Airfix 1/144 DH Comet 4B BEA, SK500

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Airfix 1/144 DH Comet 4B BEA, SK500 plastic model kit

1/144 SK500 Airfix DH Comet 4B BEA

Plastic Model Kit,   Box Condition: Sealed Exc++

Still factory sealed. 1960s 'Third Logo' issue in excellent condition. Nice 1/144 scale kit of the world's first jet airliner. Includes clear windows, full landing gear, display stand, passenger boarding stairs and BEA decals. The initial Comet Is were in operation long before the 707, which gave the British an incredible post-war lead in the expanding civil aviation market. Just as the Comet was flying high and orders were pouring in from around the world, Comets began to mysteriously fall out of the sky. Everything from lightning to terrorist bombs were blamed. For months the root cause went undiscovered. Then, in a landmark investigation that is considered the first modern post-crash autopsy, it was discovered that the stresses around a small ADF window on the top of the fuselage were causing metal fatigue failure when the fuselage was pressurized. To confirm this, a Comet I was placed in a water tank and subjected to pressurization stresses. After some time, a dramatic failure occurred. Then parts of a crashed Comet were pulled from underwater proving once and for all that this was the root cause.

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