Avro
C102 Jetliner
The Avro C102 Jetliner was a pioneering Canadian jet airliner developed in the late 1940s by Avro Canada, a subsidiary of the British Avro firm. Designed under the leadership of Chief Engineer James C. Floyd, the Jetliner made its first flight on 10 August 1949, only months after the British de Havilland Comet entered service. Measuring 84 feet in length with a wingspan of 90 feet, the aircraft was powered by two Rolls‑Royce Avon turbo‑jets that propelled it to a cruising speed of about 520 mph and a service ceiling of 40 000 feet. Its all‑metal, low‑wing monoplane design featured a pressurised cabin that could carry up to 45 passengers in a single‑aisle layout, a novel concept for commercial jet travel at the time.
Although only two prototypes were completed before the project was cancelled in 1951 due to shifting government priorities and the emergence of the Boeing 707, the C102 Jetliner demonstrated the viability of jet‑propelled civil transport. Its aerodynamic innovations, such as swept wings and belly‑mounted engines, influenced later Canadian and American designs, and the Jetliner remains an iconic symbol of Canada’s early contribution to the jet age.
Although only two prototypes were completed before the project was cancelled in 1951 due to shifting government priorities and the emergence of the Boeing 707, the C102 Jetliner demonstrated the viability of jet‑propelled civil transport. Its aerodynamic innovations, such as swept wings and belly‑mounted engines, influenced later Canadian and American designs, and the Jetliner remains an iconic symbol of Canada’s early contribution to the jet age.
Classification
Performance
- Service Ceiling
- 12300 metre