MSA Malaysia Singapore Airlines De Havilland DH-106 Comet 4 9V-BAS CN 6401 Editorial Photo

The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom, the Comet 1 prototype first flew in 1949. It featured an aerodynamically clean design with four de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines buried in the wing roots, a pressurised cabin, and large windows. For the era, it offered a relatively quiet, comfortable passenger cabin and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952.THE COMET 4 WAS A FURTHER IMPROVEMENT ON THE STRETCHED COMET 3 WITH EVEN GREATER FUEL CAPACITY. THE DESIGN HAD PROGRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL COMET 1, GROWING BY 18 FT 6 IN (5.64 M) AND TYPICALLY SEATING 74 TO 81 PASSENGERS COMPARED TO THE COMET 1'S 36 TO 44 (119 PASSENGERS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN A SPECIAL CHARTER SEATING PACKAGE IN THE LATER 4C SERIES). THE COMET 4 WAS CONSIDERED THE DEFINITIVE SERIES, HAVING A LONGER RANGE, HIGHER CRUISING SPEED AND HIGHER MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WERE POSSIBLE LARGELY BECAUSE OF AVON ENGINES, WITH TWICE THE THRUST OF THE COMET 1'S GHOSTS. DELIVERIES TO BOAC BEGAN ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1958 WITH TWO 48-SEAT AIRCRAFT, WHICH WERE USED TO INITIATE THE FIRST SCHEDULED TRANSATLANTIC SERVICES.