THINK PAINTING A MODEL AIRLINER IS HARD WORK? HAVE A LOOK AT THE REAL THING IN THIS FOUR-MINUTE VIDEO

Mr J REPORT:
I can remember my very first airliner kit, a 1:96 scale Frog de Havilland Comet IV. The kit came with minimal detail, but did have looong decal strips for the fuselage sides, and a daunting amount of white paint was needed to cover the upper surface. After much careful application of tape, on went the paint and, well, to my chagrin much of it seeped underneath, and the kit was never the same again. I soon learned to mask with the best of them, but somehow never really returned to airliners with any degree of enthusiasm!

How I wish I'd had the facilities shown here for a Thomson Airways revamp from old insignia to swoopy new markings. I wish!

A CLOSE LOOK AT THE REISSUED 1:72 SCALE AIRFIX DH.88 COMET RACER

Mat Irvine builds a 1934 racing aircraft

When this kit was first issued it was regarded as a pretty nice little model of the aircraft that won the 1934 England to Australia MacRobertson Air Race. The slight trouble today is that the Airfix DH.88 was released more than half a century ago, in 1957, and things in the kit world have moved on considerably since then!

COLLECTIBLE DINKY TOYS MODEL AIRLINERS

The Guernsey Model Show included some highly collectible Dinky aircraft, including replicas of several airliners dating from the 1950s, a transatlantic turboprop Bristol Britannia, medium-range Vickers Viscount, and the turbojet de Havilland Comet. At the time, the real aircraft were leading-edge four-engine machines, the Viscount in particular being a big success, with 445 being built. Yet today, just four airworthy Viscounts exist, and no flying Comets or Britannias, though the Comet-based Nimrod patrol plane is likely to be in service until the 2020s.

However, Dinky Toys miniatures of these aircraft are available in fair numbers, and represent an appreciating asset for collectors. As ever with collectibles like these, buying what you like is the best plan - even if prices drop (unlikely with Dinky Toys) you've still got a desirable item.

Prices on eBay are a good guide to achievable values, and for a good condition Comet or Viscount with box, you can expect to pay north of £100.00 GBP ($167 USD). A Britannia is rarer and you are likely to pay around 50 percent more, but whatever price you end up paying, any of these will make a fine addition to your collection.

Find out about Dinky Toy and other diecast values at Toymart Auctions here.