G-APDR. de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4. c/n 6418.
This aircraft was built at the de Havilland Chester facility Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-APDR - October 14, 1957 Registered to British Overseas Airways Corporation First flown as G-APDR - July 09, 1959 Powered by Rolls Royce Avon Mk 524 turbojet engines Delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C.) - July 20, 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 The 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 It was sold to Mexicana Airways - December 1964 Entered onto the Mexican Aircraft Register as XA-NAZ - December 03, 1964 Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - December 07, 1964 Reregistered as XA-NAP - ? Sold to Channel Airways for spare parts - June 25, 1971 Ferried Mexico City - London (Stansted) as XA-NAP - ? The aircraft's fuselage was used by the Stansted Airport Authority Fire School as training aid - June 1972 It was observed in all-white livery as 'XA-NAP' on its belly at the Stansted fire dump - May 07, 1973 Broken up at London (Stansted) - 1973 |