de Havilland Comet

The Hangar Sep 10, 2026

The de Havilland Comet, the Square Windows That Grounded the World's First Jet Airliner, and the Metal Fatigue Discovery That Changed Every Pressurized Aircraft That Came After

The 1954 Comet disasters near Elba revealed the hidden mechanics of metal fatigue and permanently transformed how every pressurized airliner is designed and certified.

Taildragger

The Hangar Sep 4, 2026

The de Havilland Comet, the Square Windows Near Elba, and the Water Tank Investigation That Changed Every Airliner Built After It

The 1954 de Havilland Comet disasters revealed how square window corners caused fatal metal fatigue, permanently transforming pressurized aircraft design worldwide.

Taildragger

The Hangar Jul 28, 2026

The de Havilland Comet's First Flight on July Twenty-Seventh, Nineteen Forty-Nine, and the Square Windows That Taught the World How Metal Really Breaks

The de Havilland Comet launched the jet age on July 27, 1949, then its square windows revealed the deadly lesson of metal fatigue.

Taildragger

ATIS May 28, 2026

Crashes, Groundings and Cover-Ups: Aviation's Most Controversial Aircraft

From the de Havilland Comet to the Boeing 737 MAX, these controversial aircraft exposed deadly flaws that reshaped aviation safety forever.

Tower