That'd be Nevile Shute's "No Highway", then.....a top tale, well written, and not just of interest to those "in the know".
There is a Comet 1 at the Mosquito museum on the M25 at London Colney...well worth a visit; just have a look at the fuselage structure and see how flimsy it appears, compared with today's pressurised jets; it's a real education.