 1966–1967, installing Allison 501-D36 engines. After eight airframes had been re-engined, the company phased out further development work on the type, "orphaning" the remaining final two Eland examples, which were subsequently scrapped.

No. 412 Squadron at CFB Ottawa (S), or "Uplands" flew the "Cosmo", from 1960 to 1994 as VIP transport. The Cosmopolitan aircraft were also deployed to Europe for Canadian NATO contingent support as well as to the US in support of Canadian NORAD operations.

The Caproni Ca.308 Borea ("North Wind") was a small airliner built in Italy in the mid-1930s.

The Ca.308 was a streamlined, low-wing cantilevered monoplane design of conventional configuration. Its undercarriage was not retractable. The mainwheels were fitted with spats.

The prototype, designated Ca.306, was exhibited at the Milan Exhibition of 1935.

The basic design of the Ca.308 subsequently served as the basis for a large family of military aircraft, beginning with the Caproni Ca.309.

The Italian airline Ala Littoria ordered five examples.

The Italian government ordered two aircraft for general-purpose use by its colonial administration in Libya.

All these aircraft received the Ca.308 designation.

Variants
Ca 306
The prototype, exhibited at the Milan Exhibition of 1935.
Ca 308 Borea
Production aircraft, Seven built.

The Caudron C.440 Goéland ("seagull") was a six-seat twin-engine utility aircraft developed in France in the mid-1930s.

It was a conventionally configured low-wing cantilever monoplane with tailwheel undercarriage. The main undercarriage units retracted into the engine nacelles. Construction was wooden throughout, with wooden skinning everywhere but the forward and upper fuselage sections, which were skinned in metal. As usually configured, the cabin seated six passengers with baggage compartments fore and aft, and a toilet aft.

Apart from private buyers, the C.440 was also bought by the Armée de l'Air, Aéronavale, Aéromaritime, Régie Air Afrique and Air France, and some were exported for service with Aeroput. Production of the C.440 and its subtypes continued until the outbreak of World War II, at which time many C.440s were impressed into military service. Following the fall of France, some were operated by the German Luftwaffe and Deutsche Luft Hansa. Another user was the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane - it ordered 12 aircraft as the C.445M in 1942.

Production began again after the war for military and civil use as a transport and as a twin-engined trainer. In the postwar reorganisation of the French aircraft industry, Caudron became part of SNCA du Nord and the aircraft became the Nord Goeland; 325 of these were built. Postwar commercial operators included Air France, SABENA, Aigle Azur and Compagnie Air Transport (CAT). The total number of all variants produced was 1702.

For more on the variants, click here.

Development of the ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet) began in March 2002, the first prototype was rolled out on 21 December 2007, and made its maiden flight on 28 November 2008 from Shanghai. It received its CAAC Type Certification on 30 December 2014 and was introduced on 28 June 2016 by Chengdu Airlines. Resembling the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90 produced under licence in China, it features a 25° swept, supercritical wing designed by Antonov and twin rear-mounted General Electric CF34 engines.

Different sources claim the ARJ21 closely resembles either the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 or the MD-90 which were produced under licence in China. Comac states that the ARJ21 is a completely indigenous design. The ARJ21's development did depend heavily on foreign suppliers, including engines and avionics from the United States. The ARJ21 has a new supercritical wing designed by Ukraine's Antonov Design Bureau with a sweepback of 25 degrees and winglets. Some of China's supercomputers have been used to design parts for ARJ21. 

Specifications below are for the ARJ21-700 model.

For more details of development, design, production and variants, click here.