In 2005 the Comet Campaign has a new focus: the fiftieth anniversary of regular transatlantic jet flight. This important milestone in the history of aviation will be reached in October 2008. It may seem a long way off but the campaign is setting itself three years in which to persuade the relevant authorities, notably BAE Systems, that the last Comet Canopus should be restored to mark the anniversary in style. Indeed, of all the historical events associated with the record-beating Comet, the first regular transatlantic service - started by B.O.A.C on 4th October 1958 - is the most relevant. It was, after all, a Comet 4 that pioneered that route just a few days before America's rival Boeing 707. On that day, the British proved that they could bounce back from the setback of the Comet 1 disasters to produce an aeroplane that would shrink the world.

So, how realistic is it to expect Canopus to be airworthy for late 2008? Campaign chairman Alastair Layzell says: "Despite the care given to it by the staff at Bruntingthorpe, the longer we leave Canopus outside the more expensive restoration will become. We have to jump the regulatory hurdle created by the CAA's insistence that we have access to a full set of Comet design drawings and BAE's reluctance to make available any they have in their files. We will be working on this point with renewed energy in 2005." The campaign team plans to build on a meeting in 2003 with the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, Sir Roy McNulty. Sir Roy has given support for the aims of the National Air Pageant and its campaign to keep the world's last Comet flying but the Authority is powerless to act without further help from BAE Systems. Sir Roy was accompanied by Richard Profit, Group Director Safety Regulation, and Mike Bell, Head of the Design and Production Standards Division at the Safety Regulation Group. Between them they came up with a number of suggestions for a way forward.

Technical snags prevented Canopus completing a high-speed taxy at her Bruntingthorpe base on Sunday 3rd May, 2003. Airfield owner David Walton was disappointed but promised to get to grips with the problems, aided by the superb team from ATC Lasham Limited. It demonstrates that the longer this magnificent aircraft is left outside the less likely it is to fly again. Enquiries continue into the possibility of overhauling the four Avon engines, a pre-requisite of any civil certification by the authorities. Those who attended the Leicestershire venue over the Bank Holiday weekend had to be content with the memory of the last Open Day, on Sunday 15th September 2002, when the Comet completed two high-speed taxy runs along the 9,000ft runway (below). Cameras were at the ready as the Comet taxied sedately to the threshold of the wartime runway before roaring past the large crowd (below). It was an emotional moment for National Air Pageant chairman Alastair Layzell: "This was the first time I had seen this seminal aeroplane come to life since we rescued her five years ago. One got the feeling that the campaign to make Canopus airworthy is more important than ever." However, there is little doubt that nearly six years sitting outside at Bruntingthorpe is taking its toll, not upon the airframe - which remains in good condition - but on the engines. They will require an overhaul before a ferry flight to Lasham can be contemplated.

The Comet was in the capable hands of captains Terence Henderson and Jock Reid (below) and with John Down at the flight engineer's station, Canopus performed well thanks to the sterling efforts of Steve Gerrish and John Thomas from ATC Limited Lasham who had worked on the engines and systems over the weekend.

The team preparing the Comet for the Bruntingthorpe Open Day in September got some surprise help from staff who had worked with the aeroplane at Boscombe Down in the 1960s. Max Parker and Bill Easen were attached to E Squadron and have fond memories of Canopus. Max recalls it being delivered in early 1964. They and their wives turned up to the Leicestershire airfield to clean the Comet's interior and were on hand to witness it taxy on the Sunday. They and their wives are great supporters of the campaign to return this important piece of aviation history to the air. (Below) left to right: Max Parker (Boscombe Down 1963-67), Cheryl Parker, Bill Easen (Boscombe Down 1964-69), Joyce Easen (former PA to E Squadron).

Meanwhile, it is proving harder than we expected to get Canopus airborne. BAE Systems has officially declined to allow access to the Comet design drawings that survive. A fresh approach was made in 2001 but came to nothing. However, the team behind this unique project is not giving up...yet. According to National Air Pageant Chairman Alastair Layzell: "All those involved in this campaign have fallen in love with this remarkable aeroplane and the history it represents. We are working together to find new ways around the regulatory hurdles erected by BAE and the CAA and I very much hope we will be successful. Although we missed the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the BOAC Comet services, which fell on 2nd May 2002, there will be other milestones to mark and this gives us heart." Without the design drawings the Civil Aviation Authority will not allow a third party company to provide type design support. A personal appeal by Lord Brabazon and the Chairman of the National Air Pageant, Alastair Layzell, to BAE Chairman Sir Dick Evans came to nothing. It is true that many of the drawings were lost or destroyed in the various BAE moves but allowing us to use those drawings which survive would at least help to move the project on. Alastair Layzell said: "BAE's senior managers kept saying they wanted to help but their words were not translated into actions".

The 2002 Open Day at Bruntingthorpe recalled the previous event when Canopus was taxied to 90kts on the main runway at Bruntingthorpe on Sunday 2nd September 2001 and the crew reported the aeroplane to be in good shape. In command was Captain Jock Reid, Captain Terence Henderson was in the right-hand seat and Flight Lieutenant Nick Newton was at the flight engineer's station, just as he was on the day Canopus was delivered to Bruntingthorpe in October 1997. He was assisted by flight engineer John Down. The crew complimented the ground team from ATC Lasham Limited on their maintenance. Project Director Steve Gerrish was in the jump seat for the single run in front of 2,000 spectators as part of the Bruntingthorpe Open Day.

