DH88 COMET OLD WARDEN 3/8/08

[UKVoodooUK]

The De Havilland Mosquito's biological father :)

[vanepico]

I heard from someone that this aircraft got taxied into and one of the engines got damaged

[ScienceImpulse]

I just fell in LOVE with her!!

[skeilak]

While it's certainly correct to note that this aircraft was a specialized race-plane, there can be no denying that lessons learned in it's design and manufacture influenced later, more "useful" aircraft, like the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber, of WW2.

Much in the same way as Supermarine's speedy little float-plane racers, of the same era, led directly to the Spitfire.

And, I'll throw my hat in the ring, and say, the Comet was "one of" the most beautiful aircraft ever made.

[Shegal1535]

I'f I won the lotto tomorrow.... I'd have a modern turboprop replica built, paint it in the Mollison's "Black Magic" livery,

Hell I'd pay SOME ONE ELSE to fly it so I could sit back, enjoy a cocktail, and marvel at her speed and beauty!

[KB10GL]

While the Comet is not at all unatractive, the title of "most beautifull ever" would be questionable.

While this aircraft won the 1934 MacRobertson air race to Australia it was a somewhat pyric victory. It was a custom built aircraft & was useless for any other purpose afterward.

The DC2 in second place arrived 1 day later due to severe weather & carried fare paying passengers from England. It was then returned to regular airline service.

The ultimate winner was the American aircraft industry

[pluglather]

@KB10GL ive always thought of this as the most beautiful plane too, but I'm happy to concede that it was a overspecialised deadend like the Schneider trophy planes, and the DC2, whether anyone realised it or not was the future

[vanosart]

@KB10GL That DC 2 was a normal airliner from KLM Holland, my father was there when it returned back to Holland, biggest party in the 30's here.

[g0fvt]

This is Grosvenor House. the famous air race winner, there is a model of it on a pedestal outside the "Comet" hotel in Hatfield on the route of the old A1. There is also a large scale model of it in the "Galleria" shopping centre in Hatfield.

[REI02021809]

I remember seeing the very comet fly at Hatfield back in 1993.

[SuperAviatar]

Some years back I saw the wing structure under repair. You would not believe all the diagonal bits and pieces laminated into a box spar!!! Did you know the early 'variable' propellors only went from fine to coarse once per flight? And were set to 'fine' pitch using a cycle pump before takeoff!!! Triggered by a disc on the hub. It was useful if they changed at about the same time.... and not before single engine speed was attained. Let's hear it for the Vmca....

[pdutube]

That is a SEXY airplane!

[Preesterr]

looks like a red jalapeno

[sablatnic]

Sure, and twice as hot!!

[waynealarsen]

one big tail dragger

[REI02021809]

I saw one of these fly in 1993 at Hatfield

[44SirLoopalot]

Wow, this is one of the most beautiful airplanes ever