Abstract
A DE HAVILLAND 'Comet' jet-propelled air liner recently carried out a long-distance flight, as part of its trials, from London to Castel Benito, Tripoli, a distance of 2,980 miles in a total flying time of six hours thirty-eight minutes—an average speed of just over 450 miles an hour. This is more than 100 miles an hour faster than the authenticated speed of any established air liner at present in use. It left London at 6.30 a.m. and, after a two-hour period in Tripoli for refuelling, it arrived back in London at 4 p.m. A performance such as this suggests that this type of machine should be taken up immediately by air transport concerns everywhere. Quantity production is already in hand by Messrs. De Havilland ; but it is not expected that they will be operating on the trunk services of the British Overseas Airways Corporation until 1952-53.
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Long-distance Test Flight of Jet-Propelled Air Liner. Nature 164, 776 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/164776d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/164776d0