Humiliation for Britain

When Britain first advertised the Bristol Britannia for delivery in early 1957, U.S. airmen thought they might have something to worry about. Until Boeing and Douglas pure jetliners were ready to fly in 1959, British Overseas Airways Corp.'s big (93 passengers), fast (385 m.p.h.) turboprop plane seemed a likely cream-skimmer in the lush transatlantic trade. But once again Britain's state-dominated aircraft industry managed to pluck defeat from victory. Nine months late, Bristol last week finally rolled out the first of 18 Britannia 312s for BOAC amid a chorus of complaints about the plane. It was still so full of bugs that further testing will keep it out of service until early next year.

What made Britons really mad was the fact that Queen Elizabeth had hoped to fly the Atlantic next month in one of the new planes, a fitting vehicle for Empire pride. Now she will have to go in one of BOAC's Douglas DC-7s. Said the London Daily Sketch: "At a time when state visits carry more prestige and importance than ever before, we are obliged to give the world a humiliating instance of Britain's dependence on America."

Just as angry was BOAC's Managing Director Basil Smallpeice, who let Bristol have it on the chin. When Bristol's short-range Britannia 102s finally went into service from London to Johannesburg last February, said Smallpeice, they were 19 months late, which held down BOAC's net profit in fiscal 1956 to $850,000. Yet the 102's tendency to ice at high altitudes has still not been licked. During 1956, Bristol tried to correct the icing, which caused dangerous flameouts. Finally, it devised a still not entirely satisfactory solution: a platinum glow plug "pilot light" that automatically relights an engine if it goes out. Meanwhile, the same problems have held up the longer-range (5,000-mile) Britannia 310 series.

On its part, Bristol was badly hampered by the red tape of the government's Transport Ministry, which had to approve new standards for the government-owned airline's new plane, and in addition ordered exhaustive fatigue tests on the Britannia after the crashes of the Comet jetliner. And BOAC itself made frequent design changes during the long months.

Nevertheless, to try to make up its losses, BOAC invoked contract penalties against Bristol. BOAC already has lost "well over" $5,600,000 because of the 312 delay, snapped Smallpeice. "It will not be surprising if we come out with a deficit this year." BOAC Chairman Gerard d'Erlanger took his own swipe at Bristol when asked if the line expects prompt delivery on its order for 15 Boeing 707 jetliners. Growled he: "American manufacturers do have a habit of being on time."

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