The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium/long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly a number of air routes across the British Empire. Soon after entering production the turboprop engines proved unusually susceptible to inlet icing, and two prototypes were lost while solutions to the problems were found. By the time it was cleared through testing, the jet airliners from France, UK and the US were about to enter service and only eighty-five Britannias were built before production ended in 1960. Nevertheless the Britannia is often considered the high point in turboprop airliner design, and was extremely popular with passengers, earning itself the nickname "the whispering giant" for its unusually quiet and smooth flying experience