De Havilland Comet - Airliner Tech Vol. 7 [Paperback]

Kev Darling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

The graceful de Havilland Comet was the first aircraft to bring high-speed, jet-powered flight to the world's airline marketplace. Unfortunately, it was also one of the first civilian aircraft to fail in flight from explosive disintegration stemming from a lack of contemporary knowledge about the forces and loads experienced by high-altitude, pressurized, jet transport aircraft. Airliner Tech Volume 7.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kev Darling is the author of two WarbirdTech volumes: "Royal Air Avro Vulcan," and "Griffon-Powered Spitfires."

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press; 1st edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580070361
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070362
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,150,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The straight scoop on the first civilian jet aircraft, December 10, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: De Havilland Comet - Airliner Tech Vol. 7 (Paperback)

Volume 7 in the outstanding Speciality Press series "Airliner Tech", De Havilland Comet contains the straight scoop on the first aircraft to bring high-speed, jet-powered flight to the marketplace and the masses of the world. But the De Havilland Comet was also one of the first civilian aircraft to suffer explosive disintegration during flight, caused by a poor understanding of the devastating forces experienced by a high altitude, pressurized jet aircraft. Though the De Havilland Comet was a civil failure, a better designed version served the Royal Airforce as the "Nimrod," one of the longest-lived military patrol aircraft. De Havilland Comet contains everything the aviation student and the non-specialist general reader would want to know about this fascinating jet, its history, and its legacy to the world of aviation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Look at a Pioneer Airliner, December 1, 2003

By 

Daniel L. Berek (Flanders, NJ, United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: De Havilland Comet - Airliner Tech Vol. 7 (Paperback)

Presented in a single volume are the histories and technical specifications of the De Havilland DH.106 Comet and its offspring, the Nimrod. Starting with an overview of the Brabazon Committee's plans for postwar airliners, Mr. Darling describes the design of the various Comet variants. The author covers the design flaws of the early Comet in very good detail. He describes the Comet 4 in service in England and throughout the world, and covers the RAF military Comets, including the Nimrod. The reference section covers significant dates but covers little else. There is no chart on the individual histories of the commercial airframes or even a section on preserved examples residing in museums, an unfortunate shortcoming.

A center spread contains some nice color pictures of civil and military Comets. However, considering that Dan Air was the largest operator of the Comet, that airline is vastly underrepresented. There are a few shots of the Comet and Nimrod flight decks, but very little in the way of interior shots, which is a pity. In these respects, this book is less detailed than the volume on the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser in the same series.

Overall, Mr. Darling presents a readable and interesting text. If, like me, you want to learn about this pioneer jetliner, this book is bound to please.

5.0 out of 5 stars Such an interesting design!, January 9, 2007

By 

R. D. Boers (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: De Havilland Comet - Airliner Tech Vol. 7 (Paperback)

Airliner Tech series is always a joy, especially if you have a technical inclination. Even I as an aeronautical engineer enjoy these books, including the one on the DeHavilland Comet.