The British Aerospace 125 is a twinjet mid-size business jet. Originally developed by de Havilland and initially designated as the DH.125 Jet Dragon, it entered production as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125, which was the designation used until 1977 when Hawker Siddeley was merged into British Aerospace. Later variants of the type were marketed as the Hawker 800 and Hawker 1000.
More than 60% of the total sales of the aircraft were to North American customers.<ref name="flying mag">Jerram, Mike. September 1993. "The last de Havilland."Flying Magazine, 120 (9). p. 43.</ref> It was also used by the Royal Air Force as a navigation trainer, as the Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1, and was operated by the United States Air Force as a calibration aircraft, under the designation C-29.
In 1961, de Havilland began work upon a small business jet, then known as the DH.125 Jet Dragon, which was intended to replace the piston enginedde Havilland Dove, a successful business aircraft and light transport. Prior to the start of the project, de Havilland had determined that a successful business jet would require several goals to be met, including a range of at least Template:Convert, the speed and cost factors of a suitable jet engine to outperform turboprop-propelled competitors, and an engineering philosophy that favoured reliability and conventionality. The design team settled on a twin-engine aircraft with the engines mounted on the rear fuselage. The Bristol Siddeley Viperturbojet powerplant was selected for the type.<ref name = "flight 896">Flight 1962, p. 896.</ref>
On 13 August 1962, the first of two prototypes conducted its first flight; a second aircraft followed it on 12 December that year.<ref name="Jackson dh p506-7">Jackson 1987, pp. 506–507.</ref> The second prototype was more aerodynamically representative of a production aircraft, and was fitted out with more equipment than the first; the subsequent production-standard aircraft incorporated several changes and improvements from the prototypes, such as a longer fuselage and a greater wingspan.<ref name="auto">Flight 1962, p. 899.</ref> The first production-standard aircraft performed its first flight on 12 February 1963. The first delivery to a customer took place on 10 September 1964.<ref name="Jackson civil 2 p277">Jackson 1973, p. 277.</ref><ref name="Janes 65 p148-9">Taylor 1965, pp. 148–149.</ref>
The aircraft went through many designation changes during its service life. Hawker Siddeley had bought de Havilland the year before the project had started, but the legacy brand and "DH" designation was used throughout development. After the jet achieved full production, the name was changed to HS.125 except for American exports which retained the DH.125 until it was replaced by BH.125 for Beechcraft-Hawker. When Hawker Siddeley Aircraft merged with the British Aircraft Corporation to form British Aerospace in 1977, the name changed to BAe 125.<ref name = "winn 32"/> When British Aerospace sold its business jets division to Raytheon in 1993, the then-main variant of the jet became widely referred to as the Hawker 1000.<ref name = "pilot report">George, Fred. "Update: The Improved Hawker 1000."Pilot Report, March 1995. 3300. pp. 1–7.</ref>
While the two prototypes were assembled at de Havilland's Hatfield site, final assembly of all production aircraft would take place at the Broughton factory near Chester until the 1990s.<ref name = "flight 902">Flight 1962, p. 902.</ref> By the 2000s, the fuselage, wings and tailfin of the aircraft were still being assembled and partially equipped at the Broughton site, now being owned and managed by Airbus UK; various sub-assemblies were also produced in Airbus UK's Buckley facility, nearby in Flintshire. From 1996 onwards, the assembled sections and components were shipped to Wichita, Kansas in the United States, to undergo final assembly. Writing in 1993, Flying Magazine said of the type "In numerical terms, the 125 series is the most successful British commercial aircraft ever built, and the world's longest in-production business jet".<ref name ="flying mag"/>
Production of the aircraft came to an abrupt halt in 2013 due to the bankruptcy of owner Hawker Beechcraft, following the Great Recession of the late 2000s in which demand for business jets had slumped for a number of years. The type had been in production for more than 50 years when manufacturing stopped, during which time over 1,600 aircraft had been produced.<ref name = "av week 2012"/> In April 2013, the type certificate and support responsibility for all 125s built was transferred to the reformed Beechcraft Corporation.<ref name="tcds">Federal Aviation Authority Type Certificate Data Sheet A3EU.</ref> As of October 2012, Beechcraft did not intend to restart production of its business jet lines; instead the company intended to alternatively sell or dismantle the production facilities for the 125 family.<ref name = "av week 2012">Warwick, Graham. "End of the Line for Hawker?."Aviation Week, 18 October 2012.</ref>Template:Update inline
