STRETCHED ONE-ELEVEN DEBUT
THE first BAC One-Eleven 500 series for BEA is due to make its first flight at Hurn today (Feb. 7) – about seven weeks ahead of schedule, BEA, whose One-Elevens will seat 97 passengers, will market the aircraft as the “Super one-eleven”. The airline has ordered 18 One-Eleven 500s – customer model number is 510 – and holds an option on a further six.
The series 500, which is the subject of an AEROPLANE quick-reference data sheet on the facing page, will seat 99 passengers in its typical tourist-class configuration, but up to 109 passengers can be accommodated in a high-density seating arrangement.
The first few aircraft are rapidly taking shape at Hurn; the sixth and seventh front fuselages are already well advanced, with other components following further along the line.
First One-Eleven to display the new stretched shape, BAC's former demonstrator, is currently being readied to go to Torrejon near Madrid for final performance trials. At Wisley the Rolls-Royce Spey 512 engines of the production 500 have been fitted, and it was scheduled to fly at the end of last month. Due to arrive in Torrejon during the middle of this month, it is likely to be engaged on flight test work there for…
