10/6!

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
06/10/2015 at 18:01 • Filed to: De Havilland, Comet, Planelopnik

So, what do we have for today? A little Peugeot? Been there on the 1st. A DAF XF106? Boring.

Have the De Havilland DH 106, aka the Comet, Britain’s Great White Hope for success in the jet airliner market, which entered service in 1952.

Crashes in 1953 and 1954 went on to teach the aircraft industry a great deal about metal fatigue (structural failures were caused by stresses around the corners of the square windows and from the punched rather than drilled holes used to install pop rivets) but did nothing for the plane’s commercial success which was also hindered by its small size, short range and lack of cost effectiveness. It was grounded until 1958 by which its time was done and sales were few. Despite that it continued in service until 1997 and was developed into the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft which flew until 2011.

Both Boeing and Douglas admitted that had the Comet not flown and crashed their own planes would have had the same problems.

Have a Dan Air Comet. At one time Dan Air (later bought by BA) were flying all the remaining civil Comets.

DISCUSSION (3)

Brian, The Life of > Cé hé sin
06/10/2015 at 18:22

Wasn’t there an issue with the Comet’s (so sexy) wing-integrated engine nacelles as well? I seem to remember a story of those developing stress cracks as well.

Cé hé sin > Brian, The Life of
06/10/2015 at 18:28

Boeing thought the engine-in-wing design was more susceptible to damage in the event of an engine fire, but other makers went on to use the idea.

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin
06/10/2015 at 18:38

I had to do a little digging, since that 1997 date seemed a bit strange. It seems that Dan Air made the last commercial Comet flight in 1980 (I had no idea it was still carrying passengers that late). The 1997 date comes from a flight operated for the Ministry of Technology to test avionics, radio and radar for use on the Nimrod.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forum…