de Havilland DH.88 Comet

The de Havilland DH.88 Comet is a British two-seat, twin-engined aircraft built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was developed specifically to participate in the 1934 England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race from the United Kingdom to Australia. Development of the Comet was seen as both a prestige project and an entry into the use of modern techniques. It was designed to meet the specific requirements of the race. It was the first British aircraft to incorporate in one airframe all the elements of the modern high speed aircraft - stressed-skin construction, cantilever monoplane flying surfaces, retractable undercarriage, landing flaps, variable-pitch propellers and an enclosed cockpit. Three Comets were produced for the race, all for private owners, at the discounted price of £5,000 per aircraft. The aircraft had a rapid development process, performing its maiden flight only six weeks before the race. Comet G-ACSS Grosvenor House eventually won the race. Another two Comets were built after the race. Comets established many aviation records, both during the race and afterwards, and also took part in further races. Three were bought and evaluated by national governments, typically as mail planes. Two Comets, G-ACSS and G-ACSP, survived while a number of full-scale replicas have also been constructed.