Why Did British Aerospace Build The BAe-146 With 4 Engines?

There are pretty much no aircraft in the skies today that have any remote resemblance to the seldom-used British Aerospace BAe-146. This aircraft might just be the most unique four-engine aircraft to ever take to the skies, as well as one of the most dynamic regional jets ever produced. Today, flying commercially on short-haul hops between smaller destinations that take less than a couple of hours or so is typically done on regional aircraft. These jets (and some smaller turboprop regional aircraft) are the backbone of short-haul operations all across the globe, and they almost all share one thing in common: a twin-engine configuration.