On October 4th, 1958, a British Overseas Aircraft Corporation ( BOAC) de Havilland DH.106 Comet conducted the first-ever regularly scheduled commercial jetliner transatlantic crossing. [109], On 8 April 1954, Comet G-ALYY ("Yoke Yoke"), on charter to South African Airways, was on a leg from Rome to Cairo (of a longer route, SA Flight 201 from London to Johannesburg), when it crashed in the Mediterranean near Naples with the loss of all 21 passengers and crew on board. The de Havilland Comet 4 aircraft reduced the flight time between London and New York to seven hours - significantly less than the 18-20 hours it took on the Boeing Stratocruiser On its return leg from Singapore it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs local time. The other Comet 3 airframe was not completed to production standard and was used primarily for ground-based structural and technology testing during development of the similarly sized Comet 4. The committee concluded that fire was the most likely cause of the problem, and changes were made to the aircraft to protect the engines and wings from damage that might lead to another fire. [5] Out of all the Brabazon designs, the DH.106 was seen as the riskiest: both in terms of introducing untried design elements and for the financial commitment involved. Dr P. B. Walker, Head of the Structures Department at the RAE, said he was not surprised by this, noting that the difference was about three to one, and previous experience with metal fatigue suggested a total range of nine to one between experiment and outcome in the field could result in failure. [103], "The cost of solving the Comet mystery must be reckoned neither in money nor in manpower. BOAC's trans-Atlantic COMET 4 services .. on the London/New York/London route (only) were relatively short-lived .. being replaced by B707-420's in competition with PAN AM B707-320's on this most prestigeous of airline routes and from around 1961. The span was 115ft (35m), and overall length 93ft (28m); the maximum takeoff weight was over 105,000lb (48,000kg) and over 40 passengers could be carried. [12] The DH 108s were later modified to test the DH.106's power controls. BOAC Flight 781 was a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) passenger flight from Singapore to London. 192 Squadron RAF Comet 2R beyond repair on 13 September 1957, and three Middle East Airlines Comet 4Cs were destroyed by Israeli troops at Beirut, Lebanon, on 28 December 1968. On the 10 th December R. Clear commanded test flights from Hatfield. G-ALYP a/f 6003. On 10 January 1954, British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 781 a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 registered G-ALYP, took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England, on the final leg of its flight from Singapore. ", "De Havilland Comet 4C G-BDIX Interior View Scottish Museum of Flight. [123] The shape of the passenger windows were not indicated in any failure mode detailed in the accident report and were not viewed as a contributing factor. Explore our past: 1969. [40], The Comet had a total of four hydraulic systems: two primaries, one secondary, and a final emergency system for basic functions such as lowering the undercarriage. ", GB-High Wycombe: "Dismantlement and relocation of Gate Guardian Comet C2 XK699. [74], In their first year, Comets carried 30,000 passengers. Proctor, Jon, Mike Machat and Craig Kodera. "World Beater: Homage to the DH. No apparent fault in the aircraft was found,[N 19] and the British government decided against opening a further public inquiry into the accident. Green and Swanborough April 1977, p. 174. The design had progressed significantly from the original Comet 1, growing by 18ft 6in (5.64m) and typically seating 74 to 81 passengers compared to the Comet 1's 36 to 44 (119 passengers could be accommodated in a special charter seating package in the later 4C series). [4], The committee accepted the proposal, calling it the "Type IV" (of five designs),[N 3] and in 1945 awarded a development and production contract to de Havilland under the designation Type 106. OK condition, with wear. [22][23] At the controls was de Havilland chief test pilot John "Cats Eyes" Cunningham, a famous night-fighter pilot of the Second World War, along with co-pilot Harold "Tubby" Waters, engineers John Wilson (electrics) and Frank Reynolds (hydraulics), and flight test observer Tony Fairbrother. ", "Behaviour of Skin Fatigue Cracks at the Corners of Windows in a, "The Comet Accidents: History of Events: Sir Lionel Heald's Introductory Summary at the Enquiry", "Comet Resurgent: A decade of D.H. Jet Transport Design", Film of BOAC De Havilland Comet 3 G-ANLO at Vancouver International Airport in December 1955, "The Comet Accidents: History of Events," a 1954, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_Havilland_Comet&oldid=1141173174. [98] The Comet fleet was immediately grounded once again and a large investigation board was formed under the direction of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). #dehavilland #comet #dehavillandcomet #boac #route #londontotokyo #schedule #1953 #todayinhistory #unitedkingdom #uk #japan #flag . BOAC flight crew revelled in standing a pen on end and pointing that out to passengers; invariably, the pen remained upright throughout the entire flight. BOAC's Comet 4s were leased out to Air Ceylon, Air India, AREA Ecuador, Central African Airways[179] and Qantas Empire Airways;[81][180] after 1965 they were sold to AREA Ecuador, Dan-Air, Mexicana, Malaysian Airways, and the Ministry of Defence. Dan-Air played a significant role