Today in History: 1949 – First jet airliner flies
Jet aircraft are such a central part of modern culture, it seems unthinkable that there was a time within living memory when no-one had ever flown on a jetliner. However, the first-ever jet aircraft, the de Havilland Comet, was only despatched from its hangar for the first time in July 1949.Manufactured at a factory in Hatfield, around 30 miles north of London, the de Havilland Comet represented a major aviation breakthrough. At the time, the Comet seemed almost futuristic in appearance and promised a level of comfort that had hitherto been impossible for passenger planes to deliver.
The de Havilland Comet also flew higher and faster than any other aircraft of the time, making “everything else obsolete”, according to Alistair Hodgson – the curator of the de Havilland Aircraft Museum. However, seating capacity wasn’t quite what we’ve come to expect from jetliners today; inside the Comet there were provisions for just 36 passengers.
This lack of seating reflected the fact that air travel was, of course, still a preserve of the wealthy. Whereas modern planes are very much constructed with economics in mind, the de Havilland Comet was designed purely by engineers, and intended to provide passengers with the most comfortable and luxurious experience possible.
Even the experts of the time weren’t quite certain how Comet would perform in real-world conditions, though, and this meant that extensive testing was needed before the aircraft went live. But after two years of dummy flights, the Comet made its first scheduled flight on 2nd May 1952. And its first route was a lengthy one; all the way to Johannesburg, via Rome, Beirut, Khartoum, Entebbe and Livingstone.
The success of the Comet was soon headline news; after all, there was no other jet aircraft in operation! Early passengers reported smooth and enjoyable flying conditions, and it seemed inevitable that the de Havilland Comet would go from strength to strength. But the aircraft was to encounter serious problems in the years following its maiden flight.
Within just a year of entering service, three Comet aircraft suffered tragic accidents. The most dramatic of these saw one of the airliners break-up in mid-flight. Metal fatigue was recognized as being the cause of the issue; a concept that was not fully understood at this time.
Following the accidents, the de Havilland Comet was understandably withdrawn from service, while engineers and technicians worked on its structural issues. Issues including inadequate riveting were identified, and this led to a major redesign of the aircraft.
In many ways, the damage was done, and the Comet never recovered its commercial success. This was even though there were four generations of the aircraft produced and the de Havilland Comet remained in service until 1981.
Read more here and here
Also on this day:
1972 The F-15 Eagle flies for the first time
1944 1st British jet fighter used in combat (Gloster Meteor)
1940 Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery, Bob Givens (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in “Wild Hare”
Births On This Day
1970 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Danish actor (Game of Thrones)
1958 Christopher Dean - English Olympics skater (Torvill & Dean/Olympic gold 1984)
1950 Simon Jones - English actor and comedian (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Arthur Dent)
1938 Gary Gygax - American role-playing games creator (Dungeons & Dragons) and fantasy author
1929 Jack Higgins [Harry Patterson] - British novelist (The Eagle Has Landed)
Deaths On This Day
2003 Bob Hope [Leslie Townes Hope] - English-born American actor, comedian and entertainer
1994 Kevin Carter - South African photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize winner
1988 Frank Zamboni - American inventor
1980 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah of Iran (Persia) (1941-79)
82 St Joseph of Arimathea
The Funnies:
On the Menu Today – Pesto
Apologies for the lateness of today’s Spark! @liamsullivan had some technical issues (namely no electricity), so I’ve jumped in at the last minute to cover.
I only discovered pesto about years ago, because I’m not a fan of anything green, but someone made me try some in a restaurant, and wow. Just blew my tastebuds away. Loved it so much I bought some on the way home. Best Pesto Recipe - How To Make Homemade Basil Pesto Here’s a great version for you!
Ingredients
- 2 c. fresh basil, tightly packed
- 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c. pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Method
- Combine basil, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add a large pinch of salt and process until smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in Parmesan. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
Quote of the Day:
“Said Hamlet to Ophelia, I’ll draw a sketch of thee. What kind of pencil shall I use? 2B or not 2B?”
— Spike Milligan
Comic of the Day:
Mouseover: “I like trying to make it as hard as possible. “I’d love to meet up, maybe in a few days? Next week is looking pretty empty. *witchcraft””
Image Credit: xkcd: Asterisk Corrections
Explain XKCD: 2337: Asterisk Corrections - explain xkcd
Inspirobot Always Controversial, Occasionally Inspirational Quote of the Day:
Read @vikingmichael 's Trailblazing Spark! from Friday here
