De Havilland Comet facts for kids

Gatwick Airport, 1970a geograph-3212288-by-Ben-Brooksbank

The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was a groundbreaking airplane. It was the world's first commercial jetliner to be built and used by airlines. Made by the British company de Havilland, the Comet first flew on July 27, 1949. It had a sleek, smooth design with four powerful de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines hidden inside its wings. It also had a special pressurised cabin, which meant passengers could fly comfortably at high altitudes. The Comet quickly became popular when it started flying in 1952.

The First Jetliner

The original Comet was about the same length as a modern Boeing 737-100. However, it carried fewer people, offering a more spacious and quiet ride. This was a big improvement for air travel at the time. Important people like Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret flew on the Comet.

Faster Travel Times

The Comet made flights much faster than older propeller planes. For example, in 1953, a flight from London to Tokyo took only 36 hours with the Comet, including nine stops. Other aircraft took more than 86 hours for the same journey! A special Comet was even made for the King of Saudi Arabia, showing how luxurious and advanced it was. This plane was called "the world's first executive jet."

Challenges and Redesign

Despite its early success, the Comet faced serious problems in 1954. Three of the planes broke apart in mid-air, leading to tragic fatal crashes. On January 10, 1954, the first Comet ever built crashed into the Mediterranean, and everyone on board was lost. Another Comet crashed in the Mediterranean near Naples on April 8, 1954.

Learning from Accidents

After these accidents, all Comets were taken out of service. Experts carefully studied the crashes to discover what went wrong. They found Design flaws, especially dangerous stresses around the corners of the plane's square windows. This was a major discovery in aircraft safety.

Newer Models and Competition

Because of these findings, the Comet was redesigned. Newer models, like the Comet 2, 3, and finally the Comet 4 (released in 1958), were built with stronger designs and round windows. However, by this time, other aircraft companies had also developed their own jetliners. The American-made Boeing 707 (1957) and Douglas DC-8 (1960) were larger, faster, and could fly further than the Comet. They were also more cost-effective for airlines.

In 1960, the company that made the Comet, de Havilland, became part of Hawker Siddeley. Aviation experts later said that the Comet had pushed airplane technology "beyond its limits." Today, the only complete original Comet 1 is on display at the RAF Museum Cosford in the UK.

Images for kids

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  Design studies for the DH.106 Comet 1944–1947 (artist's impression)

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  Comet 1 prototype (with square windows) at Hatfield Aerodrome in October 1949

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  Dan-Air Comet 4C cabin at the National Museum of Flight

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  The flight deck of a Comet 4

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  The Comet 4 navigator's station

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  A Comet 1's fuselage and de Havilland Ghost engine intakes

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  The Comet 4's enlarged Rolls-Royce Avon engine intakes

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  BOAC Comet 1 at Entebbe Airport, Uganda in 1952

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  BOAC Comet 1 G-ALYX (Yoke X-Ray) at London Heathrow Airport in 1953 prior to a scheduled flight

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  Fuselage fragment of G-ALYP at the Science Museum in London

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  BOAC Comet 1 cocooned and stored in the maintenance area at London Heathrow Airport in September 1954

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  Malaysia-Singapore Airlines Comet 4 at Kai Tak Airport in 1966

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  United Arab Airlines Comet 4C at Geneva Airport in 1968

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  Comet 4 of East African Airways at London Heathrow in 1964

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  Comet 4C Canopus on display at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, England

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  Dan-Air Comet 4C, G-BDIW exhibited at the Flugausstellung Hermeskeil in Germany

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  Union Aéromaritime de Transport Comet 1A at Le Bourget Airport in 1952

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  Comet C2, XK671 Aquila at RAF Waterbeach, fitted with revised round windows

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  Comet 3 G-ANLO in BOAC markings at Farnborough Airshow in September 1954

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  British European Airways Comet 4B at Berlin Tempelhof Airport in October 1968

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  Dan-Air Comet 4s and BAC One-Elevens at London Gatwick Airport in 1976

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  Comet 4 G-APDN crashed in the Spanish Montseny range in July 1970 during a Dan-Air flight.

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  Comet 1 G-APAS at the RAF Museum Cosford in Shropshire

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  Comet 4 G-APDB outdoors at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire; this aircraft was later painted in BOAC's livery and placed inside the museum's AirSpace hall.

See also

In Spanish: De Havilland Comet para niños