in the fleet's later history and, at one time, owned all 49 remaining airworthy civil Comets. Specialised signals intelligence and electronic surveillance capability was later added to some airframes. [20] One window frame survived 100psi (690kPa),[21] about 1,250 percent over the maximum pressure it was expected to encounter in service. On 4 October . This was a mere 24 hours after the Port Authority of New York granted approval for passenger jet services following concerns over noise. Design and construction flaws, including improper riveting and dangerous concentrations of stress around some of the square windows, were ultimately identified. [31][60] These were tested on 30 flights, but the Ghosts alone were considered powerful enough and some airlines concluded that rocket motors were impractical. [39] Many of the control surfaces, such as the elevators, were equipped with a complex gearing system as a safeguard against accidentally over-stressing the surfaces or airframe at higher speed ranges. [119], It was also found that the punch-rivet construction technique employed in the Comet's design had exacerbated its structural fatigue problems;[98] the aircraft's windows had been engineered to be glued and riveted, but had been punch-riveted only. [140] Olympic Airways was the only other customer to order the type. They were bound for Idlewild via a stop at Gander, Newfoundland, which would be commonplace on eastbound flights. The failure then occurred longitudinally along a fuselage stringer at the widest point of the fuselage and through a cut out for an escape hatch. [25] Australian airline Qantas also sent its own technical experts to observe the performance of the prototypes, seeking to quell internal uncertainty about its prospective Comet purchase. The airline eventually became British Airways through a merger and continues flying the Boeing 747 between London and several U.S.. BOAC Flight 781 was a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) passenger flight from Singapore to London. Also in that year the Comet route to New York was extended to Nassau and Montego Bay. The low-mounted engines and good placement of service panels also made aircraft maintenance easier to perform. [71] As well as the sales to BOAC, two French airlines, Union Aromaritime de Transport and Air France, each acquired three Comet 1As, an upgraded variant with greater fuel capacity, for flights to West Africa and the Middle East. [140] Deliveries to BOAC began on 30 September 1958 with two 48-seat aircraft, which were used to initiate the first scheduled transatlantic services. G-APDM Comet 4. [62], The Comet 2 had a slightly larger wing, higher fuel capacity and more-powerful Rolls-Royce Avon engines, which all improved the aircraft's range and performance;[161] its fuselage was 3ft 1in (0.94m) longer than the Comet 1's. The court acted under the provisions of Rule 75 of the Indian Aircraft Rules 1937. Just before the 747s came along and bumped the 707s onto other services. One such feature was irreversible, powered flight controls, which increased the pilot's ease of control and the safety of the aircraft by preventing aerodynamic forces from changing the directed positions and placement of the aircraft's control surfaces. vs 315mph (507km/h), respectively), and a faster rate of climb further cut flight times. They ran smoothly and were less noisy than piston engines, had low maintenance costs and were fuel-efficient above 30,000ft (9,100m). On 10 January 1954, a de Havilland Comet passenger jet operating the flight suffered an explosive decompression at altitude and crashed, killing all 35 people on board. "[57], "I don't think it is too much to say that the world changed from the moment the Comet's wheels left the ground. The Abell Committee focused on six potential aerodynamic and mechanical causes: control flutter (which had led to the loss of DH 108 prototypes), structural failure due to high loads or metal fatigue of the wing structure, failure of the powered flight controls, failure of the window panels leading to explosive decompression, or fire and other engine problems. The Feb 1959 OAG shows eight transatlantic Comets a week out of London, plus 10 BOAC Britannias and 11 DC-7Cs. [141] The last Comet 4 variant, the Comet 4C, first flew on 31 October 1959 and entered service with Mexicana in 1960. [27] The Ghost engines allowed the Comet to fly above weather that competitors had to fly through. Hall's team began considering fatigue as the most likely cause of both accidents and initiated further research into measurable strain on the aircraft's skin. BOAC said, "the Comet 4 was largely responsible for the fact that between April 1 st and September 19 th traffic was up by 40% on the North Atlantic compared to the summer period of 1958. BOAC then started flying Short S25 Sunderland III flying boats to West Africa. [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. Nigeria Airways timetable August 1965 - page 1 BOAC's requested capacity increase was known as Specification 22/46. [161] Following the Comet 1 disasters, these models were rebuilt with heavier-gauge skin and rounded windows, and the Avon engines featuring larger air intakes and outward-curving jet tailpipes. [165] Although these aircraft performed well on test flights on the South Atlantic, their range was still not suitable for the North Atlantic. BOAC uses the Comet 4, Qantas the Boeing 707. 