Hi! This a competition when the best available mainstream inection moulded kit fights with the best available limited production resin kit - O.K it's just a joke. As You may know the Airfix kit is with us for nearly 70(!) years now and still popular (but saw better days) and the little gem SBS kit is the pinnacle of the current resin/multimedia technology. The kit incorporates amazing details only capable using resin cast and parts breakdown and fit You can experience with the recent CAD designed modern mainstream kits. The competition is unfair as back then the real one was on the Macrobertson race.

Joffrey De Havilland soon realized that no compeent GBR built airplane existed that had any chance to win the Macrobertson. For patriotic reasons he made a private initiative to design and build such an aeroplane (if at least he got three orders in time before the events). To boost the orders (and throw away the famed "fair play"), De Havilland sold the planes for 5000pounds/each (if You were British citizen) inspite the real 50000pounds real price - so he practically made a purpose build type for winning the event 🙂 The rest is history.

I built the Airfix kit previously and as they say there is room for improvements. I designed an updateset for the nonexistent interior and some exterior bits so this time it will be faster. I suppose that after experiences with SBS I won't build any Airfix Comets in the future (unless they make a new moulding) and this one sits on my self for ages with the Black Magic decals. The SBS will be the Green Un as I made the Grosvenor House earlier. Here are some pics about the SBS and some preparation - ie. washing the parts in detergent water to remove the left release agents.

4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Looks like an interesting project that will keep me watching.

Excellent detail work !
Guess a entirely black cockpit would only make the interior invisible.

Today is a non-working day in Hungary. The SBS comes out well. I had to rescribe the wing-fuselage joints because of the mentioned too tight fit - I didn't dare to sand more at some point so I chosed the "good old" putty and sand method. The vertical stabilizer is somewhat oversized (or again, my fault during the construction dunno), but nothing that coudn't solve with a two minutes sanding and adjustments. The horizontal stabilizers are incredibly thin - I'm in constant fear that I will tear them but fortunately the material SBS use is flexible enough so I avoided this kind of incident so far. Ready some primer and final surface adjustment. The Airfix is the next one.

10 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Some Airfix too 🙂

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

The first coat of paint brings out the perfect prepared surfaces, looking good, Gabor.

Ok, slowly I arrive at the finish with both kits. On the first pic You can see the Airfix landing gear with my resin wheels (and very unrealistic wheel doors - I will use them anyway), on thesecond the SBS gear. I hate white metal parts (they problematic to sand, paint and tend to bend accidentally and theres no good glue for them) but I know that this is the only way for resin kits for such thin pieces. I remade the propellers also.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

That looks really good !