Nigel Heath Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 This is going to be my next project while the Terminator Aerial HK is resting: It was a 50th birthday present from fellow Britmodeller Col. As a slight aside he is BM member 007 which I like. Thanks Col. It is beautifully moulded, here are the sprue shots: The clear parts are also lovely. The decal sheet is nice but, like Hasegawa often does, the white areas are rather yellow: The kit also includes some small PE frets: Nice. I also have these fabric seat belts and turned guns and pitot tube: As well as this resin rocket engine: I am not sure how to use that, possibly displayed on its own stand. I also have this colour reference guide which includes some decals: This is the scheme I am thinking of going for: Now to start building. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I was just wondering where this build was the other day. I thought I'd missed it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TempestV Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Cheeky question If you are not using them I would like to offer the 1/32nd decals a home??? cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 That's not at all cheeky. I will be using the 1/32nd decals for the He162 (on my Revell Salamander) but you are most welcome to the Me163 decals. PM me with your address and I'll get them in the post if that's what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TempestV Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Cheers, Nige, PM sent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanja #66 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Engine on a separated stand, it's a must with that thing... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Kesterton Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 This looks like an excellent project. Always remember seeing this aircraft being listed in a book called "The world's worst aircraft" anthony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanflyer Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Good choice... I built one of the Revell repops of this kit last January as an excuse to do a bit of mottling, and it's a nice kit. The only bits to watch out for are the fit of the nose cone and the tail section which I seem to recall left a step in both cases. If you model the main skid down, the trapezes supporting it are tricky to install too... Tiny for 1/48, isn't it? Have fun, Dean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mekon Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Cracking project, a personal favourite to boot. Can't wait to see how this turns out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Tiny for 1/48, isn't it? Indeed, it is a small aircraft, my usual scale is 1/72nd but in that scale it really is small hence my thinking that in this case 1/48th was more appropriate. I will be using the walkaround photos I took at the East Fortune museum although the colours on that are a little suspect as its been repainted. A member of my model club used to be curator of that museum and has given me some useful Intel on it. The stand for the rocket motor could be useful as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Looks like a nice bit of plastic crack that. I do love the Comet. One of the coolest looking machines ever IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Oh yes, a great choise. One of my all time favorite aircrafts! The parts involved hints at a very interesting project too. I spent a few evenings last winter reading Mano Ziegler's book "Raketenjäger Me 163" in german; a very interesting, and very thoughfull reading. I will be watching the progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 I have not made much progress over the last few days as I have been mainly conducting research into what the cockpit should actually look like. The detail that Dragon give looks spot on but they have simplified things quite a bit. All this is fine: But there is a lot missing, I made a drawing to try to get things straight in my head - this is with the seat omitted: I plan to have the canopy open so I want this to be reasonably detailed, I need to come up with some ideas on how to scratch build most of the above. I also found it extraordinary that they routed the fuel lines right past the pilots head. The fuel was of course highly reactive and apparently would ignite on contact with organic material - including pilots. Not good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Oh boy I do love spotty dopply german camo Nigel Let the good times roll b 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 didn't you do one of these things before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Hendie, you must mean my 1/48 bachem Natter - a similar but yet quite a different beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 ah yes... you are correct... sorry... I do tend to get confused in my quinquagenarian years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 As I remember it, Not just the fuel lines went past the pilots head. The side consoles were fuel tanks. In the event of an aborted take off, Or a heavy landing with any fuel still in the tanks, They could rupture. This released the fuel which dissolved anything organic. Not a forgiving aeroplane at all. This is why they trained on glider versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 19, 2014 Author Share Posted July 19, 2014 Using a bit of artistic licence here and there I got the extra detailing installed as per my sketch: I then got some of the kit details fitted and got the rudder pedals and joy stick ready for painting: The painting instructions are way off in places. for example I have learnt that the pedals were made from brown Bakelite not painted grey as Dragon would have it. They should have a grey strap across them which I think I will add using painted paper. There should also be this wire loop control on the floor, there is a recess for it but it needed drilling out: I made the loop out of 0.3mm rod and will paint it separately in red. I then made and fitted the fuel lines out of 0.4mm rod: They are not symmetrical but from what I can work out I don't think they are supposed to be. The RHS side console is just slightly wider than the LHS which I think you can see in the above picture. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 With the Hunter Killer finished I am getting back to this build. The instrument panel is nicely moulded but would be very tricky (for me) to paint well: So I looked for a PE aftermarket alternative and have now ordered this set by CMK. As that includes some resin parts for the cockpit, including a new seat, I have suspended work on the cockpit. Instead I got on with assembling these parts using the kit supplied PE: This PE is quite thick and I think it is stainless steel rather than brass, making it very hard to cut. I used a combination of strong scissors and snapping the parts off the fret. It also seems rather brittle and I get the feeling it would not bend much further than 90 degrees. I got the front skid well assembled I then had to cut the front off the actuator thing as it sat way too high and lower it quite a bit. In the end I got quite a good fit: With the skid in place this will hardly be visible anyway. I think I will now get on with the wings. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I'll watch this one Nigel - I have the Dragon 2-seater in the stash, although it seems to have done a runner from where it was supposed to be 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Excellent. (You watching, not losing your kit of course.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. Might be worth annealing the PE to make it more workable. Karl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 That's a good idea Karl. This is the only significant piece of PE left that needs bending: I will try annealing that before bending. The ailerons on the wings are exquisitely moulded and it would be simple to completely separate them and put them in a different position but I decided to leave them as they were: The wing assembly was an easy win, I used Revell Contacta on the location pins and trailing edges: The trailing wing roots were sprung apart but the right clamping soon sorted that out: I will let the wings fully harden up overnight so signing off for today. Nigel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Just found this thread and am now fully tuned in. Nigel, your mottle masks will come in handy or are you going to go freehand like the big boys do? DB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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