The BAe 125 is a low-wingedmonoplane, powered by two engines mounted on the rear fuselage. It features a slightly swept wing, which is based on the larger de Havilland Comet wing planform, and uses large slotted flaps and airbrakes for operating from small airfields;<ref name ="flying mag"/><ref name="auto" /> the aircraft can be flown from hardened grass airstrips.<ref name = "flight 896"/> The aircraft has a cylindrical fuselage with a one-piece wing mounted on the underside of the fuselage; most of the manufacturing and assembly work on the wing and fuselage is able to be done with them as separate items with the two being joined late in the production process.<ref>Flight 1962, pp. 897, 902.</ref> The wing has integral fuel tanks which contain most of the fuel.<ref name = "flight 898">Flight 1962, p. 898.</ref>
Early models of the aircraft were powered by several versions of the Bristol Siddeley Viperturbojet engine, while later aircraft adopted more recent turbofan powerplants such as the Garrett TFE731 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300.<ref name = "goold flight">Goold, Ian. "Corporate Aircraft Usage Survey."Flight International, 4 June 1991. p. 52.</ref><ref name = "winn 33">Winn 1989, p. 33.</ref> Both engines drive an electrical generator and hydraulic pump which supply power to the aircraft systems so in the event of a single engine failure, all aircraft systems continue to operate normally.<ref name = "RAF 125"/>
All control surfaces of the aircraft are aerodynamically balanced using set-back hinges and geared tabs. The flaps and airbrakes are operated hydraulically, while the ailerons, elevators, and rudder are manually operated. The design of the control circuits allows for a Collins-built A.P.103 autopilot to be incorporated.<ref name = "flight 898"/> The aircraft is equipped with a de-icing system, which uses a mixture of bleed air from the engines, TKS fluid for general airframe, and AC electric windshield heating to prevent ice formation. Weather radar was incorporated into the aircraft's avionics.<ref name="auto" /> The Royal Air Force equipped some of their aircraft with equipment to defend against attack by infra-red missiles.<ref name = "RAF 125"/>
The pressurised fuselage was designed to accommodate two pilots and six passengers. Various interiors were offered, with a high degree of passenger comfort. In an executive configuration, the flight deck is separated from the main passenger cabin; the single entrance of the aircraft, directly behind the cockpit and forward of the passenger cabin, forms a vestibule area in which luggage can be stored and meals prepared during flight.<ref name="auto"/> An unobstructed cabin floor with Template:Convert of headroom and a Template:Convert wide cabin door also allowed the loading of bulky equipment, which was seen as particularly attractive to military operators.<ref name = "flight 896"/> However, the internal "up and over" door was replaced on the Series 400 and thereafter by a more usual outward opening door with built-in steps. An emergency overwing exit hatch is located in the passenger cabin midsection over the starboard wing (although some versions have both port and starboard exits).<ref name="auto" /> The rear of the fuselage has a large equipment bay and, on some aircraft, one or two additional fuel tanks for extended operations.<ref name = "RAF 125"/>
Operational history
Having entered service as one of the first-generation executive jets, the British Aerospace 125 has been operated by a wide variety of customers, ranging from government and military operators to private customers and businesses; it has also seen use by several airlines. Many of the aircraft's customers have been located in North America; in 1990, out of the 650 aircraft then being operated, more than 400 were being flown in the United States.<ref name = "goold flight"/> Reportedly, one aircraft was being sold every seven working days for a substantial period of the type's production life.<ref name = "winn 32">Winn 1989, p. 32.</ref> Successively larger versions were introduced to extend the type's appeal and to better compete against larger jets being used for business travel, such as the Gulfstream IV and Falcon 900.<ref name = "winn 32"/>
The Royal Air Force was a significant early operator of the type, receiving 20 aircraft equipped as a navigation trainer and designated Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.1. The type entered service in 1965, with the surviving aircraft upgraded in 1996 to be more suitable for training crews for modern aircraft, with a new radar fitted.<ref name="ai0810p556">Winchester Air International October 2008, pp. 55–56.</ref> The Dominie served in excess of 45 years before being retired in 2011 due to diminishing requirements.<ref name="bbcret">Norton, Phillip. "Farewell flypast for RAF's Hawker Siddeley."BBC News, 20 January 2011.</ref> Additional 125s were acquired and operated by No. 32 Squadron RAF as communications and light transport aircraft; these were also occasionally operated to transport Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family.<ref name="RAF 125">"BAe 125."Template:WebarchiveRoyal Air Force, Retrieved: 14 June 2014.</ref> In the later stages of the War in Afghanistan, various 125s were used to transport military officers and other key personnel in and out of the country. The type was scheduled to be withdrawn from RAF service by 2022, but was withdrawn in 2015.<ref>Hoyle, Craig. "RAF faces tough choices over future air transport fleet"Flight International, 31 August 2010.</ref>
