75th Anniversary of the C102 Jetliner: A Milestone in Aviation History

On August 10th, the world's third jet passenger aircraft, the C102 Jetliner, created by the Canadian company Avro Canada, turned 75 years old. On that day in 1949, it made its first flight from Malton Airport (Ontario), near Toronto. Avro Canada began operating independently only in 1945. The development of the innovative airliner was conducted to meet the requirements of Trans-Canada Airlines, which intended to operate it on regional routes in North America with distances of up to 800 km. Considering the specifics of local airports, the aircraft was designed to use relatively short runways up to 1200 meters in length. To ensure high takeoff and landing performance, the aircraft was equipped with straight wings instead of swept ones.

The Jetliner was powered by four Rolls-Royce Derwent V turbojet engines with centrifugal compressors, each providing a maximum thrust of over 1630 kgf. The aircraft had a length of 25.12 meters, a wingspan of 29.90 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 25,000 kg, and could reach a maximum speed of 670 km/h, with a range of up to 2700 km. Its commercial payload was 5760 kg, and depending on the internal configuration, it could accommodate between 36 and 50 passengers.

During the second test flight on August 16, 1949, the aircraft's landing gear collapsed on landing. The damage to the fuselage and engine nacelles was minor, and repairs took less than three weeks. Overall, the testing program was successful. During this time, in April 1950, the Jetliner transported the world's first "jet airmail" from Toronto to New York. The event received widespread media coverage, turning it into a sensation. The aircraft began to attract interest from U.S. business circles, including the famous billionaire Howard Hughes. However, in December 1951, at the request of the Canadian government, work on the Jetliner was halted. The priority was the development of the CF-100 Canuck jet fighter, and Avro Canada could not handle both programs simultaneously.

The Jetliner was initially used as a chase plane during CF-100 tests. In December 1956, it made its last flight and was soon scrapped. Only its nose section, including the cockpit, was preserved and is now displayed at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.