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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1141.PDF
PLIGHT, 25 April 1952 507 To Rome and back in a day—including lunch with the Royal Italian Aero Club. The arrival at Ciampino on March 16th, 1950. HERALDING A NEW ERA . . . trials with G-ALVG, the first prototype, but not until March 16th, 1950, did the aircraft again show its paces on an airline route. The second overseas journey—to Rome and back in a day—established two international records. The Hatfield-Ciampino leg was flown at an average speed of some 447 m.p.h. in just over two hours, and the return flight, also occupying about two hours, was made at 442 m.p.h. Again piloted by Cunningham, the aircraft carried 16 pas sengers—senior officers of the Ministry of Supply, de Havil- land executives, and a few other privileged personalities. Among them was the Editor of Flight, who subsequently wrote : "Truly, it might have been a routine passenger ser vice to and from Ciampino Airport at Rome. . . . Quite soon B.O.A.C. will, it is hoped, be introducing the Comets into passenger service over Middle East routes; possibly this very stage may be flown. Above all else, airlines must be able to offer safe, reliable, and uneventful journeys. The Comet has demonstrated once more that it can fulfil this requirement and offer as well exceptional speed, better-than-average-com- fort, and economy for the operator." Very soon afterwards—on March 21st—G-ALVG made another rapid inter-city journey. This time the destination was Kastrup (Copenhagen) and the passengers were mainly representatives of the national Press. Both outward and return flights were officially timed, and thus two more records were added to the Comet's credit: London- Copenhagen (453.98 m.p.h.) and Copenhagen-London (420.436 m.p.h.). Both flights were made in well under half the time taken by B.E.A. scheduled flights on this route. Within eight months of the first flight, therefore, the Comet had made three outstanding flights abroad during the first 200-odd hours of its initial testing programme. All (Below) Arrival at Farouk Airport, Cairo, on April 24th, 1950, after a 2,182-mile journey at a record 426 m.p.h. expectations of performance had been fully realized and no unforeseen difficulties had been encountered, despite the fact that the prototype was exploring completely new fields of civil aircraft operation. By enabling Government officials, executives of British and overseas airlines and Press repre sentatives to sample for themselves the qualities of Comet travel, de Havilland's ensured a wide appreciation of the potentialities of the Comet among everyone concerned in its operation, including passengers of the future. Events have fully justified this policy. The next stage of the Comet programme involved me measurement of its performance in high temperatures and/or high altitudes. Take-off was from Hatfield on April 24th; the Comet carried a payload equivalent to 34 passengers. The pilot was again John Cunningham, with Peter Bugge as co-pilot, and the passenger-list—made up of D.H. and B.O.A.C. executives and a five-man ground crew—included Sir Geoffrey de Havilland. The 2,200-mile flight to Cairo was made at over 425 m.p.h. in little more than five hours, establishing yet another inter-city record. On the following day the Comet flew a similar stage-length to Nairobi in 5 hr 15 min—representing about 420 m.p.h. At Nairobi's Eastleigh Airport (which is 5,370ft above sea-level) the Comet remained for six days to make take-offs and lancings in day temperatures equivalent to 93 deg F at sea-level. It then flew to Khartoum, where a small undercarriage snag delayed trials until May 4th, when B.O.A.C. delivered a replacement part. Further take-offs and landings were made here in temperatures around m deg F. Departure: G-ALVG (above) leaves Hatfield in a cross-wind on April 24th, 1950, hound for Nairobi via Cairo. Much valuable information was obtained during the trials, which involved some 40 hours' flying, and the airframe behaved faultlessly throughout. It was officially stated that, apart from daily inspections, work on the Ghost turbojets totalled only three man-hours per day, and that oil con sumption worked out at 1,000-1,500 m.p.g. for all four units. The return flight from Khartoum was made in two stages— to Cairo on May 10th and on to Hatfield the following day. Made in 5 hr 39 min against a head wind, the second leg of the journey home constituted still another inter-city record— Cairo-London at 385.91 m.p.h.
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