De Havilland Comet (Crowood Aviation) [Hardcover]

Kev Darling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2005 | Series: Crowood Aviation

The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the world's first pure-jet airliner. Powered by four de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines and accommodating its passengers in a pressurized cabin, the Comet offered new levels of speed, comfort and smoothness to the air traveler when it entered service with BOAC in 1952.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: The Crowood Press (October 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861267339
• ISBN-13: 978-1861267337
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy & Space Science > Comets, Meteors & Asteroids

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Comet - blazing a trail for commercial aviation, December 1, 2011

By 

J. boyle (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: De Havilland Comet (Crowood Aviation) (Hardcover)

If you're reading this review, you probably already know the tale of the Comet, the first commercial jetliner in service.
It was a brave attempt for England to dominate post-war commercial aircraft building, when the American commecial giants, (Lockheed and Douglas and a leeser extent, Boeing) were still building piston aircraft for long-distance travel.
But in the words of another author, "Never has innovation been so poorly rewarded". Two crashes, caused by a design flaw that should not have occurred, squandered the lead the Comet had over itsAmerican rivals and it's fair to say the UK aviation has never recovered.

This book traces the origins, design, manufacture and use of the jet. It even goes into detail about its long-lived military variant, the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.

I can't think of any facets of the aircraft this book doesn't address.
If you're a student of commercial aviation history, this book is for you.