Handley Page Jetstream
Handley Page / Scottish Aviation / British Aerospace · United Kingdom · first flew 1967 · airliner
The Handley Page Jetstream is a British twin-turboprop commuter airliner that became one of the most successful aircraft in its class after a troubled early history. Originally developed by Handley Page before that company's collapse, it was rescued and refined by Scottish Aviation and later BAe to become the ubiquitous Jetstream 31.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | T-tail with circular fuselage cross-section |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-turboprop regional commuter airliner
- T-tail with circular fuselage cross-section
- 19-seat pressurised cabin in slender fuselage
Identified by its slim circular-section fuselage, circular cabin windows, low-mounted straight wings, and prominent T-tail; the twin Garrett or Astazou turboprops in sleek nacelles are definitive.
Specifications
- The Handley Page Jetstream has a length of 14.37 m (47 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 482 km/h (300 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew + 19 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The HP.137 Jetstream first flew in August 1967, but Handley Page entered receivership in 1970 before the type could reach its potential. Scottish Aviation acquired the design and restarted production, and British Aerospace continued development, producing the greatly improved Jetstream 31 in 1982 with Garrett TPE331 engines, which sold over 380 units worldwide.
Variants
The original Jetstream 1 used Turbomeca Astazou engines; the Scottish Aviation Jetstream improved the design; the BAe Jetstream 31 became the definitive commercial version; the Jetstream 41 was a stretched 29-seat development.
Where you'll see it
Extensively operated by regional and commuter airlines worldwide, and by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for multi-engine aircrew training at RAF Cranwell and RNAS Culdrose — a genuinely prominent UK user.
Related aircraft
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