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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1138.PDF
5o6 FLIGHT, 25 April 1952 Comets Abroad: The Story of the Maker's and Operator's Proving Flights (Right) Symbolic indeed is this study of the Comet as it appeared above the Pyramids during an early proving flight to Cairo. (Be/otv) The familiar figure at the controls of the Comet prototype during the London-Rome excursion is de Havilland's chief test- pilot, John Cunningham. Co-pilot was Peter Rugge. HERALDING A NEW ERA ON October 25th, 1949, only three months after its maiden flight, the prototype Comet made its first journey to an overseas airport. This flight—the fore runner of a successful and highly impressive series—was described in these pages as a demonstration of "a pace of airline travel which the Comet . . . will, within the next few years, establish as an accepted routine." Shortly before the Comet's flight to Castel Benito—for the Tripoli airport was its frst visiting-point abroad—John Cunningham made a series of night landings and G.C.A. approaches at London Airport to familiarize himself with civil procedures. Just after 6.30 a.m. on the morning of October 25th the aircraft took off from London in darkness and light rain. Cunningham's crew consisted of Peter Bugge (co-pilot), E. Brackstone Brown (flight engineer), and G. Blackett (navigator and radar-operator). The primary purpose of the flight was to measure fuel consumption, and the flight plan was based on fixed engine-speed and cruising altitude. No difficulties were encountered en route, and the Comet touched down at Castel Benito just before 10 o'clock (B.S.T.), having completed the 1,490-mile journey in 3 hr 23 min—an average speed of 440 m.p.h. After two hours on the ground, during which the local Shell crew refilled the Comet's tanks through the underwing valves, Cunningham took off again, returning to London by 3.19 p.m. at the slightly faster block-to-block speed of 458 m.p.h. The manu facturers recorded that full assistance was given by the M.C-A., by International Aeradio, Ltd., who administered th» Castel Benito Airport, and by the Comet's potential operators—B.O.A.C., who provided meteorological and route information, engineering facilities, and route com munications. De Havillands quickly resumed the initial flight- The Comet's first appearanc
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