Bristol Brabazon

by Graham M. Simons

The Brabazon - the name evokes the immediate post-war optimism of civil aviation. The giant airliner was built by Bristol Aircraft in 1949 to cross the Atlantic and serve the empire. However, the plane proved to be a commercial failure when airlines felt that it was too large and expensive to be useful. Large and luxurious, it carried only 60-80 passengers, and with a range of 5,000 miles, a 225ft wing span and eight engines buried in the wings with enough fuel to reach New York, the '100-ton bomber' was more impressive and capable than the the ultimate passenger airliner was born. Now, with previously unpublished material and illustrations from the original Bristol Brabazon sales brochure, among other sources, the Brabazon's 1930s-style elegance is displayed once again, celebrating its design, construction and sheer luxury. A fitting outcome for such a paragon of post-war optimism and an aircraft sill considered by many to be the foremost in propellor-driven civil aviation.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The flavor of this book is like an extended article from the days of the magazine "Air International," and I say that as a compliment. On the other hand, while the author defends this aircraft as being more viable than it might have seemed, including the obligatory jab at Duncan Sandys (the politician British aviation enthusiasts love to hate), even Simons has to admit that this was not the machine that the British aviation industry needed to be building, when it was in their power to develop a competitor to the Lockheed Constellation and the Douglas DC-6. Prestige will only take you so far.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book. really interesting. Such a pity that the Brabazon is not around today and carried for.