Hawker 731 Jet
The Hawker 731 Jet, a sleek white aircraft owned by Sir Leigh Teabing, serves as the critical vehicle for the protagonists' escape from France and their continued pursuit of the Holy Grail. Its role in the narrative is defined by its ability to provide rapid, clandestine transport across international borders, allowing Langdon, Sophie, and Teabing to evade the French Judicial Police and continue their investigation into the Priory of Sion's secrets.
Design and Capabilities
The Hawker 731 is a twin-engine jet, powered by Garrett TFE-731 engines that produce "gut-wrenching force" during takeoff, as Langdon experiences when the plane powers skyward from Le Bourget Airfield. The aircraft's interior is described as a "Fan Jet Executive Elite Design," featuring plush swivel chairs bolted to tracks on the floor, which can be repositioned around a rectangular hardwood table to form a "mini-boardroom." This configuration allows the passengers to work on the cryptex and discuss the Grail during the flight. The cabin also includes a separate seating area near the restroom, where Teabing's manservant Rémy Legaludec stands guard over the bound albino monk Silas, who lies trussed at his feet like a piece of luggage.
Role in the Escape from France
After the confrontation at Château Villette, where Silas attacked the group, Teabing decides to flee France for England. He arranges for the jet to be prepared at Le Bourget Airfield, a private executive airfield near Paris. Teabing's pilot, Richard, initially protests taking extra passengers, but Teabing persuades him with a combination of a two-thousand-pound sterling bribe and the threat of a loaded gun. The jet takes off without a registered flight plan, making it difficult for Captain Bezu Fache to track. During the flight, the group discusses the poem on the cryptex, and Teabing explains the true nature of the Holy Grail as Mary Magdalene and the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ.
Arrival and Deception at Biggin Hill
The jet lands at Biggin Hill Executive Airport in Kent, England, where Fache has arranged for Kent police to intercept it. However, Teabing executes a clever deception: as the plane taxis into his private hangar, Rémy opens the hatch, and Langdon and Sophie drag Silas out of sight behind a limousine. The jet then completes its turn, and when the police search the plane, they find it empty. Teabing confronts the police, claiming the French tip was false, and he and Rémy drive away in the limousine with Langdon, Sophie, and Silas hidden inside. The Hawker 731 thus becomes the instrument of a successful escape, allowing the group to continue their quest in London.
Narrative Significance
The Hawker 731 Jet functions as a symbol of Teabing's wealth and influence, as well as a practical tool for the protagonists' flight from the law. Its use underscores the high-stakes, international nature of the Grail quest and the lengths to which Teabing will go to protect the secret. The jet also serves as a confined space where key revelations about the Grail are made, and where the tension between the characters—particularly the captive Silas—is maintained. Ultimately, the jet's successful landing and the subsequent deception at Biggin Hill mark a turning point in the narrative, allowing the group to evade capture and proceed to the Temple Church and Westminster Abbey in their search for the keystone's password.
