But the de Havilland Comet’s success was short-lived. A fatal design flaw, hidden in plain sight, turned square windows into a deadly weakness. Cracks formed, pressure built, and tragedy followed.

The Comet 4 was the final result of de Havilland's efforts to correct these issues with a more resilient design and four RR Avon 524 engines that offered speeds of 503 mph.

July 27, 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Comet, the world’s first jet-powered airliner. This airliner had a troubled start to service, but eventually ...

On July 27, 1949, the first passenger aircraft equipped with jet engines took to the air – Britain’s De Havilland DH 106 Comet. It was an astounding box-office success, unanimously acclaimed ...

When the de Havilland Comet flew into the sky in 1949, it changed the way the world travelled. Richard Hollingham examines the legacy of a flawed but far-reaching design.

Because the basic design was judged to be perfectly sound, modifications were made and Comet variants 2, 3, and 4 went into production. Unfortunately, it was too little too late.

Some viewers surmised that Captain Steve (pictured) referred to the UK’s ill-fated de Havilland Comet 1 Aircraft, which experienced a spate of inflight disintegrations between 1953 and 1954.

The de Havilland Comet became the world’s first commercial jetliner in 1952, and in terms of design, it was a total game-changer. In an age of propellers, this British-made jet had four turbojet ...

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.

Geoffrey de Havilland was one of the most influential aircraft designers of the 20th century. Take a tour of the museum dedicated to his genius.

Fatigue failure is a common challenge in machine design. For engineers and designers alike, ... A notable real-world example to aid this is the 1954 crash of the De Havilland Comet.