By the early 1990s, British Aerospace, the manufacturer of the type at this point, had two main variants of the aircraft in production: the 125-800 and the larger 125–1000. The 125–1000, which conducted its first flight on 16 June 1990, had several changes to give the type a reported intercontinental range, including the adoption of the newly developed Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 engine and new digital avionics, such as FADEC.<ref>"BAE 1000 Makes First Hop"Flying Magazine, September 1990. 117, (9). p. 28.</ref><ref>"Hawker Beechcraft 1000 Specs and Description."Premier Jet Aviation, Retrieved: 22 June 2014.</ref> Following Raytheon's purchase of British Aerospace's business jet division during the 1990s, the two in-production variants were re-designated as the Hawker 800 and Hawker 1000 respectively.<ref name = "pilot report"/>
The 125 is the only business jet to have been hijacked: in 1967, a chartered 125 carrying the former Congolese Prime Minister Moïse Tshombe was diverted to Algeria by armed persons on board. The 125 is also likely to be the only business aircraft to survive being hit by an air-to-air missile: in August 1988, a British Aerospace 125-800 transporting Botswana President Quett Masire was struck by a missile launched by a nearby AngolanMig-23, apparently inadvertently.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While badly damaged by the direct hit (which resulted in the loss of an engine, decompression of the cabin, and rupture of its fuel tanks) the aircraft was successfully landed by BAe demonstrator pilot Arthur Ricketts. It was later rebuilt.<ref name ="flying mag"/>
First version, powered by Template:Convert Viper 20 or 520 engines. Ten built, including two prototypes (43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) long, 44 ft (13.41 m) span) and eight production aircraft 47 ft 5 in (14.56 m) long, 47 ft (14.33 m) long.<ref name="Jackson civil 2 p280-1">Jackson 1973, pp. 280–281.</ref>
Series 1A/1B – upgraded Bristol Siddeley Viper 521 engines with Template:Convert of thrust each, and five cabin windows instead of six (as the window nearest the engines allowed too much cabin noise). Series 1A for US FAA certification (62 built), Series 1B for sale elsewhere (13 built).<ref name="Jackson civil 2 p277 81">Jackson 1973, pp. 277–281.</ref>
Series 1A-522 and 1B-522 – Series 1A/B aircraft with Viper 522 engines.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 1A-R522 and 1B-R522 – Series 1A-522 and 1B-522 aircraft with long-range fuel tanks, modified flaps and main landing gear doors.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 1A-S522 and 1B-S522 – Some aircraft were structural modified to Series 3 standard but without a change in maximum landing weight or maximum operating altitude.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 3A/B – Viper 522-powered variant with increased weights.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 3A/R and 3B/R – early aircraft modified to the series 3 standard but without a change in maximum landing weight or maximum operating altitude and increased fuel capacity with addt'l 135 US gal in a ventral tank.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 3A/RA and 3B/RA – Series 1A/B aircraft modified to Series 3 standard with structural changes for increased maximum zero fuel weight, maximum rampweight and addt'l 135 US gal ventral fuel tank.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 3B/RB – variant of the 3B/RA with increased maximum ramp weight and maximum takeoff weight.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 3B/RC – variant of the 3B/RA modified as a navigation aid checker with four-seat cabin configuration and addition of avionic and flight inspection equipment.<ref name="tcds" />
VC-93 – Brazilian Air Force designation for a VIP transport variant of the Series 3B/RA.<ref name=":0" />
Series 400
Series 400A and 400B – increased maximum ramp and brake-release weights and addition of a outward-opening main entry door with integral steps.<ref name="tcds" /> From 1970 the Series 400A aircraft for the United States were marketed as the Beechcraft Hawker BH.125 Series 400A.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 401B – Increased maximum take off and zero fuel weights and alteration to cabin loading.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 403A(C) – The same as a 403B but for use in Canada.
Series 403B – Increased maximum take off, zero fuel and ramp weights, alteration to cabin loading.<ref name="tcds" />
HS.125 CC1 – British military designation for a series 400 communications aircraft for the Royal Air Force
Series F400A and F400B re-engined with Honeywell TFE731 engines.
EU-93 – Brazilian Air Force designation for an electronic warfare variant of the Series 403B.<ref name=":0" />
VU-93 – Brazilian Air Force designation for a VIP transport variant of the Series 403B.<ref name=":0" />
XU-93 – Brazilian Air Force designation for an experimental variant.<ref name=":0" />
Series 600
Series 600A and 600B – Change to Viper 601-22 engines, increased weights and operating speeds, 3 ft 1 in (0.94 m) fuselage stretch to increase capacity to 10 passengers (with an additional forward window), increased fuel capacity including an additional tank in the dorsal fairing, revised aileron tab arrangements and aileron control gearing and improved aerodynamics. The stretched fuselage and increased slope of windshield allowed the removal of the distinctive fairing above the cockpit.Template:Citation needed From 1973 the Series 600A aircraft were marketed as the Beechcraft Hawker BH.125 Series 600A.<ref name="tcds" />
Series 600B/1
Series 600B/2
Series 600B/3
Series F600A and F600B – re-engined with Honeywell TFE731 engines.
