" Customers, too, with large fleets, don't want to have aircraft that are nominally the same, but in the details that count, are diefferent enough to cause problems in on-time operation.
But they had to learn that lesson too with aircraft like Vanguard and Trident practically ordered like RAF aircraft and bespoke for one mission."
Sadly, that is not quite true with regard to one particular blunder.
Those of you who operated / maintained the 748 / Andover can thank whoever you never encountered the final variant....the ATP.
Conforms to both of the quoted paragraphs with ample room for expansion as to why the type should have been dumpted on any range you care to name and used accordingly thereafter.
Only type I can think of where the manufacturer had a "hearts and minds" meeting for some very pŁ$sed of customers...not to mention the IFSD suffered by Loganair....on the delivery from Woodford to,er, MAN.
Each one was truly, "hand crafted"...