In article .net,
Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"Spiv" wrote in message
...

It was a people carrying jet.

So was the Meteor.

While even appearing to align myself with the egregious and
unnecessary spiv on any topic whatsoever is a truely repellant
concept, the Nene Viking did represent a significant step towards the
passenger-carrying jet in a way that the Meat-Box didn't (as the first
jet-to-see-production to fly[1], the Meteor has enough significance to
keep it going).
The Nene Viking was certainly the first mating of an airliner
fuselage to jet power and the first jet to be capable of
employment as an airliner (engine and type certification aside).
None of this was true of earlier designs, unless you were going
to adopt the approach to passenger-carrying of the BOAC Mosquitoes.
Unlike any earlier jet, the Nene Viking was capable of airline
service (given engine and type certification - the latter
never being sought for the good reason that it wouldn't
have made a half-good airliner), albeit hopelessly uneconomically
(which was why it was never developed as an airliner).
To be sure, the mating of jets and an airliner fuselage (as opposed
to mating jets to a bomber, which was common with testbeds) was
going to happen soon, but the Nene Viking was the first example
and deserves a certain amount of credit as such.

[1] and, with one example still in regular use (with Martin-Baker
Ltd, but carrying an RAF serial), the jet with the longest service
history.

--
Andy Breen ~ Speaking for myself, not the University of Wales
"your suggestion rates at four monkeys for six weeks"
(Peter D. Rieden)