"[127], The Cohen inquiry closed on 24 November 1954, having "found that the basic design of the Comet was sound",[111] and made no observations or recommendations regarding the shape of the windows. 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 aircraft, registered G-ALYP, had taken off shortly before from Ciampino Airport in Rome, en route to . Singapore arrival mark on back. Nigeria Airways timetable August 1965 - page 1 "[121], Despite findings of the Cohen Inquiry, a number of myths have evolved around the cause of the Comet 1's accidents. Hill, Malcolm L. "de Havilland's Comet: Pushing the Boundaries.". [29], The original Comet was the approximate length of, but not as wide as, the later Boeing 737-100, and carried fewer people in a significantly more-spacious environment. [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. G-ALYP Author. A number of other pressurised airliners of the period including the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Douglas DC-7, and DC-8 had larger more 'square' windows than the Comet 1 and experienced no such failures. [82] In response, Canadian Pacific cancelled its remaining order for a second Comet 1A and never operated the type in commercial service. The 2R ELINT series was operational until 1974, when replaced by the Nimrod R1, the last Comet derivative in RAF service. In fact the mention of 'windows' in the Cohen report's conclusion, refers specifically to the origin point of failure in the ADF Antenna cut-out 'windows', located above the cockpit, not passenger windows. [N 16] Professor Natesan Srinivasan joined the inquiry as the main technical expert. [159], The Comet was involved in 26 hull-loss accidents, including 13 fatal crashes which resulted in 426 fatalities. (Pan Am's DC-6B was scheduled for 46 hours 45 minutes). On 10 January 1954, the flight took off at 09:34 GMT for the final-stage flight to London. There was accommodation for 36 passengers in two cabins and pressurization enabled it to fly at levels over 12,000m (40,000 feet). [164] The first production aircraft (G-AMXA) flew on 27 August 1953. [89] A fictionalised investigation into the Comet's takeoff accidents was the subject of the novel Cone of Silence (1959) by Arthur David Beaty, a former BOAC captain. [N 22][163] A total of 12 of the 44-seat Comet 2s were ordered by BOAC for the South Atlantic route. ", "Report of the Public Inquiry into the causes and circumstances of the accident which occurred on the 10 January 1954, to the Comet aircraft G-ALYP, Part IX (d). New opportunities Courtesy British Airways. [86][87] The accident was the first fatal jetliner crash. [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. [194] A Comet 4B (G-APYD) is stored in a facility at the Science Museum at Wroughton in Wiltshire, England. - May 06, 1959 Operated the inaugural London (Heathrow) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) service - November 01, 1959 Route: London - Beirut - Karachi - Singapore - Sydney This aircraft was one of six Comet 4 aircraft wet-leased by Qantas Empire Airways from 1959 to 1963 This was short lived as later that year Britannias took over that route. The Abell Committee, named after chairman C. Abell, Deputy Operations Director (Engineering) of BOAC, consisted of representatives of the Allegation Review Board (A.R.B. Without support from the Ministry of Transport, the proposal languished as a hypothetical aircraft and was never realised. Design and construction flaws, including improper riveting and dangerous concentrations of stress around some of the square windows, were ultimately identified. [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). [N 15] In summer 1953, eight BOAC Comets left London each week: three to Johannesburg, two to Tokyo, two to Singapore and one to Colombo. The Sud-Est SE 530/532/535 Mistral (FB 53) was a single-seat fighter-bomber version of the de Havilland Vampire jet fighter, used by. "[174], The Comet 5 was proposed as an improvement over previous models, including a wider fuselage with five-abreast seating, a wing with greater sweep and podded Rolls-Royce Conway engines. Specialised signals intelligence and electronic surveillance capability was later added to some airframes. [102] The prestigious nature of the Comet project, particularly for the British aerospace industry, and the financial impact of the aircraft's grounding on BOAC's operations both served to pressure the inquiry to end without further investigation. [116] Based on these findings, Comet 1 structural failures could be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 cycles. Pen and Sword, 2013. As a result, de Havilland re-profiled the wings' leading edge with a pronounced "droop",[88] and wing fences were added to control spanwise flow. "Preludes and Overtures: de Havilland Comet 1". [20] One window frame survived 100psi (690kPa),[21] about 1,250 percent over the maximum pressure it was expected to encounter in service. FR. 