Rare Bear

Here are some images of Dave Porter's 1/48 scale “Rare Bear” unlimited air racer. It’s completed in the livery of 97-98 season. This aircraft has been very successful racing a Reno over the years. The kit started out as the Testers fighter version. Dave had to shorten the wings, add a tail dart and install a cowling from a 1/48 Invader from monogram. Dave created the racing canopy by carving a race version out of basswood and vac-forming over it. The Testors kit didn’t have an interior so I modified a resin hellcat interior and installed it. His friend helped him create the decals on the computer. Some of the decals were hand painted. The prop for the racer is from a 1/32 scale P-51 and highly modified to represent the actual Orion prop on the real airplane. The big spinner is from a 1/48 Monogram Mosquito with a 1/25 mag wheel glued to the back of it. Dave finished the aircraft in Gold and white enamels and he clear coated, wet sanded, and polished out the finish. There finally are kits available in 1/72 and 1/48 scale for this aircraft from High Planes models.