DH106 Comet Hot And High Performance
Plovett , The Comets were over powered. I used to work for Dan Air and remember a conversation with a Comet pilot who had just returned to Gatwick from Tenerife where the temp was 51C (wind blowing in from Sahara) and we had a 707 stuck as it couldnt take off, but the Comet had not only taken off but pilot said he worked out that he could have got airbourne at 9000feet above sea level at that temp. Dan Air also asked the CAA for permission to shut down an engine in cruise to save fuel when the first oil crisis hit in 70's but were refused. Of course the Nimrod used to shut down engines for long term cruise but that was re-engined with Speys not the original Avons.