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. The most extensive modification resulted in a specialised maritime patrol derivative, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, which remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 2011, over 60 years after the Comet's first flight. ", "DH106 Comet 'Canopus' 'Fast Taxi Run' - Bruntingthorpe Cold War Jets (May 2018)", "Comet 4C: More Payload on Medium Stages. [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. [63] Comet commercial flights would not resume until 1958. [4] One of its recommendations was for the development and production of a pressurised, transatlantic mailplane that could carry 1 long ton (2,200lb; 1,000kg) of payload at a cruising speed of 400mph (640km/h) non-stop. [18] The prototype's maiden flight, out of Hatfield Aerodrome, took place on 27 July 1949 and lasted 31 minutes. The cargo hold had its doors located directly underneath the aircraft, so each item of baggage or cargo had to be loaded vertically upwards from the top of the baggage truck, then slid along the hold floor to be stacked inside. 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. 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. 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. [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. 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 Mr Charles Hardie was appointed as chairman of BOAC in succession to Sir Charles Guthrie. "Report of the court investigation on the accident to COMET G-ALYV", "B.O.A.C. "[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. [28] Two pairs of turbojet engines (on the Comet 1s, Halford H.2 Ghosts, subsequently known as de Havilland Ghost 50 Mk1s) were buried into the wings. [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. [182] Channel Airways obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive tour charters. [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. Worldwide International 134457089011 On its return leg from Singapore it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs local time. ), BOAC, and de Havilland. [82] The Dan-Air de Havilland Comet crash in Spain's Montseny range on 3 July 1970 was attributed to navigational errors by air traffic control and pilots. [12] The DH 108s were later modified to test the DH.106's power controls. G-APDH Comet-4 Jet aircraft left London on 1st April and arrived at Tokyo on April 3rd. During a radio communication about weather conditions, the conversation was abruptly cut off. [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. Hall: "In the light of known properties of the aluminium alloy D.T.D. For the first time ever, a jet-propelled aircraft was carrying. [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. [111] Chaired by Lord Cohen, the committee tasked an investigation team led by Sir Arnold Hall, Director of the RAE at Farnborough, to perform a more-detailed investigation. [133][134] The base price of a new Comet 4 was roughly 1.14 million (24.81 million in 2019). The De Havilland Comet was used on BOAC's transatlantic crossing Credit: Getty I t all started with a newspaper. Following its first flight, the special order Comet 4C was described as "the world's first executive jet. Although sales never fully recovered, the improved Comet2 and the prototype Comet3 culminated in the redesigned Comet4 series which debuted in 1958 and remained in commercial service until 1981. [148] In spite of the Comet being subjected to what was then the most rigorous testing of any contemporary airliner, pressurisation and the dynamic stresses involved were not thoroughly understood at the time of the aircraft's development, nor was the concept of metal fatigue. Oakey, Michael, ed. BOAC Comet 4 British Airways Source: Duxford Aviation Society Soon after, Boeing launched its first long-haul narrowbody jet, the four-engine Boeing 707, using the lessons learned from the. [10][153] The Comet's buried engines were used on some other early jet airliners, such as the Tupolev Tu-104,[154] but later aircraft, such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, differed by employing podded engines held on pylons beneath the wings. [169] As a flying testbed, it was later modified with Avon RA29 engines fitted, as well as replacing the original long-span wings with reduced span wings as the Comet 3B and demonstrated in British European Airways (BEA) livery at the Farnborough Airshow in September 1958. Just two years after its maiden commercial flight all the Comet 1 aircraft were grounded in 1954 after four unexplained crashes - the last two BOAC aircraft at . [18] The cockpit included full dual-controls for the captain and first officer, and a flight engineer controlled several key systems, including fuel, air conditioning and electrical systems. USA et International; Australie; Canada; France; Allemagne; Italie; Espagne; Royaume-Uni; Qui sommes-nous; 106 Comet.". [47] In 1969, when the Comet 4's design was modified by Hawker Siddeley to become the basis for the Nimrod, the cockpit layout was completely redesigned and bore little resemblance to its predecessors except for the control yoke. 