We seldom ever do this ....
"take liberties in regard to producing aircraft textures for which we don't already offer authentic 3D models" .... but in cases where physical differences of aircraft type sub versions are "MINOR", and liveries for these are "HISTORIC", then, we occasionally make rare exceptions to our long-established protocol of complete RW authenticity first and foremost.
More on this later though .... upon my conclusion this presentation 
The first HS121 TRIDENT jetliner was rolled-out at the Hatfield based HAWKER SIDDELEY aircraft production facility on August 4th 1961. This aircraft was G-ARPA .... and which was completed, along with its other 4 flight testing and developmental sister-ships, in pre-commercial production TRIDENT 1 form. G-ARPA performed its maiden flight on December 21st 1961 .... under the command of Chief Test Pilot John CUNNINGHAM, assisted by Deputy Chief Test Pilot Peter BUGGE as FO, and FE Edward BRACKSTONE-BROWN. The TRIDENT 1 differed most obviously from the initial commercial production -1C aircraft .... featuring a fractionally shorter wing span with squared tips and lack of a tail based APU bullet above the #2 engine exhaust position. TRIDENT 1 also featured a number of other wing related differences too but these were only "MINOR".
The TRIDENT 1's maiden flight did not pass without drama. Prior to landing at Hatfield one of the aircraft's main gear units became jammed with its corresponding gear bay door during the landing gear extension cycle. Shutting-off the landing gear hydraulic system, and allowing the main gear to then free-fall and lock into position, resolved the problem and a perfectly normally landing resulted. No mention of this particular incident was ever made during the media conference following the TRIDENT's maiden flight .... CUNNINGHAM merely expressed his delight in regard to the aircraft's handling characteristics. A total of 5 pre-production TRIDENT 1's participated in the flight testing and certification program for the type. These aircraft were ....
G-ARPA .... used to analyze both low and high speed handling characteristics and structural loading.
G-ARPB .... used to analyze the aircraft's systems and which also included AP trials.
G-ARPC .... used to analyze supplementary low speed handling characteristics and assist the types COA flight testing.
G-ARPD .... used to analyze LE slats developed for TRIDENT 1E.
G-ARPE .... used to perform BEA acceptance tests and route proving over the airlines service network.
Hot and high testing performance analysis of the TRIDENT was undertaken at Khartoum during November 1962 .... and at Cairo during September 1963. Low speed testing of the aircraft indicated unsatisfactory performance characteristics which resulted in development of a wing root located Kruger Flap, modifications to the Wing Droops, and refinement and relocation of the aircraft's Wing Vortex Generators and Fences .... and ultimately led to development of the automatic Stick-Pusher system in order to assist stall recovery prior to onset of any stall event. During high speed testing G-ARPA was accelerated to MACH 0.96 .... slightly in excess of the TRIDENT's designed MACH 0.95 maximum velocity limitation .... although in airline service the MACH 0.82 through MACH 0.84 cruise velocity range was typical in consideration of both safety and economy of operations. Throughout the flight testing program these aircraft supported BEA's 1960's era "Red Square" livery .... and also featured natural/polished metal, rather than the airlines definitive pale grey, lower fuselage surfaces.
HAWKER-SIDDELEY/BEA HS121 TRIDENT 1 (initial flight testing) G-ARPC (1962)
For a period during 1963 TRIDENT G-ARPC supported blue upper wings surfaces (with the BEA logo), and to which woolen tufting was attached, in order to assess airflow movement over the aircraft's wing surfaces.
HAWKER-SIDDELEY/BEA HS121 TRIDENT 1 (air flow flight testing) G-ARPC 1962)
TRIDENT G-ARPE participated in the 1963 Paris Air Show .... supporting "TRIDENT" fuselage titles over its 1960's era BEA livery (again with a polished natural metal lower fuselage surfaces) and shortly afterward embarked upon an HS sales and demonstration tour to Japan, and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and during which some 35,000 air miles were logged over a total of some 80 flying hours.
HAWKER-SIDDELEY/BEA HS121 TRIDENT 1 (sales tour) G-ARPE 1963)[/
In Tokyo the TRIDENT was demonstrated to ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS. This was the types first overseas promotional flight outside the realms of its Paris presentation and earlier test flying which saw the TRIDENT operate into both Dublin and Stockholm. G-AVRE was also demonstrated in Damascus, Hong Kong, Karachi, and Singapore. At Karachi the aircraft shared apron space with the B727-100 demonstrator N7003U .... which was also undertaking a sales and promotional tour on behalf of BOEING during this same period.
This Karachi meeting of both rival aircraft types unintentionally demonstrated comparisons which clearly hilited the B727's much superior TO and climb performance. HS was intending to produce a more powerful and logistically capable version of the TRIDENT .... to be marketed as "TRIDENT 1F" .... and which was the model it specifically promoted to ANA during this tour. ANA continued to court HS for a period following this sales tour whilst also negotiating with BOEING too .... obviously intending to entice more favourable terms from BOEING in regard to a B727 order .... and which eventually saw the airline follow JAPAN AIR LINES decision and similarly order B727-100's. The TRIDENT was never demonstrated or marketed in Australia as both ANSETT-ANA and TAA had already earlier committed to the B727-100.
