This Giant Airliner Even Had A Movie Theater: The Bristol Brabazon

With a wingspan greater than a Boeing 747, The Bristol Brabazon was the largest aircraft ever built by Britain. More a flying oceanliner than plane, it featured sleeping cabins, a dining room, a cocktail bar and lounge, and even a 23 seat movie theater.

The Brabazon was also fitted with cutting edge innovations. A fully pressurized, air conditioned cabin. Electric engine controls, and high-pressure hydraulics to operate its massive control surfaces. It’s enormous wing housed more than 16 thousand gallons of fuel, and eight of the most powerful piston engines available. While the first Brabazon used piston engines, later Brabazon were to use turboprop engines that were being developed by Bristol.

The Bristol Brabazon would have true transatlantic capability. Able to fly non-stop from London to New York against prevailing eastern winds. In the 1940’s, this would have been quite the feat. Transatlantic flights were almost always done in stages to allow for refueling.

Despite introducing new innovations, many of which influenced the future of aviation, the Brabazon’s driving philosophy was outdated. The Brabazon’s mission was to compete with ocean liners for ultra-wealthy passengers. But this lumbering, super-sized airliner would have been introduced with airlines for 1950’s, right around when the first jet airliners, like the De Havilland Comet, were taking to the skies. Aircraft like the Dash 80, which would become the 707, were also just around the corner, and would bring a transatlantic crossing down to as little as 7 hours.

After a massive design and development effort, Britain found itself stuck with a plane nobody actually wanted, designed for an era that no longer existed.The program was cancelled and the Brabazon, and half finished turboprop successor were sold for their weight in scrap. #BristolBrabazon #BritishAviation #WhiteElephant #Airplanes

For an authoritative resource on the Bristol Brabazon visit:

Special thanks to niltondc for helping to model the Bristol Brabazon:

Special thanks to Nick Arehart for helping clean up our audio:

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[maureenhanney]

As a child in the 1950s i remember my father taking us to see a huge pile of scrap which he told us used to be the Brabazon. I am now in my 70s and have for some strange reason retained the memory

[peterfeltham]

In the very early 50s we would all stand in the school playground and watch in awe as this plane flew over Bristol.The sound it emitted from it's engines was wonderful, I was a 9yr old at the time living in Knowle, southside of the city, i will never forget it.

[ffinybryn]

They demolished a whole village (Charlton) to extend the runway to enable it to take-off - which, as it turned out, it didn’t need. I grew up near Filton and my dad watched the maiden flight.

[branon]

That really was a good lookin aircraft, can't deny

[davidgreen]

I must say, that airborne, the Brabazon makes a handsome aircraft.

[darkprose]

This seems like the kind of thing Mr Burns would invest in.

[Mikey-xzvn]

Honestly, taking the opposite approach and selling out 300 'coach' seats might've been the solution to save the Brabazon

[alphafoxtrot]

It's a good day when Mustard uploads something

[nicolaiby]

I like how every crazy design from the 1930-1950s included cocktail lounges, fine restaurants and other insane luxuries lol They really liked being comfortable back then I guess.

[armandodauer]

I´m always amused by the stunning quality of your videos!! This brazilian fan salutes you!

[AlyxForest]

"What's it for?"
"Oh, it will redefine luxury."
"So... it will fail very soon?"

[decoybuilder]

This thing is like the A380; engineering marvel, economic disaster

[sonuchadalavada]

Narratives like this are what led me to study Aerospace Engineering. I want to be a part of a story like this someday whether or not the project that I'm working on ends up like the Brabazon or if it ends up like the 707. Thanks, Mustard for helping to inspire me and tons of young engineers like me. :D

[charliemolda]

These 3D animations are so sick!!
Incredible job

[PiotrBarcz]

It's unbelievably sad for me to hear this wonderful plane was destroyed along with it's sister craft. The thing should've been put in a museum for the sake of aviation history!

[immersiveparadox]

Felt sad that this incredible plane was sold in scrap.

[aliyusx]

Bristol failed because they didn't subscribe to square space

[Orrinn]

Why is it so interesting to watch videos about planes and trains?

[paulvincent]

The UK is great at building planes that nobody wants.

[a_random_tank_mm]

The reason why we all love mustard’s video this much us because of the insane amount of efforts this guy puts in his video and his passion for the subject.