I've got some "un-released" period MEXICANA liveries for the COMET 4 series
Here's a quick review of each .... along with a little historical information about MEXICANA DE AVIATION .... and the COMET 4 SERIES ....
MEXICANA DE AVIACION was the worlds 5th oldest airline .... superseded only by KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES, AVIANCA COLOMBIA, QANTAS AIRWAYS, and SABENA BELGIUM WORLD AIRLINES.
MEXICANA was founded on July 12th 1921 as COMPANIA MEXICANA DE TRANSPORTACION AEREA (CMTA) .... later renamed COMPANIA MEXICANA DE AVIATION (CMA) during 1924 .... and was eventually bought by PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS during 1929.
Early MEXICANA services (primarily to Mexico's Tampico oil fields over the countries unpaved, rugged, and bandit-infested countryside) were operated by LINCOLN STANDARD biplanes, then FAIRCHILD FC-1A, FAIRCHILD FC-2, and FAIRCHILD 71 monoplanes. Following investment in the airline by PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS .... and until the late 1950's .... FORD TRIMOTOR, LOCHEED L1 ELECTRA, BOEING 247D, DC2, DC3, DC4, DC6B, and DC7C aircraft were all progressively introduced .... some of which were operated by the airline for less than 1 year.
By the late 1950's most of the worlds major airlines were either upgrading to jet equipment in order to remain competitive .... MEXICANA followed this trend also when on October 30th 1959 the airline contracted for 3 DH106 COMET 4C aircraft (XA-NAR, XA-NAS, and XA-NAT) .... for delivery during 1960.
The airlines first "Golden Aztec" jetliner service was operated by COMET 4C XA-NAS, on July 4th 1960, between Mexico City and Los Angeles, under the command of Captain Roberto PINI. With a fleet of 3 COMET 4C aircraft in service by late 1960 the airline was able to introduce jet services on all of its premier routes by 1961 .... from Mexico City to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and San Francisco in the USA.
MEXICANA DE AVIATION DH-106 COMET 4C XA-NAR
MEXICANA DE AVIATION/GUEST DH106 COMET 4C XA-NAS
MEXICANA DE AVIATION ("Golden Aztec") DH-106 COMET 4C XA-NAR
MEXICANA DE AVIATION DH-106 COMET 4C XA-NAR
COMET 4C became the final production version of the definitive COMET 4 series of aircraft and which first flew on October 31st 1959. This particular version was the result of a logical mating of the longer COMET 4B fuselage with the standard COMET 4 wing.
The COMET 4C had a fuselage length of 118 ft, wingspan of 115.ft (featuring wing leading edge located pinion fuel tanks), and was powered by 4 RR Avon 525B turbojet engines rated at 10,500 lbs thrust each, and was certified for a MTOW of 162,000 lbs.
The COMET 4C had a range of some 2,800 miles and capacity for up to 106 PAX. Though never operated by BOAC, the COMET 4C became the most successful of all COMET versions and accounted for production of 30 units of the total 113 COMET airframes produced by De Havilland. This version eventually saw service with a large number of other foreign operators around the world.
Options for a further 2 COMET 4C aircraft were never taken up by MEXICANA due to intense domestic and foreign competition, but, from October 1964, 2 COMET 4 aircraft were leased from BOAC (XA-NAB ex G-APDT and XA-NAP ex G-APDR) .... which was by this time commencing the withdrawal these aircraft from its fleet. These 2 additional aircraft supplemented the airlines existing 3 COMET 4C's and enabled it to expand its jetliner service to both Dallas/Fort Worth, and Miami in the USA.
MEXICANA DE AVIATION DH-106 COMET 4 XA-NAP
MEXICANA DE AVIATION DH-106 COMET 4 XA-NAB
COMET 4 first flew on April 27th 1958 and entered BOAC service on October 4th 1958. Although it appeared externally identical to the developmental COMET 3 .... save for its 2 wing leading edge located pinion fuel tanks .... this model was extensively re-engineered in light of the 1954 COMET 1 disasters.
COMET 4 aircraft had a fuselage length of 111.5 ft, wingspan of 115.ft and was powered by 4 RR Avon 524 turbojet engines rated at 10,500 lbs thrust each. It was certified for a MTOW of 152,000 lbs and had a range of some 3,200 miles, and had capacity for up to 81 PAX. This particular model became the first of the definitive COMET 4 SERIES aircraft which ultimately redeemed the types early reputation. A total of 19 COMET 4's were produced by De Havilland. All of these aircraft were initially operated by BOAC. However, by the time of its entry to commercial service Great Britain's enormous technological lead had been significantly eroded and COMET 4 already outclassed by B707, CV880, CV990 and DC8 jetliners of superior performance and economy.
From 1967 the COMET was gradually phased out of the MEXICANA fleet as B727-100 aircraft were introduced to service .... from 1966. By 1970 all COMET 4 and COMET 4C aircraft had been withdrawn from the airlines fleet.
As was the case with a number of the worlds major airlines .... which could not immediately afford to purchase B707/720, B727, CV880, CV990, and DC8 aircraft during the late 1950's/early 1960's .... the COMET ushered MEXICANA into the jet age and to new horizons. Combined with a new/better management/direction during the 1960's period the airline prospered as it extended its influence further afield and amidst intense competition on both its domestic and international routes.
By the late 1960's MEXICANA DE AVIACION had acquired all of its remaining PAN AMERICAN owned stock to become a fully 100% Mexican owned enterprise.
During 1977 2 B707-320C aircraft were also acquired in order to service an intended new route between Mexico City and London .... with prospective services being extended to other European ports .... via Cancun and Nassau, however, industrial relations between the airline and its cabin crew resulted in this new service not comming to fruition and the B707, though acquired by the airlines, never entered MEXICANA service.
Beyond its "British phase" (COMET operations) MEXICANA operated B727-100, B727-200, B727-200 ADVC, and DC10-15 aircraft between the1960's and 1990's .... followed later by A318-100, A319-100, A320-200, A330-200, B757-200, B767-200ER, and B767-300ER aircraft.
MEXICANA CLICK (originally MEXICANA INTER) became the low-fare regional division of MEXICANA when the airline acquired AEROCARIBE (founded in 1975) during August 1990 .... operating F100 and FH227 aircraft. MEXICANA CLICK later acquired B717-200 aircraft to service its domestic and regional routes.
The airline became a STAR ALLIANCE member during 2000 .... but .... vacated to join the ONE WORLD ALLIANCE from November 10th 2009.
On 4 February 2009 MEXICANA won a concession to operate a new feeder airline .... MEXICANA LINK. Services commenced on March 13th 2009 using CRJ-200 aircraft. This feeder operator complemented MEXICANA CLICK operations and services on low-density routes in order to feed MEXICANA's mainline operations.
After 89 years of service Mexicana suspended all operations at noon on August 28, 2010 .... following labor union disputes and a reported debt of some US$125 million.
Mark C
AKL/NZ
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