Number five for 2011 - The Italian DH Comet Racer...

I have always like the Italian red racing colour and I like their national colours and the way they were carried on the rudder at one time. When work started on Airfix's elderly Comet I knew it was going to end up looking a little different. It is such a clean aerodynamic shape that was ruined by both the multi-framed canopy and nose light. To say this kit is showing it's age would be one of those great polite British understatements.

To both improve the appearance of the kit and allow my justification to use the markings and configuration that would emphasize the airframes superlative form - some surgery and replacing some kit items were done.

First step was to cut out the cockpit area and adding a basic cockpit with one seat only. The kit engine cowlings were so poorly molded that they were cut off and replace with marginally better one from the Airfix Gosling.


With the new cowlings in place and the kit canopy secured with super glue, an aggressive series of sanding thinned all the flying surfaces and allow them to be in a uniform thickness.In addition, the canopy was blended into the fuselage and the windscreen given a more 'pointed' shape to comply better with the shape of the fuselage spine. Some basic panel lines were engraved and the kit tires were replaced with better molded and detailed ones from the Airfix Hurricane kit. New gear doors were made from .10 card and new exhaust pipes were made from rod that had one end sanded at a gentile slope and the aft end was drilled out.

Priming was done with a Tamiya rattle can, and then the tail was sprayed green and white and masked.The model received a base red of Floquil Caboose Red thinned with lacquer thinner. This was followed by misting on several coats of Humbrol Gloss Red 19 thinned with lacquer thinner. Each coat was wet sanded with 12,000 grit emery cloth to produce a smooth finish. Before the decals were applied, the main wings and parts of the fuselage were lightly hand polished with NOVUS 2 & 1 - As was the canopy after the masking was removed.

I noticed in photographs of the model that there is some silvering that needs to be corrected.






Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers, Vic