I think this is probably a 1st-year or
1st-term (Christmas) an apprentices or engineering student's test-piece, due to
its crudity and lack of true mirror-symmetry . . . and the fact that the
engines point outward, or that it lacks a notable or noticeable cockpit!
However, one or two people who saw it at
the show thought it might have had a more commercial aspect, remembering
similar stuff from their childhoods. Being older than me I'm not going to argue
with them and will leave it to your judgement.
It's an aluminium casting, but appears to
have been poured, not pressure-injected, resulting in softer lines and a rougher
surface, and might be trying to be a Bristol
Blenheim fighter-bomber?
We know what this is because it's written
on both wings! A De Havilland Comet,
but issued in a natty army-green, rather than the more famous racing scarlet!
It's also marked with the B&s cipher of Barratt and Son's - similar to the cipher of the Bergan Toy Company (Beton)!
What I find so fascinating about this
slush-cast lead-alloy (whitemetal) model is that it's almost identical in
production values or properties to the early Supermarine Spitfire and Bolton-Paul
Defiant models from Palitoy, not because it's copying them,
but because they were aping the previous technology, prior to discovering the
full potential in the properties of the new materials.
The way the propellers are fixed on with
nails set into the casting, the whole profile of the wings and fuselage, even
the marking position and style is similar!
Thanks to Adrian again, for the photo-op'.
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