G-APDP. de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4. c/n 6417.

 

This aircraft was built at the de Havilland Chester facility

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-APDP - October 14, 1957

Registered to British Overseas Airways Corporation

First flown as G-APDP - May 29, 1959

Powered by Rolls Royce Avon Mk 524 turbojet engines

Delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C.) - June 11, 1959

This aircraft was one of six Comet 4 aircraft wet-leased by Qantas Empire Airways from 1959 to 1963

Qantas added additional Australia - United Kingdom weekly services with the chartered Comets

Aircraft were operated on the London (Heathrow) - Singapore - London (Heathrow) sector

The inaugural Qantas Comet service was operated London (Heathrow) - Singapore - November 07, 1959

Route: London - Athens - Teheran - Colombo - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore

The aircraft carried 'Qantas' titles on the cabin roof in place of the standard 'B.O.A.C.' titles

Repeater titles were sometimes applied to the pinion fuel tanks

All aircraft were crewed by B.O.A.C. flight and cabin crew

The exact dates when this particular aircraft was wet-leased by Qantas Airways is not known

The final Qantas Comet 4 revenue service was flown Singapore - London (Heathrow) as QF745-053 - May 30, 1963

Operated the inaugural London (Heathrow) - Toronto Comet service - March 01, 1960

This aircraft was used by Air Ceylon periodically on their services - April 1962

Route: London - Rome - Cairo - Bahrain - Karachi - Colombo - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore

Leased to Malaysian Singapore Airlines - November 30, 1967

Entered onto the Singaporean Aircraft Register as 9V-BBH - November 03, 1967

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - November 30, 1967

Returned to B.O.A.C. on termination of the lease - January 23, 1968

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-APDP - January 23, 1968

Sold to Dan-Air Services Ltd - February 02, 1972

Registered to Dan-Air Services Ltd - March 01, 1972

Operated its last revenue service - March 03, 1973

Withdrawn from use and stored at London (Lasham)

Sold to Ministry of Defence - May 31, 1973

It was allocated to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), Farnborough

Entered onto the British Military Aircraft Register as 'XX944' - June 08, 1973

This aircraft was utilised in the Nimrod development work

Withdrawn from service at Farnborough - April 1975

Scrapped at Farnborough - August 1984

 

 

G-APDP. Qantas - in the basic BOAC livery at Singapore Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1950-073.)

G-APDP. Qantas - the cabin interior at Singapore Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1950-074.)