Need help identifying Aeroplane Casting (2 Viewers)

[johnnybach]

Hi Brad - that's one thing bugging me - I have an uneasy feeling in the back of my mind that I read somewhere that Comet (Authenticast) used spin-casting from rubber moulds - in fact I THINK they were one of the pioneers of doing so. That has stuck in my head, because we don't call it spin-casting this side of the Pond - we call it centrifuge casting. Maybe though, JP's mould is an early hand prototype??? I'm guessing that they MUST have had some. Can't find where I read all that now though.


But the look and the size is dead right for a recognition model - so maybe we can just agree that it is of that type - but can't be 100% positive that it's a Comet.

By he way - I found another pic which COULD include a Spitfire from a pic. on an old e-bay advert. Someone has had a go with a paintbrush - but they look like Authenticast - and one of the small ones looks a bit like JP's model

 

[theBaron]

I'll look in O'Brien's book tonight and see if he mentions it. That does sound about right, because I think he mentioned that Comet advertized being able to represent rivets on a ship, even if they were no bigger than a grain of sand, and O'Brien noted that anyone who'd seen Comet's castings would wonder what they were talking about.

Prost!
Brad

 

[mensaman]

Hello JB and the Baron

Once again thank you for your interesting replies - it would seem in this case that the search for its introduction is infinitely more interesting than the model itself and I am very impressed with your findings thus far. I must confess that I have formed the opinion that it is indeed a silhouette recognition type model due to the lack of any external details i.e. wheels; engine exhausts etc. It is a single hand-held mould cut rather crudely in aluminium and I agree it looks like a prototype - certainly not designed for a centrifuge or made for mass production.

You are right in that my new found interest appears to be mould collecting but I don’t think I will stray too far from the path of Toy Soldiers in future - as you know I have recently a new-found interest in German manufactured steel and aluminium moulds of the type by Schneider and Meisterzinn and will expand my future mould collection into this fascinating area. As to the last photo you supplied although a bit small it does look exactly like the Spitfire to the bottom right.

So once, again my grateful thanks to both of you for all your research - a lot of work for something which will probably end up back in the pot!

Best regards. JP

 

[johnnybach]

Hi JP - This hobby is never "work" for me. Half of the fun of it - is in the chase! I just love reading the replies that questions like this often turn up. For example, I learned that this scale of 1/432 was chosen for these pocket sized recognition models - because when held at the average person's arms lenghth - it would look like the real thing at half a mile away. How simple - yet how clever - is that? Thanks for showing us this one. jb

 

[mensaman]

Hi JP - This hobby is never "work" for me. Half of the fun of it - is in the chase! I just love reading the replies that questions like this often turn up. For example, I learned that this scale of 1/432 was chosen for these pocket sized recognition models - because when held at the average person's arms lenghth - it would look like the real thing at half a mile away. How simple - yet how clever - is that? Thanks for showing us this one. jb

Hello all

After a very entertaining afternoon chatting to two ex-RAF pilots and looking at various 'real models', we have come to the conclusion that the casting is of a Spitfire Model 5B. Neither of these lovely gents had ever heard of aircraft recognition models, having at the time (and in the thick of it) just the standard posters of drawings and silhouettes on the barrack room walls. Both flew many sorties using Spitfires in anger and one neighbour had been an instructor for twenty years before retirement the other flew many different aircraft including bombers over a long RAF career. I was so very grateful to be able to have an amiable chat with these two - one ninety years old and the other ninety one! So many thanks for everyone’s input - I can safely put this casting to bed and forget it …

All the best to all. JP

 

[theBaron]

That's a great followup to the story, JP! Maybe you can use the mold and make something for them, as a token.

Prost!
Brad

 

[mensaman]

That's a great followup to the story, JP! Maybe you can use the mold and make something for them, as a token.

Prost!
Brad

Hello theBaron

Unfortunately the quality of my mould is way beyond that of the quality models cast in silver that these gents own. They only managed to identify mine by the air intake on the starboard wing, the oil cooler on the port wing and the single prop. As I know nothing about aircraft that's good enough for me - I think this probably ends my foray into unknown model realms and in future I will stick to Model Soldiers ...

All the best. JP

 

[johnnybach]

There's nothing to beat a pair of "primary sources" like that JP. Lovely story - and I guess you were lucky to find such a pair of distinguished Gents as those two ex-spitfire pilots - who were at the sharp-end. Glad you now have the 'plane make sorted. Interesting that pilots never knew that ID models existed - though unsurprising really - as they were made for ground observers. I guess we will never really find out the manufacturer of the mould was - as is sometimes the case with unmarked items in the TS World. However, you never know......................jb

 

[mensaman]

There's nothing to beat a pair of "primary sources" like that JP. Lovely story - and I guess you were lucky to find such a pair of distinguished Gents as those two ex-spitfire pilots - who were at the sharp-end. Glad you now have the 'plane make sorted. Interesting that pilots never knew that ID models existed - though unsurprising really - as they were made for ground observers. I guess we will never really find out the manufacturer of the mould was - as is sometimes the case with unmarked items in the TS World. However, you never know......................jb

Hi JB

Yes - I had a really enjoyable afternoon with these two lovely old gents. The last time my wife and I visited - we came staggering home after consuming copious amounts or red splosh! You have to hand it to these RAF types - they sure can handle their drinks ... apropos the casting, I was going to throw it back into the pot but I have decided to keep it as a memento of an afternoon well spent. All the best. JP