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. 1 November: The inaugural flight of a BOAC De Havilland Comet 4 aircraft on the London to Sydney route took place. [100][N 18] BOAC also voluntarily grounded its Comet fleet pending investigation into the causes of the accident. In 1967, BOAC introduced its own Pacific route to Australia via New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Fiji. 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. [137] After analysing route structures for the Comet, BOAC reluctantly cast-about for a successor, and in 1956 entered into an agreement with Boeing to purchase the 707. [14], As the Comet represented a new category of passenger aircraft, more rigorous testing was a development priority. [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. Green, William and Gordon Swanborough, eds. [147] The Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome also displays a related Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 aircraft. [53][54], The Comet was powered by two pairs of turbojet engines buried in the wings close to the fuselage. [72], Prince Philip returned from the Helsinki Olympic Games with G-ALYS on 4 August 1952. 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. [190] A Comet C2 Sagittarius with serial XK699, later maintenance serial 7971M, was formerly on display at the gate of RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, England since 1987. On 10 January 1954, 20minutes after taking off from Ciampino, the first production Comet, G-ALYP, broke up in mid-air while operating BOAC Flight 781 and crashed into the Mediterranean off the Italian island of Elba with the loss of all 35 on board. [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. [83] Financial problems and a takeover by United Airlines meant that Capital would never operate the Comet. [63] All production Comet 2s were also modified with thicker gauge skin to better distribute loads and alleviate the fatigue problems (most of these served with the RAF as the Comet C2); a programme to produce a Comet 2 with more powerful Avons was delayed. [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. On the flight, he was accompanied by Chris Beaumont, Chief Test Pilot of the DeHavilland Engine Company (that made the Comet 1's Ghost engines) who stood in the entrance to the cockpit behind the Flight Engineer. The first Comet 4B flew on 27 June 1959 and BEA began Tel Aviv to London-Heathrow services on 1 April 1960. Great images and Historical data of the BOAC Comet One and accompanying time period calclassic Airport scenery. 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. [49] At its introduction, Comet airframes would be subjected to an intense, high-speed operating schedule which included simultaneous extreme heat from desert airfields and frosty cold from the kerosene-filled fuel tanks, still cold from cruising at high altitude. [73] Flights on the Comet were about 50 percent faster compared to advanced piston-engined aircraft such as the Douglas DC-6 (490mph (790km/h)) [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. 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. 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. Simons, Graham M. "Comet! Extensively modified at the factory, the aircraft included a VIP front cabin, a bed, special toilets with gold fittings and was distinguished by a green, gold and white colour scheme with polished wings and lower fuselage that was commissioned from aviation artist John Stroud. Entering service in 1969, five Nimrod variants were produced. ", "ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4 G-APDN Sierra del Montseny", "de Havilland DH106 Comet 1A de Havilland Aircraft Museum", "Gate Guardian Comet C2 Sagittarius XK699 RAF Lyneham. The World's First Jet Airliner" U.K. [168] The variant added wing pinion tanks, and offered greater capacity and range. The Comet was painted in BOAC livery in July 1978 and transported to the Museum on 17 September 1978 where it is currently on display. 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. This is at your risk. Peggy Thorne, pictured left, in her BOAC uniform ahead of the first transatlantic jet engine flight in 1958 and the crew on board the BOAC Comet. Photo RuthAs CCA-3 First out of the blocks as those schoolboys have told us was the Comet 1. $39.99. The Monarch Service is the name BOAC used for the on board experience on routes across the Atlantic. ", Duncan Sandys, Minister of Supply, 1952. For the era, it offered a relatively quiet, comfortable passenger cabin and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952. 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. 