de Havilland Comet 2R - the Forgotten Cold-War Spy Plane

In addition to the DH.106 Comet Mark 1 fuselage - which you can walk inside - the de Havilland Aircraft Museum also has the fuselage and nose section of a rare Comet Mark 2R. Only 15 Comet 2R ever flew. But this exhibit is even rarer. It was specially converted by Marshall’s of Cambridge for a special role as an Electronics Intelligence (or “ELINT”) plane. Find out more about the Forgotten Cold-War Spy Plane.
Part One of our video series on the DH.106 Comet, the first jet airliner. ("Cutting Edge" metal marvel or material failure?) is here: • DH.106 Comet, the firs...
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Visitors are always Welcome. Check out our website for visiting hours, and how to find us:
www.dehavillan...

[@Fogeyspasm]

A few years ago took a guitar valve amp in to be repaired at a guys house. Once inside I noticed RAF squadron stuff on a wall and got into talking to him. He realised I knew a fair bit and opened up but said even now he's covered by the secrets act. He recalled to me flying in a converted comet towards Russian airspace waiting for radars to fire up. This time the Russians had guessed well where they were to patrol and he said they were intercepted but the pilot managed to, in the guys terms, get the bloody hell out the area" with some pretty aggressive manoeuvres and stay just out of their intercept range. He described the pilot pitching over and making for the deck and probably over stressing the airframe but it worked. 😂

[@scottwhitmire6577]

🇬🇧 Thank you, Your contributions as a nation and people to N.AT.O. are acknowledged and appreciated.🇺🇸

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you for another insight on Cold War intelligence gathering history.

[@welshpete12]

The English Electric Canberra was in it's own right used on spying missions , flying right into Russia . One got attacked by a Mig 19 and got a few moth holes for it's pains , but managed to get home.

[@paintnamer6403]

I never knew about this Comet version. Spy/reccon aircraft have some thrilling missions to read about.

[@machpodfan]

Fascinating...for this Comet fan, another reason to love and appreciate!

[@JonBowe]

Learn something new everyday, I knew about the Secret Squirrels R1, but not the 2R. Spent 11 years on the Nimrod Airframe, and enjoyed the most part of that time doing so. I never knew about the museum until now, will have to try and visit in the future.

[@well-blazeredman6187]

Every time I look at the nose of an A350 ..... I see a Comet. Good video.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Interesting, thanks

[@uingaeoc3905]

I wish your wonderful museum had a protective hangar over the exhibits!

[@alanm8932]

I visited about 15 years ago. They do have a hangar but I think that was mostly for the Mosquito exhibits which are obviously even more deserving of some shelter.

[@Saaj2]

They built a new hanger a couple of years ago that protects some of their exhibits

[@downwindchecklist6567]

Very interesting piece of history. Thank you for sharing!

[@briangoodwin1436]

Interesting tale. 216 Sqn. was my first posting after training and I served with them for two years, 1956/58 and knew nothing of this. All our aircraft were on transport and VIP duties when I was with them.

[@ian-nz-2000]

Very interesting, thanks. I worked on some of the kit used in the later R1 Nimrods at RAF Wyton back in the 80s. We knew about our kit, but nothing else!

[@johnlathwell7667]

Nice one I was posted to EWAU in 89 as a Rigger

[@californiadreamin8423]

I have it , from the pilot, that the Viscount was used in a similar role.

[@Daniel-S1]

Thanks I believe two-one-six squadron actually liked to be called, or should be called Two-Sixteen, or at least they did when they had Tristars at Brize Norton in the 80s.

[@navex4786]

I was at Wyton in the mid 60s so well aware of 51 Sqn, They had Canberras with various 'Dustbin' noses doing a similar job and also a Handley Page Hastings but I have no idea what that got up to!

[@Mishima505]

My late uncle served at Wyton as a radio fitter on Canberras round about that time. He was discharged on medical grounds in 1972, ironically due to a problem with his kidneys.

