The British government decided in December 1970 not to provide launch aid for BAC Three-Eleven, a 245-seat wide-body twinjet airliner. This occurred shortly after the government had also withdrawn from the European Airbus. This book argues that the Three-Eleven's cancellation was the turning point for the subsequent decline and marginalisation of Britain's civil aircraft industry. Using compelling evidence, Graziano Freschi reflects on the effects the decision has had to this day, provides a detailed history of the aircraft and set the relevant events into an historical context, whilst suggesting that the lessons learned might benefit future industrial policy decisions in High Tech manufacturing.