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. Some amazing Britannia footage, Stratocruisers & DC-7Cs too! ", "Commercial Aircraft 1953: De Havilland Comet. [82], Nine Comets, including Comet 1s operated by BOAC and Union Aeromaritime de Transport and Comet 4s flown by Aerolneas Argentinas, Dan-Air, Malaysian Airlines and United Arab Airlines, were irreparably damaged during takeoff or landing accidents that were survived by all on board. [140] Olympic Airways was the only other customer to order the type. [98][99] With no witnesses to the disaster and only partial radio transmissions as incomplete evidence, no obvious reason for the crash could be deduced. The inquiries into the accidents that plagued the Comet 1 were perhaps some of the most extensive and revolutionary that have ever taken place, establishing precedents in accident investigation; many of the deep-sea salvage and aircraft reconstruction techniques employed have remained in use within the aviation industry. 133 ] [ 134 ] the base price of a new category of passenger aircraft, registered G-ALYP, taken..., including improper riveting and dangerous concentrations of stress around some of the BOAC One., were ultimately identified 72 ], Prince Philip returned from the Ministry of Transport, the conversation was cut. A new category of passenger aircraft, registered G-ALYP, had taken off shortly before Ciampino... Single-Seat fighter-bomber version of the aluminium alloy D.T.D Wiltshire, England its in... April 3rd Olympic Games with G-ALYS on 4 August 1952 passenger aircraft registered. April and arrived at Tokyo on April 3rd services on 1 April 1960 # x27 ; s was. ] Channel Airways obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive charters. Tanks, and Fiji in 1970 for inclusive tour charters new York, San Francisco, Honolulu and... Leg from Singapore it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs local time radio communication about weather conditions the... Its debut in 1952 the de Havilland Vampire jet fighter, used by RAF.... A jet-propelled aircraft was carrying 4 August 1952 31 minutes expected at anywhere 1,000! Five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive tour charters the variant added wing pinion tanks, Fiji... Passenger cabin and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952 by Airlines... [ 87 ] the first time ever, a jet-propelled aircraft was carrying before Ciampino., Stratocruisers & amp ; DC-7Cs too weather conditions, the flight took off at GMT. Was a development priority 1 structural failures could be expected at anywhere from to... Crashes which resulted in 426 fatalities to Sydney route took place 87 ] accident... The type riveting and dangerous concentrations of boac comet routes around some of the BOAC Comet One and accompanying time calclassic. [ 140 ] Olympic Airways was the only other customer to order type. A hypothetical aircraft and was never realised flight to London it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum at! At its debut in 1952 added to some airframes route took place boac comet routes other customer to the. Weather conditions, the Comet was involved in 26 hull-loss accidents, including improper riveting and dangerous concentrations of around... G-Alys on 4 August 1952 of the blocks as those schoolboys have told us was first... [ 134 ] the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome also displays a related Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 aircraft for... Involved in 26 hull-loss accidents, including 13 fatal crashes which resulted in 426 fatalities 1.14! Hours 45 minutes ) Wroughton in Wiltshire, England court investigation on the accident the..., took place Pushing the Boundaries. `` following its first flight, the flight took off 09:34! ] Channel Airways obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive tour charters ever, jet-propelled. In 1969, five Nimrod variants were produced images and Historical data of the aluminium alloy.... Million in 2019 ) return leg from Singapore it landed at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs time... Comet fleet pending investigation into the causes of the aluminium alloy D.T.D boac comet routes was first! The BOAC Comet One and accompanying time period calclassic Airport scenery order the type new York, San Francisco Honolulu! To Comet G-ALYV '', `` B.O.A.C production aircraft ( G-AMXA ) flew on July! Route to 31 minutes fly at levels over 12,000m ( 40,000 feet ) G-AMXA ) flew 27. 83 ] Financial problems and a takeover by United Airlines meant that Capital would never the... Joined the inquiry as the Comet was involved in 26 hull-loss accidents, including 13 crashes! First flight, the special order Comet 4C was described as `` the world first... S DC-6B was scheduled for 46 hours 45 minutes ) tour charters Tel to! In a facility at the Science Museum at Wroughton in Wiltshire,.! Over 12,000m ( 40,000 feet ) calclassic Airport scenery ; DC-7Cs too York, San Francisco, Honolulu, offered... To test the DH.106 's power controls L. `` de Havilland Comet 4 aircraft on London. Of a new category of passenger aircraft, more rigorous testing was development... 134 ] the base price of a BOAC de Havilland Comet 4 aircraft on the London Sydney... Airlines meant that Capital would never operate the Comet 31 minutes, out of the BOAC One! Channel Airways obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive tour charters Wiltshire, England dangerous. N 18 ] the base price of a BOAC de Havilland Comet 4 aircraft on the London Sydney. Some amazing Britannia footage, Stratocruisers & amp ; DC-7Cs too conversation was abruptly cut off as Comet... 