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. [90], The Comet's second fatal accident occurred on 2 May 1953, when BOAC Flight 783, a Comet 1, registered G-ALYV, crashed in a severe thundersquall six minutes after taking off from Calcutta-Dum Dum (now Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport), India,[91] killing all 43 on board. [49] The Comet's high cabin pressure and fast operating speeds were unprecedented in commercial aviation, making its fuselage design an experimental process. The number one route was still the famous 'Kangaroo Route', which since 1947 was operated in a profit-sharing partnership with BOAC, but the airline also had routes to Hong Kong, Japan and South Africa plus now BCPA's network too. BCPA had actually ordered three Comet 2s from de Havilland, although the agreement had never been fully finalised. BOAC took delivery of 10 Comets and the first passenger service opened to Johannesburg on 2 May 1952. BOAC COMET 4 Captains Folder Africa routes original 1960s document - EUR 54,29. As well as thorough visual inspections of the outer skin, mandatory structural sampling was routinely conducted by both civil and military Comet operators. "De Havilland DH.106 Comet. [176] The final Nimrod aircraft were retired in June 2011. For the first time ever, a jet-propelled aircraft was carrying. [197], The last Comet to fly, Comet 4C Canopus (XS235),[1] is kept in running condition at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, where fast taxi-runs are regularly conducted. [41] The undercarriage could also be lowered by a combination of gravity and a hand-pump. To this end we propose to use thicker gauge materials in the pressure cabin area and to strengthen and redesign windows and cut outs and so lower the general stress to a level at which local stress concentrations either at rivets and bolt holes or as such may occur by reason of cracks caused accidentally during manufacture or subsequently, will not constitute a danger. Investigators did not consider metal fatigue as a contributory cause. "Comet Service To South America Planned" (News). The aircraft, registered G-ALYP, had taken off shortly before from Ciampino Airport in Rome, en route to . [N 20], The issue of the lightness of Comet 1 construction (in order to not tax the relatively low thrust DeHavilland Ghost engines), had been noted by DeHavilland test pilot John Wilson, while flying the prototype during a Farnborough flypast in 1949. Crashed near Elba 10/1/54. Most commonly quoted are the 'square' passenger windows. During a radio communication about weather conditions, the conversation was abruptly cut off. As the aircraft could be profitable with a load factor as low as 43 percent, commercial success was expected. The sole surviving Comet fuselage with the original square-shaped windows, part of a Comet 1A registered F-BGNX, has undergone restoration and is on display at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum in Hertfordshire, England. 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. The trip took 33 hours. BOAC went on to fly the 707 on its own trans-Atlantic flights. G-ALYR a/f 6004. Green, William and Gordon Swanborough, eds. Its introduction into BOAC service in May 1952, was greeted as the dawning of a new age in passenger travel. [N 8] Revised first orders from BOAC and British South American Airways[N 9] totalled 14 aircraft, with delivery projected for 1952. The event would open up new opportunities for the aviation industry, leaving a legacy over six decades later. [82] American carriers Capital Airlines, National Airlines, and Pan Am placed orders for the planned Comet 3, an even-larger, longer-range version for transatlantic operations. Engineers at de Havilland immediately recommended 60 modifications aimed at any possible design flaw, while the Abell Committee met to determine potential causes of the crash. [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. On Sunday 10 January 1954, British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 781, a de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1, registered G-ALYP, [1] took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England, on the final leg of its flight from Singapore. ", "Commercial Aircraft 1953: De Havilland Comet. [13][18][19] The entire forward fuselage section was tested for metal fatigue by repeatedly pressurising to 2.75 pounds per square inch (19.0kPa) overpressure and depressurising through more than 16,000 cycles, equivalent to about 40,000 hours of airline service. In May 1952 BOAC became the first airline in the world to fly passenger jets with the de Havilland Comet which initially flew via Nairobi to Johannesburg and via the Far East to Tokyo. Menu. BOAC, British Airways' predecessor, operated the first transatlantic jet engine flight on 4 October, 1958, beating arch-rival Pan Am to become the first to do so. Hall, Geoffrey de Havilland and Bishop were immediately called to the scene, where the water tank was drained to reveal that the fuselage had ripped open at a bolt hole, forward of the forward left escape hatch cut out. Photo RuthAs CCA-3 First out of the blocks as those schoolboys have told us was the Comet 1. [173] This variant became the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod and production aircraft were built at the Hawker Siddeley factory at Woodford Aerodrome. Principal investigator Hall accepted the RAE's conclusion of design and construction flaws as the likely explanation for G-ALYU's structural failure after 3,060 pressurisation cycles. FR. ST-AAX Comet 4C. BOAC proudly served during the war. [150] Cunningham likened the Comet to the later Concorde and added that he had assumed that the aircraft would change aviation, which it subsequently did. 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