A countersunk bolt hole and manufacturing damage that had been repaired at the time of construction using methods that were common, but were likely insufficient allowing for the stresses involved, were both located along the failure crack. Within a year of entering airline service, problems started to emerge, three Comets being lost within twelve months in highly publicised accidents, after suffering catastrophic in-flight break-ups. Just before the 747s came along and bumped the 707s onto other services. [5] Aviation company de Havilland was interested in this requirement, but chose to challenge the then widely held view that jet engines were too fuel-hungry and unreliable for such a role. Though these lessons could be implemented on the drawing board for future aircraft, corrections could only be retroactively applied to the Comet. [15] Replacing previously specified Halford H.1 Goblin engines, four new, more-powerful Rolls-Royce Avons were to be incorporated in pairs buried in the wing roots; Halford H.2 Ghost engines were eventually applied as an interim solution while the Avons cleared certification. The aircraft plunged into a dry drainage canal and collided with an embankment, killing all five crew and six passengers on board. [56], Placing the engines within the wings had the advantage of a reduction in the risk of foreign object damage, which could seriously damage jet engines. Without support from the Ministry of Transport, the proposal languished as a hypothetical aircraft and was never realised. FOR SALE! [85], On 26 October 1952, the Comet suffered its first hull loss when a BOAC flight departing Rome's Ciampino airport failed to become airborne and ran into rough ground at the end of the runway. The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner. [69] [70] [71] The final Comet from BOAC's initial order, registered G-ALYZ, began flying in September 1952 and carried cargo along South American routes while simulating passenger schedules. [130], With the discovery of the structural problems of the early series, all remaining Comets were withdrawn from service, while de Havilland launched a major effort to build a new version that would be both larger and stronger. All airline customers for the Comet 3 subsequently cancelled their orders and switched to the Comet 4,[63] which was based on the Comet 3 but with improved fuel capacity. [141] The last Comet 4 variant, the Comet 4C, first flew on 31 October 1959 and entered service with Mexicana in 1960. [57] The Comet's buried-engine configuration increased its structural weight and complexity. G-APDH Comet-4 Jet aircraft left London on 1st April and arrived at Tokyo on April 3rd. Registered 18/09/1951 to de Havilland Aircraft Company. ", "On This Day: Comet inaugurates the jet age.". [82], Both early accidents were originally attributed to pilot error, as over-rotation had led to a loss of lift from the leading edge of the aircraft's wings. [144] In 1960, as part of a government-backed consolidation of the British aerospace industry, de Havilland itself was acquired by Hawker Siddeley, within which it became a wholly owned division. Modifications to the interiors allowed the Comet 2s to be used in several roles. [151][152], Aeronautical-engineering firms were quick to respond to the Comet's commercial advantages and technical flaws alike; other aircraft manufacturers learned from, and profited by, the hard-earned lessons embodied by de Havilland's Comet. Although the 707 was winning most of the major airline orders, BOAC, flying Comet 4s, still managed to achieve the first commercial transatlantic crossing in a jet airliner - twice. [102], Media attention centred on potential sabotage;[88] other speculation ranged from clear-air turbulence to an explosion of vapour in an empty fuel tank. [64][65], The earliest production aircraft, registered G-ALYP ("Yoke Peter"), first flew on 9 January 1951 and was subsequently lent to BOAC for development flying by its Comet Unit. Depending on weight and temperature, cruise fuel consumption was 6 to 10kg (13 to 22lb) per nautical mile (1.2 miles; 1.9 km), the higher figure being at the lower altitude needed at high weight. Crews on this route were given military status due to the operations in military regions. The skin thickness was discovered to be insufficient to distribute the load across the structure, leading to overloading of fuselage frames adjacent to fuselage cut outs. [69] While BOAC gained publicity as the first to provide transatlantic jet service, by the end of the month rival Pan American World Airways was flying the Boeing 707 on the New York-Paris route, with a fuel stop at Gander in both directions,[136] and in 1960 began flying Douglas DC-8's on its transatlantic routes as well. [175][N 24], The last two Comet 4C aircraft produced were modified as prototypes (XV148 & XV147) to meet a British requirement for a maritime patrol aircraft for the Royal Air Force; initially named "Maritime Comet", the design was designated Type HS 801. BOAC Comet 4 Captains Folder Africa routes original 1960s document Comet 4[edit] 304755204133. To achieve optimum efficiency with the new powerplants, the air intakes were enlarged to increase mass air flow. [132] Capital's order included 10 Comet 4As, a variant modified for short-range operations with a stretched fuselage and short wings, lacking the pinion (outboard wing) fuel tanks of the Comet 4. [100][N 18] BOAC