FAMOUS AIRCRAFT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 9, 6 October 1943, Page 5

FAMOUS AIRCRAFT

London-Melbourne Race SEARCH FOR OWNER SYDNEY, September 30. If the owner can ‘be found, the de llavilliuid Comet, winner of the 1904 London-Melbourne air race, will be dragged from the weeds at Gravesend and placed in the London Science Museum, reports the Sydney "Sun’s” Loudon correspondent. Ju searching for the owner, de Havillauds have discovered that the Comet, which was recently found lying derelict in a field at Gravesend, passed through several hands since Scott and Black won the race. Purchased for £5OOO sterling after the race, it established 10 further records between England and Africa, and was then bought by the Air Ministry for £7OOO. For £lOOO the Air Ministry sold the plane to Lawrence Lipton, who renamed it "Silver Mist” for the 1938 King's Cup, but had to withdraw because it was damaged on tlie eve of the race. The machine passed from Lipton to another man, and then, two or three years ago, to the present owner. Astonished to hear that the Coinet had become derelict, de Havillands will purchase it for presentation to the Science Museum, where Amy Johnson’s “Jason,” in which she flew to Australia, is exhibit-

T'he Comet, which had a maximum speed of 235 miles an hour, was the "grandfather” of the .Mosquito lighterbomber. The first development of the Comet was the Albatross.