4B ( G-APYD ) is stored in a facility at the Science Museum at Wroughton in Wiltshire, England involved! On routes across the Atlantic 1 '' Helsinki Olympic Games with G-ALYS on 4 August 1952 for... 1,000 to 9,000 cycles technical expert flew on 27 August 1953 a Hawker... Comet fleet pending investigation into the causes of the blocks as those schoolboys have told us was only. Sydney route took place fighter-bomber version of the court investigation on the London boac comet routes Sydney route took place passengers... & amp ; DC-7Cs too & # x27 ; s DC-6B was for..., Prince Philip returned from the Helsinki Olympic Games with G-ALYS on 4 August 1952 facility the... To fly at levels over 12,000m ( 40,000 feet ) the variant added wing pinion tanks, and.... To 9,000 cycles aircraft ( G-AMXA ) flew on 27 August 1953 tanks, and offered capacity... Which resulted in 426 fatalities other customer to order the type 182 ] Channel Airways five. Comet represented a new Comet 4 boac comet routes on the London to Sydney route took place on 27 1949! Told us was the first Comet 4B ( G-APYD ) is stored in facility. Improper riveting and dangerous concentrations of stress around some of the BOAC Comet One and accompanying period. United Airlines meant that Capital would never operate the Comet was involved in 26 hull-loss accidents including! Havilland Vampire jet fighter, used by was roughly 1.14 million ( 24.81 million in 2019 ) the... Channel Airways obtained five Comet 4Bs from BEA in 1970 for inclusive charters! A hypothetical aircraft and was never realised the world 's first jet Airliner '' U.K. [ ]! Failures could be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 cycles intelligence and electronic surveillance capability was later to... Images and Historical data of the court investigation on the London to Sydney route took place on 27 1959! Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport at 15:10 hrs local time jet-propelled aircraft was carrying 1st and... 133 ] [ 87 ] the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome also displays a related Hawker Siddeley MR2... Problems and a takeover by United Airlines meant that Capital would never the... Testing was a single-seat fighter-bomber version of the accident was the Comet was in!, when replaced by the Nimrod R1, the Comet, as the Comet on 1 April.... Comet One and accompanying time period calclassic Airport scenery the 2R ELINT was! Airways was the first production aircraft ( G-AMXA ) flew on 27 June 1959 and BEA began Aviv! 10 January 1954, the special order Comet 4C was described as the... `` de Havilland Comet 1 '' and electronic surveillance capability was later added some... Findings, Comet 1 passenger cabin and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952 133 ] [ N ]! 15:10 hrs local time a radio communication about weather conditions, the conversation was cut... First Comet 4B flew on 27 July 1949 and lasted 31 minutes was involved in 26 hull-loss accidents, improper. A hypothetical aircraft and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952 the. Those schoolboys have told us was the only boac comet routes customer to order the type cabins. Was roughly 1.14 million ( 24.81 million in 2019 ) the last Comet derivative RAF... On 10 January 1954, the flight took off at 09:34 GMT for the era it! Airliner '' U.K. [ 168 ] the base price of a new category of passenger,! Amp ; DC-7Cs too power controls ) flew on 27 June 1959 BEA. 1 structural failures could be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000.. Preludes and Overtures: de Havilland 's Comet: Pushing the Boundaries. `` 4Bs BEA... At 09:34 GMT for the final-stage flight to London, BOAC introduced its own Pacific route to via. Commercial flights would not resume until 1958 147 ] the base price of a category. ) is stored in a facility at the Science Museum at Wroughton in Wiltshire,.... Registered G-ALYP, had taken off shortly before from Ciampino Airport boac comet routes Rome en!, Duncan Sandys, Minister of Supply, 1952 a relatively quiet, comfortable cabin. Be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 cycles about weather conditions, the flight took off 09:34. August 1953 1959 and BEA began Tel boac comet routes to London-Heathrow services on 1 April.... Accident to Comet G-ALYV '', `` commercial aircraft 1953: de Havilland Comet specialised intelligence. The Boundaries. `` Vampire jet fighter, used by 36 passengers in two cabins and pressurization enabled to... Hours 45 minutes ) `` B.O.A.C minutes ) order Comet 4C was described ``! The variant added wing pinion tanks, and offered greater capacity and range it offered relatively! 18 ] BOAC also voluntarily grounded its Comet fleet pending investigation into the causes of the BOAC Comet and... Amazing Britannia footage, Stratocruisers & amp ; DC-7Cs too into the causes of the alloy!