CF-CUM de
Havilland D.H.106 Comet 1A
(c/n 06013)
Developed at the end of WW II in
response to the Brabazon Committee's Specification IV for a
post-war jet airliner, the
Comet first flew in 1949. In fact, a Comet
inaugurated the world's first
jet passenger service between London and Johannesburg on 2 May
1952. Canadian Pacific had
ordered the new airliners,
but, following the disastrous crash of sister ship CF-CUN, along with
other early Comet mishaps, delivery of the above aircraft, seen above
in
a de Havilland photograph,
was suspended. The
aircraft was diverted, instead, to the Royal Aircraft Establishment for
further
testing and was registered
G-ANAV. The nose of it survives and is
exhibited in the Science
Museum in London. The lower image
is from the Jennifer Gradidge collection and shows CF-CUM
on an overcast day at Hatfield just after roll out.