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COMET.TXT DE HAVILLAND DH88 COMET "GROSVENOR HOUSE," 1934     FEB 1997
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This add-on aircraft requires BAO/Apollo Flight Shop for use with Microsoft Flight Simulator. I have MSFS 5.1 CD, but suspect it will function with MSFS 5.x, x<1, as well. It's anyone's guess as to compatibility with FSW95 and its converter. Some aircraft seem to get corrupted in the conversion; others seem to work just fine.

Files in COMETDH88.ZIP and their installation:
COMET.TXT	This file; documentation, history.
COMET.AIR	Graphics and flight dynamics. Put this file in                           fltsim5/pilots.
COMET.?AF	Texture and color. Put these files, .0AF-.9AF, in
                  fltsim5/texture.

History
   The De Havilland DH88 Comet may be the most famous racing aircraft ever built. It is clearly one of the most beautiful.
   When Sir MacPherson Robertson proposed the Victorian Centenary Air Race to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Australian state of Victoria, there were no suitable British aircraft with the required speed and range. De Havilland took on the challenge, even if it meant a financial loss to the company. Three DH88 Comets were built for the race; two more were built later.
   The DH88 was lightweight, largely of wood, powered by a pair of Gipsy Six R engines, each rated at 230 hp. Because the wings were so thin (11 in. at their deepest), all 130 gal. of its fuel was carried within the fuselage. The DH88 had tandem controls for its pilots, as one race-leg, from London to Baghdad, was more than 2500 miles.
   The race began at dawn, October 20, 1934 with 20 entries leaving Mildenhall, Suffolk, England on their way to Melbourne, Australia, a distance of more than 11,300 miles. Compulsary checkpoints included Baghdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Darwin and Charleville.
   One of the DH88s retired with damaged engines at Allahabad. The second made a forced landing in Persia after having lost its way. This aeroplane, G-ACSS "Grosvenor House" sponsored by the London hotel of that name, earned the overall win; a KLM Douglas DC-2 finishing 2nd was awarded the handicap prize, though "Grosvenor House" actually qualified for this as well. Piloted by C.W.A. Scott and Tom Campbell, its flying time was 70 hours 54 minutes.
   G-ACSS was restored to airworthiness by the Shuttleworth Collection in 1987. It now resides in the U.K. at Hatfield under care of British Aerospace.

The Real De Havilland DH88 Comet "Grosvenor House"
Wing span: 44 ft          Aspect ratio: 10.0       Length 29 ft
Height: 10 ft             Weight 5550 lb
Airframe: Wooden box sections, plywood covering, doped fabric
Power: Two Gipsy Six R, 6-cyl inline; each 230 hp
Cruising speed 220 mph (350 km/h, 191 kts)
Maximum speed 237 mph (381 km/h, 206 kts)
Ceiling: 19,000 ft        Range: 2925 miles

The Virtual One
   Isn't this the most beautiful aircraft ever! I was attracted to the "Grosvenor House" by its razor-thin wings, rakish fuselage and neat little details like those retracting gear spats.
   The most complex elements of its FSFS construction were in its engine nacelles and inner wings. Each nacelle is two-part, the forward portion in Nose Assembly Group, the aft portion in Inner Wing. The inner wing fillets at the body work around FSFS's dislike of concavity.    The nacelle division has an occasional graphical conflict in transition; resolution would involve major rework as it's traceable to FSFS's internal "Glue" between Nose and Main Body Assembly Groups. What's more, as usual, I ran out of Components and hit the FSFS Internal Complexity limit at only 523 Parts.

Flying the "Grosvenor House"
   Flight Dynamics are respectful of the original. I suspect the CG is a bit aft of true; this, to avoid FSFS nose-over on braking. Also, this time around I kept to stock power and fine-tuned top speed by minute adjustment of Aerodynamic 0 Lift Drag. Pitch, Bank and Yaw Stability Scalars are set fairly high; hotshoes are welcome to "undetune" them.
   "Grosvenor House" has retracting gear and flaps, each operated by the usual FS control.

Inspiration for the De Havilland DH88 Comet "Grosvenor House" came from several sources: History of Aviation, by John W.R. Taylor and Kenneth Munson, Crown Publishers, New York, 1977; World Aircraft 1918-1935, Rand McNally Color Illustrated Guides, by Enzo Angelucci and Paolo Matricardi, Rand McNally, Chicago, 1976; and De Havilland A Pictorial Tribute, by Gordon Bain, Promotional Reprint Co, Leicester, 1995.

As noted before in earlier FSFS documents, being part of the flightsim community gives much pleasure. (How else to explain freely sharing some 100 hours of labor!) Needless to say, this aeroplane may be freely distributed. No responsibility is taken for any loss or damage incurred directly or indirectly from its use. The original unaltered files may be freely distributed, uploaded, downloaded and shared. I am particularly grateful to kind folks who have uploaded my aeroplanes to sites that are inaccessible to my system. Please maintain proper credit, of course, and make no financial gain whatsoever. What's more, you're encouraged to share your views on "Grosvenor House." 
                                 -- Dennis Simanaitis  EngEd@AOL.COM