Oh wow.. a study level DH Comet 4 is to be released “fairly soon”

https://www.classicaircraftsimulations.com

Nothing more to be said!

Wow - can't wait for this beauty!

I like big [flaps] and I cannot lie…!

Edited Wednesday at 09:54 PM3 days by UrgentSiesta

De Havilland Comet - the Real Story of the Comet Disaster

RAE Investigation - Break Up Sequence and Fatigue Tests

https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/dglr/hh/text_2019_01_24_Comet.pdf

https://planeandpilotmag.com/why-did-the-de-havilland-comet-keep-crashing/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet

In water-tank testing, engineers subjected G-ALYU to repeated repressurisation and over-pressurisation, and on 24 June 1954, after 3,057 flight cycles (1,221 actual and 1,836 simulated),[113] G-ALYU burst open. Hall, Geoffrey de Havilland and Bishop were immediately called to the scene, where the water tank was drained to reveal that the fuselage had cracked at a bolt hole near the lower aft corner of the forward escape hatch cut out. The crack then spread longitudinally aft to the nearest bulkhead at frame station 18, which subsequently weakened the structure enough to cause a similar failure on the forward side of the hatch that split all the way to the bulkhead at frame station 13A[114]. The skin thickness was discovered to be insufficient to resist fatigue at the counter-sunk fastener holes, and the fuselage frames did not have sufficient strength to prevent the crack from propagating, issues which were exacerbated by the gaps in the outer frame caps where stringers ran through.

.......

".....Both early accidents were originally attributed to pilot error, as overrotation had led to a loss of lift from the leading edge of the aircraft's wings. It was later determined that the Comet's wing profile experienced a loss of lift at a high angle of attack,"

Edited Wednesday at 10:52 PM3 days by turbomax

Berlimey! I never saw that coming. Looking forward to doing trooping flights to Singapore in an RAF Transport Command livery.

She looks fantastic!

I was wondering the other day on how this one was coming along as it's been a while since we've heard anything about it's development.

Those bare metal textures and lighting! 😐

Maybe they would consider doing a a CV990 next?

I think they would do it justice.

Edited Wednesday at 11:22 PM3 days by skully

Excellent! I am definitely interested in this.

I used to help manufacture the windscreen panels for those, and the Nimrod Maritime Patrol aircraft, which many might not know was based on the Comet Airliner.

The original Sud Caravelle nose section was taken from the Comet as well. I wonder what happened to the MSFS Caravelle being developed by Airplane Heaven? It was down as a projected Famous Flyer at one stage. Although if the Airplane Heaven B707 was anything to go by, they don't seem too good at airliners! 🙄

I would love to see this Comet in a Dan Air livery. I used to see them all the time at London Gatwick and often wondered how they made a profit with such few seats and poor fuel economy.

Edited Thursday at 01:21 AM3 days by bobcat999

3 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

...

I would love to see this Comet in a Dan Air livery. I used to see them all the time at London Gatwick and often wondered how they made a profit with such few seats and poor fuel economy.

True story.

In the early 1980s I worked at British Aerospace Hatfield, the former de Havilland HQ, on naval guided missile support. Dan Air had a contract one year to fly out support workers to Gibraltar for the annual Royal Navy Springtrain exercises, and Comets were used. One of the workers looked out the window during one flight and saw a wing skin panel loose, with the fasteners to the next panel gone. He notified Dan Air of this, then got a reply saying something along the lines of the holes being to allow air out at high altitude. Said worker in turn replied along the lines of "I'm a qualified RAF airframe fitter and I know you're talking bullword not allowed". End of correspondence...

Dan Air had an awful safety record. It appears the way they could make a profit was skimping on essential maintenance.

My one and only flight on one was in June 1965. London to Sydney. My parents were ten pound tourists and I was 13. I do not recall if it was a 4b or 4c, but there were a few stops on the way. BOAC of course.

Edited Thursday at 04:58 AM3 days by AOB

WOW. This made my day, even with the Fenix v3 release and the 757 coming in.

The Comet is an icon, never seen one, never flew in one but somehow i love it and always wanted to fly one virtually. Thanks for the heads-up!

6 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

and often wondered how they made a profit with such few seats and poor fuel economy.

"As the aircraft could be profitable with a load factor as low as 43 per cent, commercial success was expected.[27] The Ghost engines allowed the Comet to fly above weather that competitors had to fly through. They ran smoothly and were less noisy than piston engines, had low maintenance costs and were fuel-efficient above 30,000 ft (9,100 m)"

It's too bad there is nothing in MSFS like old FS9/FSX CalClassic to fly these beauties in - an entire world of scenery rolled back to the 1960s. Obviously the sat data is lacking 😆

Edited Thursday at 08:16 AM3 days by Nandengo12

Flew on DanAir's Comets twice on holiday flights.

As a steerage class passenger I remember it being every bit as comfortable as today's jets. Probably a false memory but they were good.

A Comet landing on a wet runway was a spectacular site with the reversers throwing a wall of water ahead of the wings ; I'd like to see that replicated.

Edited Thursday at 10:22 AM2 days by nippa

If anything, I would have expected the seats to be more comfortable back then, as they did not pack people in like sardines.

2 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

If anything, I would have expected the seats to be more comfortable back then, as they did not pack people in like sardines.

Classic widebodies yes, narrow body not so much, especially this generation of British jetliners. Comet 4 was five abreast in coach. Caravelle and BAC 1-11 were also five abreast.

Edited Thursday at 12:53 PM2 days by Nandengo12