This aircraft was built at the de Havilland Hatfield facility

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-APDF - May 02, 1957

Registered to British Overseas Airways Corporation

First flown as G-APDF - December 11, 1958

Powered by Rolls Royce Avon Mk 524 turbojet engines

Delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C.) - December 31, 1958

This aircraft was substantially damaged at Beirut - April 09, 1959

The inner rear tyre on the starboard landing gear burst in the wheel well as the aircraft passed through 13,000 feet

Damage was caused to the wing structure, engines and affected the aircraft's controlability

The captain elected to return to Beirut and make an overweight landing

During the landing other tyres burst and a fire broke out in both undercarriage assemblies

No injuries were sustained by the 64 passengers and 9 crew members

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 ircraft 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

This aircraft arrived Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on its final Qantas revenue service - March 30, 1963

The final Qantas Comet 4 revenue service was flown Singapore - London as QF745-053 - May 30, 1963

It was observed at Brisbane operating B.O.A.C.'s London (Heathrow) - Brisbane service - October 21, 1964

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - March 01, 1967

Sold to the U. K. Ministry of Supply and operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment - March 01, 1967

Entered onto the British Military Aircraft Register as XV814 - March 01, 1967

Used as a test-bed for navigational and avionics equipment related to the Nimrod project

Known as the 'Comrod' due to the Nimrod fin fillet it was testing at the time

Aircraft was also operated for the Defence Research Agency

Withdrawn from service at Farnborough - January 1993

Ferried Farnborough - Boscombe Downs for storage and a source of spare parts - January 28, 1993

Parts used to maintain Comet XS235 in an airworthy condition

Broken up at Boscombe Downs - August 1997

Rear fuselage and tail sold to BAe Systems at Warton for Nimrod MRA4 intake trials - September 02, 1997

Cockpit section sold to private individuals at Chipping Norton for restoration project - September 13, 1997

Cockpit eventually restored and used as a FSX Flight Simulator - 2009