[@navex4786]

I may well have crossed paths with him then. I was on 39 Sqn (PR9s) at that time. @Mishima505

[@Mishima505]

@@navex4786 he was C/T Atkins, Michael always known as Mick.

[@Jack-bs6zb]

These historic exhibits need to have indoor protection.

[@johnallen7807]

From the days when the UK actually made it's own aircraft!

[@johnallen7807]

We should have linked foreign aid to aircraft purchases as the French do!@@bfc3057

[@TheLincolnshireFlyer]

Very interesting and informative. Thanks for posting 😊

[@mikepocock575]

Cracking video,thankyou.

[@chriswalford4161]

Thanks - that’s interesting. When did this conversion and the flights happen?

[@prs00001]

Great video as usual 👍

[@danford1868]

good story

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@c123bthunderpig]

Very interesting video, I did not know about the UK strategies. for ELINT, ironically it is very similar to our USA tactic develop in Vietnam for the Wild Weasels who were designed to identify and destroy SAM sites. We also used the B- 57 for a medium bomber for ground support. You could always tell when they were starting up because they used shotgun shells to start the engines producing large black smoke clouds. It appears the fuselage, especially nose has a similar design to Airbus. Maybe there is a distant relationship there. I love the patch, is it available from the museum? Cheers until the next video.

[@Daniel-S1]

The shotgun sheels would, I guess, be cartridges for a cartridge starter, and not actually have any pellets in them.

[@c123bthunderpig]

@@Daniel-S1 correct, they provide the explosive compression needed to start the engines, and were shaped like shotgun shells, created a lot of black smoke.

[@alanm8932]

In this video about the 727, (link below) I think it's at 7:02 he says the French Caravelle has some British design in it, including that it has the cockpit windows of the Comet! Perhaps that was passed onwards to Airbus? kzbin.info/www/bejne/imiqhplvrKmmb7csi=Zfzux0SwNVF_7qO9

[@c123bthunderpig]

@@alanm8932 Thanks so much for the video, it was truly informative, especially as it reminds me of what must have been flying a million plus miles on the 727, and you were right on the numbers at 7:07 when the Caravelle entered the video, the British and French certainly tried to keep their fuselage lines consistent. A lot of history about the 727 and the video creator is really good so I subscribed to his channel Thanks again for sharing with another aviation enthusiast

[@VulcanDriver1]

I used to work with canberra pilot who said he flew missions in the 1960s close to the Baltic states. He told me he never was knew what was in the bomb bay.? Recon equipment?

[@Mishima505]

A nice set of Vinten cameras?

[@haroldellis9721]

That's me subscribed. 🙂

[@deHavMuseum]

Welcome!

[@pascalcoole2725]

A shame this example isn't inside a building protected by the elements of nature. If we want to presevere our industrial heritage a protective casing would take care for a long future ahead for this one example

[@umvhu]

A BAe engineer explained to me "Nimrod stands for - Not Intended for Maritime Reconnaissance Or Defence" 😆

[@unclestuka8543]

Not a good aircraft, took the lives of very good Men. Should never have flown.

[@mmcbey1401]

The Nimrod was an exceptionally good aircraft, generally reckoned to be one of the very best maritime patrol aircraft in the world. The one that crashed in Afghanistan had been hastily converted to accept air-to-air refueling, for use in the Falklands war and that ad hoc conversion at least partly contributed to the fuel leak that caused the awful accident.

[@unclestuka8543]

​@@mmcbey1401Not an exceptional maritime aircraft at all, the Shackleton was better. The Nimrod airframe was shite, the radar never worked, a pile of garbage.

[@gregnorth6413]

51 Squadron, RAF Wyton.

[@billy4072]

Half the defence budget was spent on in flight catering . .

[@nemo6686]

Get your cameraman a gimbal, or at the least a tripod.

[@billy4072]

ROV, s 👂👂👂. A strange bunch.

[@bexhill8777]

and yet we bemoan the russians..who are doing what we do..western hypocracy at its finest