de Havilland DH.88 Comet
During 1933, the MacRobertson Air Race, a multi-stage flight from the United Kingdom to Australia, was being planned for October 1934, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Australian State of Victoria.[4] They therefore announced in January 1934 that, if three orders could be obtained by 28 February, a specialist racer which could achieve a guaranteed speed of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) to be named the Comet would be built and sold for £5,000 each, .In order to achieve take-off at a reasonable speed with a high all-up weight and a satisfactory high-speed cruise, it would be necessary to fit variable-pitch propellers.[9] The exterior skin was treated using a time-consuming and repetitive process of painting and rubbing down to produce a highly smooth surface to reduce air friction and increase overall speed.It was built as a single assembly around three box-spars located at 21, 40 and 65 percent chord: there was an intermediate spruce stringer between each pair of spars to prevent buckling.The main undercarriage retracted backwards into the engine nacelles and was operated manually, requiring 14 turns of a large handwheel located on the right hand side of the cockpit.[6][page needed] The challenging production schedule meant that flight tests of the DH.88 began just six weeks prior to the start of the race.Other changes included the installation of a large landing light fitted in the nose, and a higher cockpit profile to give the pilot marginally improved visibility.Since there was no aviation fuel available, they had to use motor car petrol provided by a local bus company; a piston seized and an oil line ruptured.Despite the setback their lead was now unassailable and after the final mandatory stop and more engine work at Charleville they flew on to cross the finish line at Flemington Racecourse at 3.33 p.m. (local time) on 23 October.He had intended to fly it himself along with Ken Waller but had to pull out at the last minute due to ill health and instead engaged Owen Cathcart Jones to take his place.Cathcart Jones and Waller promptly collected film of the Australian stages of the race and set off the next day to carry it back to Britain.In March 1938, A. E. Clouston and Victor Ricketts made a return trip to New Zealand covering 26,450 mi (42,570 km) in 10 days 21 hours 22 minutes.[6][page needed] It was then sold to the French government and modified as mail plane F-ANPY, its delivery flight setting a Croydon-Le Bourget record on 5 July 1935.It reached Cairo in a record 11 hr, 18 min, but the next leg of the journey was cut short due to oil trouble while in flight over Sudan.Built in 1993 for Thomas W. Wathen of Santa Barbara, CA by Bill Turner of Repeat Aircraft at Flabob Airport in Rubidoux, California, it wears the livery of G-ACSS Grosvenor House.[36] A replica, originally started by George Lemay in Canada, was acquired by the Croydon Aircraft Company based at Old Mandeville Airfield, near Gore, New Zealand, where it is currently still under construction.[37] G-RCSR is a reproduction Comet based on the original construction drawings, being built by Ken Fern in parallel with the restoration of Black Magic at Derby.[38] Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909,[39]General characteristics Performance The MacRobertson Air Race was an event of world-wide importance and did much to drive aeroplane design forward.[47] Full-scale but non-flying replicas of Grosvenor House and Black Magic were constructed for the 1990 TV two-part Australian-produced dramatisation Half a World Away, which was also released on DVD as The Great Air Race.The G-ACSS replica was taxi-able and has since been restored in the livery of G-ACSR and is on static display at the De Havilland Aircraft Museum, Salisbury Hall, UK.
de Havilland CometShuttleworth CollectionManufacturerde HavillandA. E. Haggde Havilland Aircraft CompanyMacRobertson Air RaceUnited KingdomAustraliamaiden flightmail planesState of VictoriaMacpherson RobertsonMelbournemonoplaneGeoffrey de HavillandJim MollisonAmy JohnsonArthur EdwardsBernard Rubinracing aircraftcantileverundercarriageGipsy Six Raspect ratioGipsy Sixstressmagnesiumaluminiumleading edgesrudderelevatorshorn mass balancesnaval architectlifeboatssprucelongeronstandemcompression ratioHamilton-Standardvariable-pitch propellerspneumaticallyRatierbicycleMildenhallSuffolkDouglas DC-2Boeing 247Fairey FoxBaghdadKarachiAllahabadJabalpurpistonGrosvenor House HotelC. W. A. ScottTom Campbell BlackKirkukBay of BengalSingaporeDarwinTimor SeaFrank HalfordCharlevilleFlemington RacecourseBritish racing greenBataviaAustralianAir MinistryRAF Martlesham HeathAeroplane and Armament Experimental EstablishmentEssex AeroIstresDamascusKing's CupA. E. CloustonVictor RickettsNew ZealandBelgian queenBrusselsLeopoldvilleBelgian CongoCroydonLe BourgetCasablancaAlgiersCité d'Angoulême IVÉtampesFrancePortugalLisbonRio de JaneiroSalazarSintra Air BaseFrenchCape TownAmy MollisonHubert BroadJean MermozA.E. CloustonBetty Kirby-GreenBurberryAustralian AnniversaryFestival of BritainOld WardenDerby AirfieldFlabob AirportRubidoux, CaliforniaCroydon Aircraft CompanyOld Mandeville AirfieldArmée de l'AirAirfoilde Havilland Gipsy Six Rcigarette cardEric KenningtonThe Great Air RaceDe Havilland Aircraft MuseumSalisbury HallCaudron TyphonGrigorovich E-2FlightWayback MachineAir EnthusiastAeroplane MonthlyAeroplaneBiplane No.1