de Havilland Comet 4C for X-Plane: Approach & Landing in Mexico City

Preview of the DH-106 Comet for X-Plane on approach to Mexico City (MEX/MMMX). The Comet Series 4 was a very different aircraft from the original Series 1 of 1952: it was larger, twice as powerful, with better instruments and totally revised structure and materials. It inaugurated the World's first trans-atlantic jet service, and was in service from 1958-1980. The 4C was the last production derivative. It combined the long-range wingspan and fuel tanks of the original Comet 4 with the longer, high-capacity fuselage of the Comet 4B.

Mexicana was the first customer for the Comet 4C and XA-NAR (c/n 6424) was the first aircraft to be delivered. Amazingly, this very aircraft exists in tact as the only complete Comet in North America, and is currently undergoing meticulous and painstaking restoration at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, under Bob Hood. With the Comet, Mexicana started their first jet airliner service, known as "Golden Aztec", between Mexico City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Havana and Kingston (Jamaica). They owned five aircraft: two ex-BOAC Comet 4, and three new Comet 4C. The service ran from 1960-1970 when the Comets were eventually replaced with Boeing 727s. At the time, Mexicana were part-owned by Pan-American. Pan-Am had placed their own orders for five Comet 3s, but, because of the concerns and delays of the Comet 1 inquiry, they switched the order to Boeing 707s. However, as a way of hedging their bets in case the 707 was late, the Mexicana Comet colours were virtually identical to the Pan-Am Comet livery, and Pan-Am could have converted the Mexicana aircraft at short notice.

See also the accompanying films on YouTube (Dan Air departure from EGKK).

Film Credits

Laminar Research (X-Plane)
http://www.x-plane.com

Research & Development:
Guy Montagu-Pollock

Sound:
Chris Wraight

Pilot View plugin:
Sandy Barbour

Mexico City Airport Scenery:
Bill Melichar

Testing & Support:
The UK X-Plane Development Team

Further information:
http://www.dh-aircraft.co.uk
http://twitter.com/guypollock

Comet 4C XA-NAR restoration at the Museum of Flight in Seattle,
Project Manager: Bob Hood
http://www.dhcomet.com/

© Guy Montagu-Pollock 2010

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• de
• Havilland
• DH106
• DH-106
• DH
• 106
• X-Plane
• XPlane
• Gatwick
• EGW
• EGKK
• flight
• simulator
• cockpit
• aircraft

[monsterman48390]

How do you get the view at 6:56

[GuyMP303]

@monsterman48390 Keystrokes ctrl+o will position the camera in the 3D cockpit. Keyboard arrow keys will move the camera perpendicular to the direction of view, and page up/page down move it along the direction of view, which is how one can move down the passenger cabin to the view from a passenger seat. That's one way. For the video, I used Sandy Barbour's plug-in "Pilot View" which enables one to set up presets for a number of fixed camera positons.

[Pablo4949]

I thought Comet's didn't use their Speed brakes during approach, only after touchdown?

[GuyMP303]

@Pablo4949 If anything, it's the other way round. The Comet had air brakes, not lift dumpers. According to the flying manual, air brakes could be extended at any speed. However, there is a mistake in the film: the only limitation for use of air brakes is that they must not be extended with the flaps at more than 30 degrees. Therefore I should not have deployed them after touch down.

[123namara]

exelente!!!

[Pablo4949]

@GuyMP303 Oh, okay. Thanks for the info.

[kmentt]

Thanks Guy! I love David Maltbys cockpit in fsx, but I must say yours have excelled his, absolutely amazing! Your work is enough to have Xplane running again. cheers

[GuyMP303]

@kmentt Hyperlink did not go through, for some reason. It is dh-aircraft.co.uk (forward slash) news (forward slash) news.html

[GuyMP303]

@kmentt Yes, yes; coming, coming. I promise it has not come to a standstill. Furious work is going on behind the scenes, and I post updates on the web-site when I complete a major block of work. Patience will be rewarded!