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SUD Caravelle
Airbus’s
Extraordinary Heritage
By Geoffrey Thomas
ith 23869 aircraft sold as
at February 2024, Airbus
W is an extraordinary exam-
ple of European cooperation but
what is probably overlooked by
many is the amazing legacy of
aircraft designs that Airbus can Vickers Viscount
count in its rich heritage.
All told 282 were built when production going outside the
Airbus is the merger of literally production ceased in 1972. The United Kingdom.
dozens of German, French and type remained in service right
British aircraft companies as well through till 2005. In a sign of
as a shareholding from CASA of things to come the Caravelle Another technically
Spain. used the nose and cockpit of the successful British
Five of the most success- de Havilland Comet jet. All told design was the
ful European and British there were 94 operators of the three-engine Hawker
designs were the SUD Aviation sleek French design. Siddeley Trident,
Caravelle, the Vickers Viscount, which was originally
the Hawker Siddeley Trident, the The other standout of the 1950s
Vickers VC-10, and BAC 1-11. was the four-engine turbine a design from
powered Vickers Viscount de Havilland. The type
One of the most suc- with 445 built between 1948 suffered due to the conservative
and 1963. Incredibly the last
nature of its principal airline
cessful designs was the one was retired in 2009. Many customer British European
twin-jet SUD Caravelle Viscount models were built and Airlines. BEA wanted a modest
which first flew in 1955 the seating ranged from 32 to design that would carry 75
75. The type saw service right
and entered service around the world including the passengers about 1500km –
perfect for its European network
with SAS in 1959. United States with 80 per cent of but nothing beyond. Another
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE MAY - JULY 2024 | 37
