On 2 May 1952 a transport revolution began. A de Havilland Comet took off from London Heathrow, inaugurating the world's first passenger jet service. The Comet was the first jet airliner, travelling faster, higher and further than any other passenger aircraft. By the late 1960s air travel was no longer the recreation of the rich. Ordinary people could climb aboard and be in distant locations within hours. Travel by jet has broadened our horizons, as well as our minds.

	2002 Airbus A340-600	1976 Concorde
Powerplants/Engines	Four Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans	Four Rolls-Royce SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 turbojets
Length	75.3m	62.1m
Height	17.3m	11.4m
Wing span	63.45m	25.55m
Cruising speed/altitude	1018kmh/13100m	2513kmh/15635m
Range with maximum payload	13,900km	6228km
Maximum number of passengers	380	144

	1964 VC10	1964 Trident
Powerplants/Engines	Four Rolls-Royce Conway 42 Mk 540 turbofans	Three Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 512-5W turbofans
Length	48.4m	34.98m
Height	12.05m	8.23m
Wing span	44.58m	29.87m
Cruising speed/altitude	933.22kmh/11590m	974kmh/7620m
Range with maximum payload	7450km	3965km
Maximum number of passengers	150	149

	1952 Comet
Powerplants/Engines	Four de Havilland Ghost 50 Mk 1 turbojets
Length	28.3m
Height	8.64m
Wing span	35.05m
Cruising speed/altitude	788kmh/10675m
Range with maximum payload	2816km
Maximum number of passengers	44