HS.125 CC2 – British military designation for series 600 communications aircraft for the Royal Air Force.
Series 700
Series 700A and 700B variants had the Honeywell TFE731-3RH turbofan engines with Template:Convert of thrust each, first flight 19 June 1976. All earlier models could also be re-engined.
BAe 125 CC3 – British military designation for Series 700 communications aircraft for the Royal Air Force.
HS.125 Protector – Series 700-based maritime patrol aircraft with a search radar and cameras.
British Aerospace BAe 125 Series 1000A and 1000B – intercontinental version of the Series 800, 2 ft 9 in (0.84 m) fuselage stretch to increase capacity to 15, increased fuel capacity, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW-305turbofans with Template:Convert thrust each, first flight 16 June 1990, 52 built.
Hawker 1000 – BAe 125-1000 after 1994.
Handley Page HP.130
A 1963 proposal with boundary layer control wings (not built). It was to be powered by two Bristol Siddeley Viper 520s of Template:Convert thrust with a projected maximum speed of Mach 0.8. This conversion was to be for laminar flow research purposes.<ref name="Barnes p577">Barnes 1976, p. 587.</ref>
Private operators, air taxi, shared ownership and corporate charter operators worldwide. Between 1965 and 1972 Qantas used two Series 3s for crew training.
In December 2022, the Japanese government decided to replace 26 U-125A, 47 AH-1S, 12 AH-64D, and 33 OH-1 with unmanned aerial vehicles. Japan planned to increase its defense budget from 1.24% of GDP in fiscal 2021 to around 2.0% within 10 years, and decided to retire these helicopters and aircraft as part of an effort to spend its defense budget efficiently.<ref>空自捜索機や陸自戦闘ヘリを廃止、無人機で代替へ…防衛予算効率化Yomiuri Shimbun. 9 December 2022.</ref>
Argentine Naval Aviation operated one HS.125-400 for navigation aid calibration.<ref name="fiwaf81 p325">Wheeler Flight International 1 August 1981, p. 325.</ref>
On 26 May 1971, 11 people were killed when three Mercurius HS.125 aircraft belonging to the South African Air Force crashed into Devil's Peak, Cape Town, while practising for a flypast for the tenth anniversary of the republic.<ref name="saa-mercurius">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
On 20 November 1975, a Hawker Siddeley HS125-600B registered G-BCUX and operated by Hawker Siddeley as a demonstrator, overran the runway at Dunsfold Aerodrome after a bird strike on takeoff. The aircraft hit a car that was travelling along the A281 at the time and stopped in a nearby field, killing six people in the car and injuring one crew member out of nine passengers and crew.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The aircraft was being flown by the World War 2 fighter ace John Cunningham.
On 8 September 1987, a Brazilian Air Force Hawker Siddeley HS.125 registration FAB-2129 crashed upon takeoff from Carajás. All nine occupants died.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 7 August 1988, a BAe-125 owned by the Botswana Government was carrying the President of Botswana, Quett Masire, and his staff to a meeting in Luanda. An Angolan MiG-23 pilot fired two R-60 (AA-8) missiles at the plane. One missile hit the no. 2 engine, causing it to fall off the aircraft. The second missile then hit the falling engine. The crew was able to make a successful emergency landing on a bush strip at Cutio Bie. There were no fatalities.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Accident description – 'OK-1' aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 28 November 2015.</ref>
On 16 March 1991, a Hawker Siddeley HS.125-1A charter aircraft (N831LC) carrying band members for Reba McEntire crashed into the side of Otay Mountain. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from San Diego – Brown Field Municipal Airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All eight band members aboard plus two pilots were killed in the crash believed to have been caused by poor visibility.<ref name="asn-reba">Template:Cite web</ref>
On 31 July 2008, a British Aerospace 125 operating as East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashed nose-down into a cornfield after overrunning a runway at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport, after a business flight from Atlantic City International Airport. All 6 passengers and 2 crew members were immediately killed in the crash. The NTSB investigators believed the cause of the crash was pilot error after investigation.
On 5 September 2015, an HS 125 of Senegalair was involved in a mid-air collision with a Ceiba Airlines Boeing 737 over Senegal. It is thought that the HS 125 suffered a decompression that incapacitated the flight crew. The aircraft crashed an hour later into the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal with no survivors. The 737 made a safe landing.
In 2025 a crashed and abandoned BAe-125-700A was found in Honduras. It was suspected that the plane was connected to drug trade.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web </ref>
N600MK, a Series 125/600A is sunk at the Athens Scuba Park in Athens, Texas for scuba divers to explore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
N400PR is located at the Houston Hobby Airport's 1940 Terminal Museum tarmac. It was recently painted by local mural artist Mario Figuero, aka 'Gonzo247' in the early summer of 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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