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Comper Swift


rossm

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I have recently got hold of the Aeroclub vacform and want to finish it as G-ABUU flown by Connie Leathart at the 1937 Plymouth Air Races.

The only clue I have for colours is http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/50594-a-pair-of-swifts/

Does anyone have any more information ?

The race number for the Plymouth race was 6 - see http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%202116.html. If all else fails I'll use the colours in the link above (if I can find some lettering !?!?!?) and change the number to 6.

TIA,

Ross

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Hello Ross,

G-ABUU certainly doesn't appear to be in the scheme shown when owned by Connie Leatheart. See here:

http://www.tynedalelife.co.uk/2012/09/reaching-for-the-skies/

and here:http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?32479-Comper-CLA7-Swift/page4

Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Wings look to be silver.

That's all I've been able to find at the moment.

\dave

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Hello Ross,

G-ABUU certainly doesn't appear to be in the scheme shown when owned by Connie Leatheart. See here:

http://www.tynedalelife.co.uk/2012/09/reaching-for-the-skies/

and here:http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?32479-Comper-CLA7-Swift/page4

Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Wings look to be silver.

That's all I've been able to find at the moment.

\dave

Good finds, thank you! The first one shows the same race number - 6 - as it wore for the Plymouth race. Looks as if it could be all white then and the silver wings appeared later.

All I need now is a guess at the colour of the registration letters and then to find some in decal form, or at least some the right shape to copy and shrink to print my own.

Ross

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Hi Ross,

Found the first reference by googling Connie Leathart. You sometimes have to search around the subject rather than looking direct.

Regarding the colours, it's possible that her Comper had silver wings in the first reference photo as the white areas are burned out and over exposed silver can look like white. I say this because I found a little of the aircraft's record which said that it was kept until its C of A expired in 1940, I think by which time the RAF got hold of it as seems to be the case in the second ref.

Silver was often used on the wings as silver dope was lighter than other colours and more weather resistant.

As to the colour of the registration letters, without knowing the type of film used, it's impossible to tell with any certainty. I'd guess at a mid blue, but they could just as likely be red. Going on the aircraft in the background, I'd guess at blue based on the tone of the roundels and allowing for the white to enhance the contrast of any tone next to it but that's just a guess.

I notice that the second ref was posted by John Aero. Maybe he can help, he's an absolute mine of information on this period. He also does registration letter decals and might be able to help with those too.

Good luck with your model.

Dave

Edited by Fastcat
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just caught this as I've been away for a bit. I suspect at the time of the race BUU was White overall and possibly with Red letters. To some point this scheme was enhanced with a fuselage stripe. When it ended up with the ATC it certainly had Silver wings, probably a White fuselage and guessing Red letters..

John

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Just caught this as I've been away for a bit. I suspect at the time of the race BUU was White overall and possibly with Red letters. To some point this scheme was enhanced with a fuselage stripe. When it ended up with the ATC it certainly had Silver wings, probably a White fuselage and guessing Red letters..

John

Thank you John, as the number 6 is the same as it wore for the Plymouth race I'll go with a finish as per the first photo - white with no stripe. Do you have any suitable red letters for fuselage and/or wings left in your stocks please? If not I'll try to make some with my laser printer.

Ross

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  • 2 months later...

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