Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Long-range commercial transport

Power Plant:

(Mk IVC)

Four 10,500 lbst Rolls Royce Avon 524 turbojets

Specifications:

History:

Design of the de Havilland Comet commenced in 1946, at that time being a 44 passenger aircraft with a range of 3,540 km (2,200 miles) powered by four 5,000 lbst de Havilland Ghost 50 turbojet engines. The prototype G-5-1 / G-ALVG (c/n 06001) flew on 27 July 1949 and commercial services commenced in May 1952, this aircraft being delivered to the British Ministry of Supply. The first two Comets were used for testing, the second G-ALYP (c/n 06003) being used for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) crew training, this aircraft making the world’s first revenue passenger flight from London, UK to Johannesburg in South Africa via Rome, Beirut, Khartoum, Entebbe and Livingstone on 2 May 1952.

The Comet 2 was aimed at the Atlantic route, fuel capacity being increased and the fuselage being stretched by 0.91 m (3 ft), having a gross weight of 54,432 kg (120,000 lb). The prototype Comet 2 G-AMXA (c/n 06023) first flew at Hatfield in Hertfordshire on 27 August 1953.

The sixth airframe G-ALYT (c/n 06006) became the Comet 2X prototype, had 6,500 lbst Rolls Royce Avon RA.9 Mk 501 engines, first flying on 16 February 1952.

However, the Comet suffered a number of serious accidents. The first was on 26 October 1952 when G-ALYZ (c/n 06012) was badly damaged in a take-off accident at Rome, Italy. On 3 March 1953 CF-CUN (c/n 06-15) ‘Empress of Hawaii’ was lost on take-off at Karachi, Pakistan when it was on its way to Australia to inaugurate a service from Sydney, NSW to Vancouver, Canada. On 2 May 1953 G-ALYV (c/n 06008) had a structural failure after leaving Calcutta, India. On 8 April 1954 G-ALYY (c/n 06010) crashed in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Stromboli, Italy following an explosive decompression. G-ALYP (c/n 06003) on 10 January 1954 crashed into the sea near Elba, Italy also after a decompression explosion.

Following the loss of these Comets in accidents in 1954 the Certificates of Airworthiness were suspended and British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA), which had been interested in obtaining Comets, shelved any plans to obtain the type. By that time 17 Comets had been delivered to four airlines. The Comet 1s were then used for research and testing and the Series 2 was produced, fitted with Rolls Royce Avon engines, most of these being delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Eventually the Comet 4 appeared, entered service and was evaluated by Qantas against the Boeing 707-138, the latter being larger, more advanced aerodynamically and having more range. Because of these factors the Boeing was more economical on a per-seat-per-mile basis.

Only one Comet 3 G-ANLO (c/n 06100) was built, being supplied to the Ministry of Supply in 1952.

The most important model was the Comet 4, a much improved variant, the prototype G-APDA (c/n 6401) flying for the first time on 27 April 1958. It had a flight crew of three or four, and up to 106 passengers in a high-density one-class cabin, or 74 in a typical mixed class. It operated on the South African, Far East and Australian routes and gave good reliable service for some years.

The Comet 4A did not proceed but the Comet 4B had a reduced wing span and lengthened fuselage by 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), fuel capacity being reduced to 35,868 litres (7,890 Imp gals). Rolls Royce Avon RA.29 engines with thrust reversers and sound suppressors were installed. The final model, the Comet 4C, was similar to the 4B but had an increase in fuel capacity, the first of these G-AOVU (c/n 6424) flying on 31 October 1959, later becoming XB-NAR with Mexicana.

The Comet 4 was flown for the first time by de Havilland test pilot, John Cunningham, on 27 April 1958, entered service on the North Atlantic route on 4 October that year, and was quite successful. However, the delay in sorting out the problems with the aircraft meant Boeing, Douglas and Pratt & Whitney benefitted from the experience, so the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 were developed.

When British Overseas Airways Corporation was commencing the introduction of the de Havilland Comet into international services, Qantas looked at the type with a view to introducing it into service to replace the Lockheed Constellation. BOAC was proposing to put the Comet onto first-class services on the Kangaroo Route in December 1954.

At around this time Qantas had sent the Bristol Aeroplane Company a letter of intent to purchase six Bristol Britannias for delivery in 1958 for the Kangaroo route. Qantas had stated it “genuinely desired to have the option of buying British aircraft” but Comets at that time were not available and would not be for some time. BCPA had ordered two Comet 2s and, following the merger of that airline with Qantas, it was expected that Qantas would operate these aircraft.

But de Havilland admitted that the Comet could not be considered as an economical aircraft if it had to carry fuel reserves such as those on the Lockheed Constellation. The question of fuel reserves centred on whether the aircraft could carry enough fuel to descend to its destination and then, if necessary, divert. Reports to Qantas management stated that “the aircraft’s performance fell below both the guaranteed and specification figures at the specification engine powers”. Eventually Qantas decided flight tests had revealed that the Comet would not eventually be developed to prove successful on the Empire Air Route.

In 1959, BOAC had finalised its plans to operate the Comet 4 and Boeing 707 on the Kangaroo Route. There was a proposal for a tri-partite partnership on the route with Air India whereby BOAC agreed it would not operate Britannias or Comets through Perth, WA until Boeing 707s could operate through that airport. Super Constellations remained on that route for a time.

At this time BOAC undertook to provide Qantas with a wet-charter Comet from 1 November that year to serve points on the route to connect with the Super Constellation flight from Perth to Singapore. Qantas used it to the ports not capable of accepting the Boeing 707s, the passengers on arrival in Singapore being transferred to the Super Constellation for the continuation of the journey to Sydney. The agreement was for the Comets to operate in Qantas markings, with the Qantas logo being taped over the BOAC markings. BOAC supplied crews and the aircraft, although never owned by Qantas, did in fact operate in Qantas markings during that period.

Five Comet 4s G-APDC (c/n 06404), G-APDL (c/n 06413), G-APDM –(c/n 06414), G-APDP (c/n 06417) and G-APDR (c/n 06418) were leased by BOAC to Qantas in 1959 and 1960, all retaining their British registrations. Photographic evidence indicated these Comets were partially in Qantas markings for the period of the lease. It is known the aircraft had ‘Qantas’ on the fuselage and a small flying kangaroo on the tail as had been agreed.

The first Comet to be seen in this region was G-ANLO (c/n 06100), the Comet 3 which arrived in Sydney on 4 December 1955, setting a new speed record by covering the 18,644 km (11,585 miles) in a time of 24 hrs 24 mins, the old record set in 1953 being 44 hrs 28 mins by a Qantas Lockheed Constellation. During this period the Comet visited Canberra, ACT, Melbourne, VIC and Perth, setting a Perth to Sydney commercial aircraft record of 4 hrs 7 mins.