This is the history of BAe 146, Britain’s best-selling jet airliner and also its last. It ended a long development of jet airliners in Britain that began with the very first jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet, in 1949. Indeed, the 146 was first designed in the same de Havilland factory at Hatfield as the Comet, but by the time of its first flying in 1981 it was part of British Aerospace at the Avro factory. Though production of this aircraft ended in 2002, many continue to fly today and the 146 will always be representative of the British Aircraft industry at its peak.