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.