The De Havilland 106 Comet, a jet-propelled air liner, showing the two starboard jet engines.
(first posted 9/25/2016) The first jetliner in the world wasn’t a Boeing or a McDonnell Douglas. It was a government sponsored project, conceived in war to serve a post-war Empire. […]
(first posted 9/25/2016) The first jetliner in the world wasn’t a Boeing or a McDonnell Douglas. It was a government sponsored project, conceived in war to serve a post-war Empire. […]
(first posted 9/25/2016) The first jetliner in the world wasn’t a Boeing or a McDonnell Douglas. It was a government sponsored project, conceived in war to serve a post-war Empire. […]
(first posted 9/25/2016) The first jetliner in the world wasn’t a Boeing or a McDonnell Douglas. It was a government sponsored project, conceived in war to serve a post-war Empire. […]
The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the first jet airliner. Prototypes first flew in 1949, deliveries of production aircraft began in 1951, and the type entered commercial service in 1952. It was expected to deliver great prestige and prosperity to the postwar British aerospace industry, but the Comet's reputation was badly tarnished by several fatal crashes. About a quarter of the aircraft built were destroyed or written off in accidents. This book by freelance aviation journalist Wolfgang Borgmann provides an account of the type's development and production in the 1940s and then proceeds to describe the technical details and operational histories of all variants, including models 1, 2, 3, and 4. The work features about 250 images, the majority of which are in color.
Shot at RAF Abingdon, September 1980. Photo Copyright: Mick Freer.
Front view, port side of the De Havilland Comet turbojet airliner at Hatfield in Hertfordshire. It is a monoplane powered by 4 'ghost' engines expected to give a cruising speed of 500 mph.
- video link
1934 De Havilland DH.88 Comet
**“A first-rate review of the history of the world's first commercial jetliner, its early difficulties and their rectification” (**Firetrench). The world got a little smaller in July 1949 when the first jet-powered airliner took to the skies barely four years after the end of the Second World War. Not only was the de Havilland Comet 1 was a lot faster than previous airliners, but it could also fly higher and further. It was packed with new technology but, perhaps most importantly for those early passengers, it was a quiet, luxurious, and even pleasant experience, something that could never be said for the noisy piston-engine aircraft that came before. The Comet’s leadership in jet travel for the future was assured until aircraft began crashing. The first ones were put down to pilot error but two disastrous events in 1954 grounded the fleet and Britain’s advantage over the rest of the world was lost. Boeing caught up with its ubiquitous 707 and the Comet was destined to become but a memory. However, rising from the ashes came a new Comet—one that was bigger and more powerful than before and designed for completely different roles. Where the first Comets had provided an expensive and plush way to travel for the rich few, the new Comet 4s carried more passengers to a multitude of destinations inevitably becoming key carriers for the early package holidaymakers. At the same time, they became vital strategic transports for the RAF as the British Empire receded. This book tells the full story of the world’s first jet-powered airliner, from its remarkable beginnings, through its early flight trials programme to its entry into service. The type’s military career is also covered, as is its construction; also included in this volume are details of the numerous variants produced and those still surviving as exhibits today.
A Long And Happening Career For The De Havilland DH-106 Comet 4
(first posted 9/25/2016) The first jetliner in the world wasn’t a Boeing or a McDonnell Douglas. It was a government sponsored project, conceived in war to serve a post-war Empire. […]
RAF-T 359. A De Havilland Comet C.2 aircraft (XK 697) of 51 Squadron RAF in flight.
Explore businesstraveller's 11560 photos on Flickr!
de Havilland DH.88 Comet
