De Havilland Cupid

[zenrat]

De Havilland Cupid - National Aviation Museum, Dadswell Bridge, PDRV

De Havilland Cupid - 11 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

A development of the De Havilland DH 88 Comet, the Cupid was intended as a light bomber and reconnaissance floatplane to be operated from the Royal Navy's larger assets.  The Navy however, had other ideas, rejecting it due to poor pilot view (the wings and engines obscure a lot), lack of a rearward firing defensive gun and a perceived (but unproven) fragility.

De Havilland Cupid - 17 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The prototype (unarmed but with bomb racks fitted into the nacelles) disappeared from it's moorings at Calshott Spit one dark and stormy night never to be seen again...

De Havilland Cupid - 8 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

...until it turned up on the Jezabel, a Grimsby class sloop being operated as an opium trader by Lord "Rutting" Ralph Peirpoint-de Villiers the one eyed, hook handed, ex convict, former Tory mp, explorer, adventurer, cavalry officer and allegeded father of a hundred bastards scattered throughout the South Seas.

De Havilland Cupid - 10 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Rutting Ralph regularly used the Cupid to drop 250lb "persuaders" onto his rivals operations as well as for making flying visits to his Island Wives.  Indeed, it was on one of these visits that he met his untimely end when caught with his pants down by Captain Fat Hamster's Sky Pirates.

De Havilland Cupid - 22 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Ending up in the hands of the PDRV when the Southern Air Patrol finally took down Captain Fat Hamster, the Cupid was mothballed at Dadswell Bridge when airworthy inspections revealed the glue holding the wings together was de-bonding.  It then languished in a hanger for a couple of decades before being full disassembled prior to a complete restoration to flying condition.

De Havilland Cupid - 11 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model

Airfix DH-88 Comet PSR'd to within an inch of its life and thus there is no raised detail remaining.
Floats from Arii Nakajima A6M2-N (comparison of the unladen weight of a Zero and of a Comet show there to be enough buoyancy).
Crew from my box of little people.
This took me many years to complete.  Mainly due to a complete loss of interest when the PSR got too much.  Airfix really need to retire these moulds (which date from 1957) but I bet they'll see at least one more appearance, prolly with a "Classic" label slapped on the box.
I think that IRL it wouldn't work as the engines are too close to the water and would get swamped by spray on take off.  I also think it looks great.  The Comet is such a "fast" looking aircraft as well as being graceful.

De Havilland Cupid - 24 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Tophe]

  so nice, elegance and harmony... 

[tanktastic43]

Great paint!

tt43.

[PR19_Kit]

That's VERY ingenious Fred, and the colour scheme is just wonderful. 

The bomb bays in the engine nacelles are very clever and I love the beaching trolley. Where did that come from BTW, it looks vaguely familiar somehow?

[kitbasher]

Sexy beast!

Inspired and inspirational - that's my promise never again (3 done, fourth nearly done) to whif an Airfix Comet Racer out of the window  

[comrade harps]

Pretty 

Love the story too 

[NARSES2]

Very nice 

[Old Wombat]

Woh!

All the above!

[TomZ]

Yes! Looks great.

Can I put it on my Comet website?
(With the appropriate credits of course)

TomZ

[loupgarou]

Very vry pretty. But I'd have expected something more ahem "macho" from your pirates. 
Where does the tractor come from? Wheels look from the Hot Wheels series.

[Dizzyfugu]

Green!

[JayBee]

GREEN with envy!
What a truly gorgeous wee beastie. 

[nighthunter]

The Cupid looks lovely in green

[The Rat]

Wondrous! 

[Captain Canada]

Beauty. Nice little read and a great looking aeroplane ! Love the idea for the bombs.