Development of the refined TRIDENT 1C and -1E (with extended wing span, revised wing tips, other aerofoil related/technical improvements, and increased engine thrust) also commenced during this period. Whilst TRIDENT 1C had been built in accordance with BEA requirements, the -1E represented HS's endeavour to attract foreign sales of the aircraft. TRIDENT 1E first flew on November 2nd 1964 .... but beyond a small number of these aircraft ordered by CHANNEL AIRWAYS (most of which ultimately weren't taken up) only a scant few foreign sales were ever forthcoming .... primarily from operators located within Asian and Middle Eastern regions still subject to British political and economic influence.
On June 3rd 1966 TRIDENT 1C G-ARPY was written-off during flight testing (a phase of which required deactivation of the aircraft's auto-stall recovery system) as the result of an irrecoverable super-stall/deep-stall event and which killed its entire 4-man test crew .... composed of Captain Peter BARLOW, FO George ERRINGTON, FE Edward BRACKSTONE-BROWN, and another on board Flight Test Observation Engineer. Investigations concluded that this accident had resulted due to the flight crew evidently departing from the pre-planned/prescribed flight testing airspeed schedule .... and delayed full implementation of stall recovery procedures.
The TRIDENT 1E first flew on July 27th 1967. Following successful preliminary flight testing this aircraft was then flown to Nairobi, and Port Darwin, in order to conduct hot and high altitude performance testing .... undertaken between November and December 1967. During its return trip to the UK this aircraft this was successfully accelerated to MACH 0.97. G-AVFA was then used to perform extended AL tests undertaken between June 1968 and May 1969. Following completion of this testing it was delivered to BEA on December 2nd 1969 .... and regarded as "the penultimate of TRIDENT's" .... having exceeded all of HS's performance guarantees by some considerable margin.
Development of TRIDENT 2E followed. This was a further advanced higher weight and more logistically capable version of the -1E and with slightly great power. TRIDENT 2E
G-AVFA also supported BEA's definitive 1960's era livery (but featuring the airlines pale grey lower fuselage surfaces). During part of its flight testing phase this aircraft displayed additional black vertical fuselage stripes in order to aid calibration of the flight testing equipment used to observe and record its performance.
HAWKER-SIDDELEY/BEA HS121 TRIDENT 2E (flight testing - calibration stripes) G-ARPE 1967[
The TRIDENT's prime disadvantage (in -1C form at least) was in regard to its significantly lower power rating and limited payload/range capabilities .... in comparison with that of the B727-100. Early production versions of the TRIDENT were so customized to BEA specifications that the appeal of these aircraft to overseas operators became very limited. Although the TRIDENT first flew ahead of the B727 it was developed more slowly and during which time BOEING was able to more successfully influence the world market in favour of its aircraft. The TRIDENT was none-the-less a far more advanced jetliner than the B727 (especially in regard to its CAT III Blind Landing capabilities and AL system) .... and despite its inferior TO and climb performance it was also significantly faster than the B727 within the high altitude/high speed cruise regime.
BEA became the primary TRIDENT operator .... but factory fresh production aircraft also entered service with AIR CEYLON, CAAC, CHANNEL AIRWAYS, IRAQI AIRWAYS, KUWAIT AIRWAYS, PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES in primarily TRIDENT 1C, -1E and -2E form .... and to both BEA an CAAC in later, and larger, TRIDENT 3B/SUPER 3B form. A number of other primarily UK and mediterranean based operators also leased-in or otherwise acquired TRIDENT aircraft as temporary/short-term equipment during the 1960's and 70's. Both the proposed TRIDENT 1F, and a maritime patrol version of these aircraft intended for military operations, never advanced and TRIDENT production was discontinued during 1978 .... following completion of a total of 117 airframes covering all variants of these aircraft. The last of the type remained in service within China until the 1990's.
As for TRIDENT 3B and the SUPER 3B too .... well .... they're another story but one which is outside the subject relevance of "this particular presentation"
SO THEN .... this hopefully (and thoroughly) explains Erik's latest texture productions in the form of these
"classic and historic liveries for early HS121 TRIDENT test aircraft". Despite the fact we can't yet offer an authentic TRIDENT 1 model (although in anticipation I did prepare an FDE suite especially for the type but without any plans, at this stage, to introduce another TRIDENT base pack), the DM produced TRIDENT 3D model we host "HERE" .... currently used for the -1C, -1E, and -2E .... is otherwise
"quite adequate" for TRIDENT 1 also.
I commenced this presentation saying .... the "physical differences" between TRIDENT 1, -1C, -1E, and -2E are "VERY MINOR" (to such an extent most people are probably completely unaware), so, for the sake of these
"historic additions" this slight lateral drift, on our part, is acceptable/no different from that we've, albeit seldom, undertaken on a few very rare previous occasions in order to justify a other historic texture representations despite our lack definitive 3D models.
This's not something we'll repeat with any frequency though.
If DM ever decided to contact me/us offering to modify his current TRIDENT 1E/2E 3D model to TRIDENT 1 standard .... then .... we'd gladly accept such a proposal. But until such a time .... and which is extremely unlikely to eventuate anyway
(so please .... don't ask ) .... and with no intention of imposing upon DM for additional 3D model supply either, the DMFS TRIDENT simulations we currently offer "HERE" will remain
"precisely as they are" .... further supported by whatever we plan to add (without interfering with any of the original DM aircraft base pack compositions) in the form of "separate" FDE enhancements, audio, and of course hitherto not represented textures/liveries of historic significance
Some "NICE" subjects there Erik .... including 1 or 2 I didn't know about
Mark C
AKL/NZ
