The mighty Boeing 707, first commercial jet-airliner of the United States and rival to Britain's Comet IV, sped high over the Atlantic September 8 on a proving flight, then for the first time descended on London Airport for noise tests.
Soon after the official courtesy handshakes on the tarmac, the phone wires buzzed to the airport: eleven citizen complained from their nearby homes about the noise from the Boeing's four jet engines which are specially fitted with silencers.
The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation logged the complaints, replied the Boeing was undergoing tests to measure its noise.
Near the Boeing was a Comet IV. Another Comet, last month in New York for noise tests, sped yesterday to Cairo from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, on its last-but-one proving flight.
Both Boeing and Comet are due to open transatlantic services November.
In service, the Boeing will carry up to 165 passengers. It is claimed it will carry as many passengers across the Atlantic in a year as the Queen Mary.
The question now in the air is which aircraft, the Boeing or the Comet, will win the prestige race of being first to operate the non-stop transatlantic service?
Most aviation observers are eyeing the Comet.
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