The world's first jet airliner, the de Havilland DH 106 Comet, included a design provision to carry two hydrogen peroxide–powered de Havilland Sprite booster rockets intended to be installed for "hot and high" conditions from airports such as Khartoum and Nairobi.Cookman, Aubery O. Jr. "Commute by Jet". Popular Mechanics, 93(4), April 1950, pp. 149–152.Francis 1950, pp. 98–102. These were tested on thirty flights, but the de Havilland Ghost jet engines alone were considered powerful enough and some airlines concluded that rocket motors were impractical.Birtles 1970, p. 125. Nevertheless, Sprite fittings were retained on production Comet 1s but were rendered unnecessary with subsequent engine upgrades.Gunn 1987, p. 269.
The world's first jet airliner, the de Havilland DH 106 Comet, included a design provision to carry two hydrogen peroxide–powered de Havilland Sprite booster rockets intended to be installed for "hot and high" conditions from airports such as Khartoum and Nairobi.Cookman, Aubery O. Jr. "Commute by Jet". Popular Mechanics, 93(4), April 1950, pp. 149–152.Francis 1950, pp. 98–102. These were tested on thirty flights, but the de Havilland Ghost jet engines alone were considered powerful enough and some airlines concluded that rocket motors were impractical.Birtles 1970, p. 125. Nevertheless, Sprite fittings !were retained on production Comet 1s but were rendered unnecessary with subsequent engine upgrades.Gunn 1987, p. 269.