Vulcanicity Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 OK, this is is my first foray into the odd world of airliner modellng, so be gentle! This year I've been introducing my lovely girlfriend Louise to aviation history, bit by bit. Among other things we've been to Duxford for a look round, and enjoyed a couple of Shuttleworth shows and Flying Legends together. ] Anyhow, for no reason that I can determine, the two aircraft she has most taken to, out of all the things we've seen, are the DH Comet and the Fieseler Storch. She's also shown quite a bit of interest in my modelling, so I bought her the Academy Storch for her birthday (very much still a WIP) and agreed to make her a Comet for Christmas! So here's the result. From the start I wanted to convert my 1:144 Airfix kit into a Comet 4 of BOAC, as well as improve the detailing. Changes to the base kit are was follows: Cut 1.99 scale metres (two windows) from the fuselage length-this was tricky as the fuselage tapers subtly outward towards the nose! Cut off the wingtips, and added new carved from scrap plastic to reach correct wingspan for longer-winged Comet 4. Wing pinion tanks from 1:72nd Vampire T.11 drop tanks (they're an amazingly good match) Tank fillet fairings from scrap resin and filler Re-profiled fin tip Detailed exhaust cans Added rudimentary cockpit including floor, instrument panel, seats and yokes. Cut out near-nonexistent nosehweel bay, built new to appropriate depth with plasticard, detailed with more plasticard. Thinned out nose and main u/c doors and added extra struts to legs Replaced cockpit glazing with individual windows from CD case Cut out underside thrust reversers and various vents etc. Lined intakes and added rudimentary compressor faces. Drilled out auxiliary intakes between main ones Drilled out landing lights outboard of intakes and replaced with shaped clear sprue Plasticard aerials, intake scoops, anti-collision beacons added to added to fusleage and centre section Plasticard fuel dump pipes added to wings and tanks, hinge actuators added to aileron trim tabs, and wing fenclets added to leading edge. Scribed majority of panel lines, filled and re-scribed double joints between control surfaces The model is shown below before painting with Halfords Appliance White and Hunbrol Metalcote rattle-cans. I used the S&M sheet for Comet 4 to represent G-ADPC, one of the two aircraft which flew the first scheduled transatlantic jet service in 1958. The decals were of very good quality but rather over-sized, for example the tailfin decal was much too big, and the fuselage stripe needed cutting down to fit the kit windows better. The bit where the stripes widen and join around the nose was a nightmare, especially as I had to cut around the cockpit windows. In the end I mixed paint to as close a match as possible for BOAC blue, and had to touch up! It doesn't notice too badly under a coat of gloss varnish though. Hope you like the results! Horrible flash shot shows up all sorts of nightmares, but it's the only way to see the intakes properly: U/C bay. Just noticed the ruddy stripe isn't central. Grrrrr! Happy customer. 34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 You've done a cracking job on a very old kit and you're young lady is rightly happy with it! Brilliant modelling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Lovely build. I remember reading some American book claiming the 707 was the first operational jet airliner using some spurious "regular service" clause The Comet will always remain a classic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith in the uk Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Great job on grooming the missus Nice Comet as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Still one of the most beautiful commercial aircraft made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 I remember reading some American book claiming the 707 was the first operational jet airliner using some spurious "regular service" clause . Yep. Conversation many years ago with a Boeing tech rep had him saying similar. We asked whether he thought the Comet might have been before the 707. 'Well apart from that.....' came the reply. 'Well, there also might have also been the TU 104?' 'OK, apart from that as well....'. Can't win sometimes. Nice job on that old Airfix kit Vulcanicity - have you rescribed it as well? Respect! Bit of proper modelling gone on there. Nige B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beautiful build, and for your first foray into the odd world of airliner modelling, I think we need to keep you here for a little bit. The cheat line around the nose tends always to be a bear! Cheers, Mike (Yeah, first scheduled jet service was London - Johannesburg on the Comet - not giving that up! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 That is seriously nice, especially considering the base kit you started from. But be careful; airliners are addictive. You start with just one and soon enough you notice that you've got Heathrow sitting on your display shelves. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnerboy Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 lovely model sir of a thing of beauty....don't do airliners but i'd make an exception if someone would bring one out in 1/72 ( & a VC10 ) BTW I believe there was a German company called Fliegerhorst?? IIRC that produced a 1/72 Comet some years ago. Did anyone build it or know if its still available? I feel a whetted appetite if it is. http://modelingmadness.com/review/civil/airlines/tmccomet.htm but then again maybe not sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread of a fantastic build 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Great piece of modelling. Well done. Especially adding wig tips and pinion tanks. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 That is a thing of great beauty Phil! You've done an outstanding job with all that work, You've definately inspired me to have a go at doing the same with one of my Airfix comets, and thanks for that tip on the Vampire tanks, I have a kit here that I can rob them from. New year for me - try and do Comet as good as yours Happy new year, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen T Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 A wonderful finish to a classic beauty, very nice detailing. Glen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Lovely Comet. The result was worth the effort, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Lovely job Phil. Certainly was a pretty aircraft. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Yep. Wot they said. Gotta love a Comet. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 (edited) John_W & Viscount806X .... Why oh why can't our American 'cousins' accept that they aren't always the first nation to do <insert anything here>? I had the same trouble in Philla a while ago - I was told that 'they' introduced Fire Insurance. I mentioned the aftermath olf the Great Fire of London - response was 'Wazzat?'. It's really quite vexing! Edited January 1, 2014 by Jonny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Thanks everybody! Doing my small bit to get the Comet recognised for its place in history! Viscount: Yes, it's had a pretty full rescribe, although as there were virtually no raised lines to start with I've put most of them in from scratch! The only thing I've missed are most of the small oval access panels-I decided that my life was too short to try and do all of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) Great job on the Comet and good luck with the Storch.Your girlfriend is right to be taken with it; it looked so dainty at Duxford this year, even making the Lysander look quite lumbering! I can't remember who, but I think a UK test pilot who flew a lot of UK and German planes said that the Storch was the only German plane that felt better than its allied equivalent... [edit] Eric "Winkle" Brown? Regards, Adrian Edited January 2, 2014 by AdrianMF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Very NOICE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Phil, We want to see more airliners from you now after this one! Great build and the extra detail you've thrown at it really makes a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Can see now where John (Viking) got the inspiration for his recent Dan Air build, gorgeous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 I can't remember whether I commented on this first time round but, anyway, a beautiful build of a beautiful, trailblazing aircraft. I did a similar job for my girlfriend a few years ago only it was the Supermarine Stranraer in her case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbofan Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Another corker I've missed first time round, where have I been!! This is the best Comet model I have ever seen. I love the detail and weathering you've added it really brings it to life. More of the same please! Cheers, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 Thanks folks! Think I might have a crack at the new Roden VC-10 before too long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodadriver Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I wasn't on Britmodeller when this first appeared and I'm glad to have the chance to admire it now. Beautiful work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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