So where are we now? Well, the aeroplane remains at Bruntingthorpe but the same dedicated team that prepared her for the taxy-day has ensured that she was well protected for the winter months. Certainly, she is getting more Tender Loving Care than ever before, a fact which will be important to the CAA if it ever gets to consider an application for a Certificate of Airworthiness. Funds raised are being held until a decision is reached on the project. Thanks to the efforts of ATC Lasham Limited we have a very clear idea of the work required to make Canopus airworthy.

Engineering teams from ATC Lasham Limited, under the direction of John Thomas, have paid regular visits to continue work on the systems and run the four Rolls-Royce Avon engines. As you can see from the images above and below (the chairman in the cockpit on Friday 30th March 2001) the Comet remains in good condition and has been thoroughly cleaned by specialists Aero Nordic who sent up a team from Gatwick and gave their services free.

Pledges are being converted to contributions as fund-raising gets into full swing. £20,000 arrived at the headquaters of The National Air Pageant within forty-eight hours of club members being approached to follow through on the pledges they made at the start of the campaign. New members of the Gold, Silver and Bronze clubs are joining daily. For details see "Join Us". Although the first cheque to the CAA, in respect of the application for a Certificate of Airworthiness, was written it was not sent because of the uncertainty of access to design drawings.

Canopus has lost its military designation XS235 in favour of the civil registration G-CPDA. Its new identity was applied in the middle of August 2000. Sadly, the CAA would not re-issue an historic registration; we would have liked G-APDA, the registration of the first B.O.A.C Comet 4. Instead, we have chosen G-CPDA - the closest we can get.

Our campaign received a significant boost at Farnborough 2000. It was heavily promoted on the Shell stand and Chairman Alastair Layzell, accompanied by Captain Freddy Clarkson and Project Director Steve Gerrish, took the opportunity to make new contacts. Fresh offers of sponsorship came in the form of floor safety lighting and a complete set of batteries (see Sponsors page).

Shell, the multi-national petroleum group, has agreed to supply lubricants for the ferry flight. We have also asked Shell to consider supplying fuel for the first two years of the Comet's operation.

The Real Thing! The next best thing to seeing Canopus "in the flesh" is to buy the latest model of it issued by Corgi in their Aviation Archive series. The model, at 1/144 scale, is finely detailed and well worth acquiring. Ask your model dealer for reference 48505. It's a limited edition, so hurry! Corgi have also produced a model of the Comet 4 in B.O.A.C. livery but, since it was issued in 1999, it has become something of a rarity..

An Engine Steering Group has been formed under Project Director Steve Gerrish. Its members include former Rolls-Royce team leaders on the Avon engine and the Group has submitted a detailed inspection plan to the Powerplant division of the Civil Aviation Authority. The aim is to get the CAA to allow the engines to operate "on condition", subject, of course, to a rigorous maintenance programme.

A Flight Operations Steering Group has been formed by Captains Terence Henderson and Derek Lane. Its role is to work out the logistics of the proposed ferry flight from Bruntingthorpe to Lasham, Hampshire, where the engineering work will be carried out. The Flight Ops Steering Group will also be responsible for dictating how the aeroplane will be flown in future.

The Civil Aviation Authority has agreed to stage the payments in the process of applying for a Certificate of Airworthiness. This concession was outlined in a letter to Alastair Layzell, Chairman of the National Air Pageant, and campaign supporter Lord Brabazon of Tara from the Chairman of the CAA, Sir Malcolm Field. Sir Malcolm wrote: "...I wish to assure you that we will do whatever we can to help you to keep the last airworthy Comet airborne." (Letter dated 10th May 2000).

The Story so far....

Canopus flew into Bruntingthorpe from Boscombe Down on 30th October 1997. Since then The National Air Pageant has been canvassing support to return this fine aeroplane to the air in the colours of B.O.A.C. A whole year was spent trying to persuade British Aerospace to act as Type Certificate Holder. In the end BAe declined. Another year was occupied asking Rolls-Royce to support the engines. But, because R-R had destroyed the tooling for the Avon 524 and because most of its Avon engineers had retired, the company said it could not help.

This took us to December 1999 at which point we looked at alternative solutions. In respect of the airframe, the CAA has agreed in principle that someone other than BAe may hold a Type Responsibility Agreement. We hope this will be ATL at Bournemouth. As far as the engines are concerned, we have put an innovative plan to the CAA (see above) in order to avoid having to undertake a full overhaul.

If both these actions are agreed by the CAA the only thing stopping the project taking off will be money.

It is our intention to ferry Canopus to Lasham, Hampshire, where the work necessary to achieve a Certificate of Airworthiness (Private Category) will be carried out by ATC Lasham Ltd., many of whose engineers worked on the Dan Air Comet when Lasham was the airline's maintenance base. ATC's Quality Manager, Steve Gerrish has become Project Director: he and his team have already analysed the military maintenance records, surveyed the aeroplane, devised a work schedule to prepare it for a ferry flight and compiled a low utilisation maintenance schedule for submission to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Meanwhile, the aeroplane remains at Bruntingthorpe airfield, Leicestershire where David Walton and his team from the British Aviation Heritage Collection are doing sterling work with a care and maintenance programme. The aeroplane was moved, under its own power, for an Open Day in May, 2000 and again for a high-speed taxy in September 2001 and 2002. A team of engineers from ATC Lasham Limited has recently been attending to the engines and systems.