Although commercial sales for the design never fully recovered, the redesigned Comet Mark 2, Mark 3, and Mark 4 series designs enjoyed a productive career over the next 30 years. The Comet succeeded in various military roles such as VIP, medical and passenger transport, and maritime patrol. The most extensive modification resulted in a specialized surveillance variant for the Royal Air Force (RAF) known as the Nimrod. Outlasting the Comet series, the Nimrods remained in service with the RAF until they were retired in June 2011, 62 years after the Comet's first flight.
