Comet's Tale

Ever since Britain's De Havilland Comet screamed across the sky last summer in its first 500 m.p.h. test flight, U.S. airline operators have wondered how the first jet airliner would perform as a fare-earning carrier. Last week, De Havilland gave out a detailed report on 150 hours of test flights.

The Comet, said De Havilland, has a gross weight of 105,000 lbs., a cruising speed of 490 m.p.h., and a practical commercial range of 2,645 miles, with a payload of 12,000 lbs., including 36 passengers and their baggage. A 50-mile headwind, which is often met on east-west transatlantic hops, would cut the range to 2,140 miles.

De Havilland's figures knocked the props from under London newspaper predictions of nonstop London-New York schedules of six hours. Until its range was improved, the Comet would not be able to make nonstop London-New York flights at all. De Havilland itself estimated that it would take twelve hours for the trip, counting refueling time at Prestwick and Gander. Lockheed's 43-passenger Constellation now makes the run in 19

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.