British Aerospace Avro RJ100

The British Aerospace 146 was a four-engine regional airliner that was developed to have excellent short airfield performance whilst remaining quiet enough to operate from regional airfields. Fitted with a full airbrake in the tail, the aircraft was quiet enough to be marketed as the Whisperjet and became one of the first jet airliners to be cleared to operate from London City Airport. Avro International Aerospace began to market an improved and updated 146 as the Avro RJ series in 1992 however production ended in 2001. The RJ series included modern digital avionics and more efficient engines. Whilst still used as an airliner and VIP transport, the 146/RJ has become a successful water bomber in the USA for use against wildfires.

Since its privatisation, QinetiQ have become a world centre of excellence for research and development. QinetiQ also operate the Empire Test Pilots School who have trained over 1,500 students in its history, their motto being “Lean to test, test to learn”. To support this, QinetiQ operate a fleet of modern training aircraft which, when not in use to train test pilots, they are used to support research and development activities.

QinetiQ will be providing a number of aircraft for static display at this year’s Air Tattoo as part of our Pushing the Boundaries theme. This will include their Avro RJ100.

Photo Credit: Paul Fiddian