also voluntarily grounded its Comet fleet pending investigation into the causes of the accident. The VC10s on these Nigeria Airways timetables mostly referred to BOAC VC10s that were flown with Nigeria Airways stickers. No apparent fault in the aircraft was found,[N 19] and the British government decided against opening a further public inquiry into the accident. On 11 March 1943, the Cabinet of the United Kingdom formed the Brabazon Committee, which was tasked with determining the UK's airliner needs after the conclusion of the Second World War. [189] Though painted in BOAC colours, it never flew for the airline, having been first delivered to Air France and then to the Ministry of Supply after conversion to 1XB standard;[189] this aircraft also served with the RAF as XM823. [24], The prototype was registered G-ALVG just before it was publicly displayed at the 1949 Farnborough Airshow before the start of flight trials. Super VC10 G-ASGE seen in the BOAC/Cunard colours during the period that the airline and shipping line co-operated on UK-USA routes. [149], According to de Havilland's chief test pilot John Cunningham, who had flown the prototype's first flight, representatives from American manufacturers such as Boeing and Douglas privately disclosed that if de Havilland had not experienced the Comet's pressurisation problems first, it would have happened to them. ", "De Havilland Comet 4B airliner, serial no 6438, 1960. "[125] "DeHavilland went to oval windows on the subsequent Marks because it was easier to Redux them in,(use adhesive) - nothing to do with the stress concentration and it's purely to remove rivets." ", Prime Minister Winston Churchill, 1954. The aircraft featured an aerodynamically clean design with four de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines buried in the wing roots, a pressurized cabin, and large square windows. While the report noted that stress around fuselage cut-outs, emergency exits and windows was found to be much higher than expected due to DeHavilland's assumptions and testing methods[122] the passenger windows shape has been commonly misunderstood and cited as a cause of the fuselage failure. [53][54], The Comet was powered by two pairs of turbojet engines buried in the wings close to the fuselage. At about 10:00 GMT, the aircraft suffered an explosive decompression . In 1967, BOAC introduced its own Pacific route to Australia via New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Fiji. [9] Several unorthodox configurations were considered, ranging from canard to tailless designs;[N 4] All were rejected. [124] In fact, the Comet 1's window general shape resembles a slightly larger Boeing 737 window mounted horizontally. The Ministry of Supply was interested in the most radical of the proposed designs, and ordered two experimental tailless DH 108s[N 5] to serve as proof of concept aircraft for testing swept-wing configurations in both low-speed and high-speed flight. Before the Elba accident, G-ALYP had made 1,290 pressurised flights, while G-ALYY had made 900 pressurised flights before crashing. [170] Assigned in 1961 to the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) at RAE Bedford, the final testbed role played by GANLO was in automatic landing system experiments. [116] Based on these findings, Comet 1 structural failures could be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 cycles. [191][192] In 2012, with the planned closure of RAF Lyneham, the aircraft was slated to be dismantled and shipped to the RAF Museum Cosford where it was to be re-assembled for display. The trip took 33 hours. The Comet gave BOAC four years lead in modern jet airliners over the rest of the world. [8] First-phase development of the DH.106 focused on short- and intermediate-range mailplanes with small passenger compartments and as few as six seats, before being redefined as a long-range airliner with a capacity of 24 seats. [69][70][71] The final Comet from BOAC's initial order, registered G-ALYZ, began flying in September 1952 and carried cargo along South American routes while simulating passenger schedules. (Cohen Inquiry accident report Fig 7). Jones, Barry. [43] A pressurised refuelling system, developed by Flight Refuelling Ltd, allowed the Comet's fuel tanks to be refuelled at a far greater rate than by other methods. 2 December: The inaugural flight of a BOAC Comet 4 aircraft on the London to Johannesburg route took place. ARD ARD2012 BOAC De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4 G-APDT Diecast 1/200 Model Airplane. [105] The first pieces of wreckage were discovered on 12 February 1954[106] and the search continued until September 1954, by which time 70 percent by weight of the main structure, 80 percent of the power section, and 50 percent of the aircraft's systems and equipment had been recovered. [1], The Comet is widely regarded as both an adventurous step forward and a supreme tragedy; the aircraft's legacy includes advances in aircraft design and in accident investigations. Following closely the design features of the two prototypes, the only noticeable change was the adoption of four-wheel bogie main undercarriage units, replacing the single main wheels. BOAC DE HAVILLAND Comet 4 Radio Maintenance Schedule - Original And Rare - $73.31. [41] The undercarriage could also be lowered by a combination of gravity and a hand-pump. 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