This helmet started life as a 1/8 scale Minichamps Damon Hill Jordan helmet.  I wanted to create the helmet Alonso would have worn when he drove for McLaren.  The move to McLaren from the Renault team promised much but it soon turned out to be a mistake for everyone involved that year.  The partnering of Hamilton and Alonso within the rarefied atmosphere of the Mclaren team resulted in a very unhappy time for the drivers and team alike.  So to the helmet, I first of all removed the visor and then applied some Nitromors paint stripper to the Hill example and so brought it back to the basic metal.  In order to create a key aspect of Alonsos helmet I needed to add the rear spoiler using some Milliput resin putty, plastic card and metal foil.  So I worked out roughly where it would be located and then marked the potential anchor points.  I also added metal pins on which to attach the putty.  Once dried, I used a Dremmel tool to bring it into shape and then finished it with various grades of sand paper.  In preparation for painting,  I have given it three or four coats of auto primer and as this has dried now for over a week, I’m ready to get out the airbrush and start applying some paint  – more later…..