Finding the flaw: engineers inspect a grounded Comet 1 jet airliner after a fatal crash near the Italian island of Elba on January 10, 1954
IF ever there was a flawed masterpiece, it was the 36-seat Comet airliner, a pioneer in civilian jet aviation destined to go down in flames. Although the Second World War had seen advances in jet-powered aircraft technology led by Germany's Heinkel He 178 and Messerschmitt Me 262 and Britain's Gloster Meteor-civil aviation had inevitably lagged behind.
Early passenger planes were noisy, low-flying and rather uncomfortable, with America's propeller and piston-driven Douglas DC-3s carrying the majority of the world's airline passengers before the outbreak of war. In 1943, a committee set up by the British government considered the opportunities likely to be presented by the development of smoother-running, jet-powered commercial aircraft after the return of peace.
Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, who had been involved with flying and designing aircraft for 25 years, sat on this committee. His Hatfield-based company had developed its jet-engine expertise during hostilities, so it was tasked with creating a commercial jet airliner, with a team led by the company's chief designer, Ronald Bishop.
Bright beginning: on the runway at London Airport before the first passenger flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1952
Denne historien er fra May 04, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 04, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
