My whiff of the crappy DH88 Comet
First of this was the worst kit I've ever done in the last 20 years since I took up this lark again..... Airfix should be ashamed for putting this out..... Tooling needs punting off the back of a ship over a very deep part of the sea..... Truly dreadful.... If something does actually fit it doesnt fit properly lol...... But it was fun in a strange way turning it into something it would never be
As to a military use for the Comet it is very unsuitable since it was designed to be a long range racer...... It's basically a lightweight flying fuel tank
No good as a fighter cos no where to put guns or armour..... And by 1940 it wasn't even fast...... No good as a photo recon aircraft since it was poor at high altitude and there's nowhere to put the cameras..... Remove fuel tanks to make room for cameras and the planes long range advantage is gone..... No good as a trainer since it was cramped and not good in handling when it came to landing or take off..... By 1940 the Blenheim was in use and the mosquito and beaufighter wouldn't be far behind
So needed to come up with something that used it's small size and long range to its advantage...... And don't forget there was only 3 aircraft available
I dug out my old RAF Daguerre photo base for this.... Interesting to see size comparison to a Spitfire
1940 and Britain is struggling after Dunkirk....... Facing equipment shortages civilian aircraft are requisitioned..... Mostly for liaison or training purposes but the three DH88 Comets posed a problem but a role was soon found
Certain places such as Gibraltar or the spy haven of Casablanca needed something small and nimble that was harder to see or intercept than the larger four engines seaplanes BOAC was using...... The range of the planes meant they could head out into the Atlantic then circle in...., so they became taxi's for inserting spys or other 'anonymous' people..... Or flying across Africa using fuel staging posts they could deliver VIP to the middle East or India
Painted in RAF camo, but still carrying their race names, and renamed the Chiffchaff after the small bird that migrates to North West Africa, they would serve for a year or so until better aircraft became available
First of this was the worst kit I've ever done in the last 20 years since I took up this lark again..... Airfix should be ashamed for putting this out..... Tooling needs punting off the back of a ship over a very deep part of the sea..... Truly dreadful.... If something does actually fit it doesnt fit properly lol...... But it was fun in a strange way turning it into something it would never be
As to a military use for the Comet it is very unsuitable since it was designed to be a long range racer...... It's basically a lightweight flying fuel tank
No good as a fighter cos no where to put guns or armour..... And by 1940 it wasn't even fast...... No good as a photo recon aircraft since it was poor at high altitude and there's nowhere to put the cameras..... Remove fuel tanks to make room for cameras and the planes long range advantage is gone..... No good as a trainer since it was cramped and not good in handling when it came to landing or take off..... By 1940 the Blenheim was in use and the mosquito and beaufighter wouldn't be far behind
So needed to come up with something that used it's small size and long range to its advantage...... And don't forget there was only 3 aircraft available
I dug out my old RAF Daguerre photo base for this.... Interesting to see size comparison to a Spitfire
1940 and Britain is struggling after Dunkirk....... Facing equipment shortages civilian aircraft are requisitioned..... Mostly for liaison or training purposes but the three DH88 Comets posed a problem but a role was soon found
Certain places such as Gibraltar or the spy haven of Casablanca needed something small and nimble that was harder to see or intercept than the larger four engines seaplanes BOAC was using...... The range of the planes meant they could head out into the Atlantic then circle in...., so they became taxi's for inserting spys or other 'anonymous' people..... Or flying across Africa using fuel staging posts they could deliver VIP to the middle East or India
Painted in RAF camo, but still carrying their race names, and renamed the Chiffchaff after the small bird that migrates to North West Africa, they would serve for a year or so until better aircraft became available
