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...
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