Aero commander 680, Comet 1/81

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

And one that starts to look promising. The tail of course will require mods, but also G-AWOE will require a little nose plastic surgery:

[Space Ranger]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

The engine nacelle presents the wheel in retracted position, so that had to be fixed and the LG doors added (same for the nose):

 

Early Aero Commanders had NO main landing gear doors. I have yet to uncover (!) the reason for this.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

11 minutes ago, Space Ranger said:

Early Aero Commanders had NO main landing gear doors. I have yet to uncover (!) the reason for this.

That's correct, i was perusing photos to make the doors and didn't find any.

wonderful, four less parts!

 

[Sturmovik]

Which differences did the Aero Commander have with the Twin Commander?

[Space Ranger]

1 minute ago, Moa said:

wonderful, four less parts!

 

You mean "four fewer parts." I shall have to deduct half a letter grade from your postings in response to this egregious error of style, especially as you have previously hurt my childhood feelings in my purchase of this kit with my puny allowance. So there! 🙂

[Space Ranger]

2 hours ago, Sturmovik said:

Which differences did the Aero Commander have with the Twin Commander?

"Commander" was the name of the light twin aircraft designed by Ted Smith and associates and built by the Aero Design and Engineering Co. of Bethany, Oklahoma. "Twin Commander" is the name used after Aero was acquired by Rockwell-Standard and two other single-engine aircraft designs (known as Commander 100 and Commander 200) were also acquired. The name "Commander" was also used by North American Rockwell's Aero Commander Division for its single-engine models 112 and 114.

 

See here for more: https://web.archive.org/web/20080122022543/http://www.twincommander.com/history.html

Edited May 9, 2019 by Space Ranger

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

2 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

You mean "four fewer parts." I shall have to deduct half a letter grade from your postings in response to this egregious error of style, especially as you have previously hurt my childhood feelings in my purchase of this kit with my puny allowance. So there! 🙂

You are absolutely right and I stand corrected. For the same token, may be we should check your Spanish (my first language) (and please it's high time to give Texas -that is Tejas, actually- back to its legitimate owners, by the way).

I could recommend a good kit psychologist. Early kit attachment trauma is a known modelers' malady. I know by experience: I was still unduly attached, among other kits, to Airfix's DH88 Comet, and had to build them once in a while until Doctor Strange cured me.

 

[Sturmovik]

If the Commander and Twin Commander were the same, I suggest painting this aircraft as the Twin Commander LQ-OEI. Saw it once at Aeroparque.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Sturmovik

[Space Ranger]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

You are absolutely right and I stand corrected. For the same token, may be we should check your Spanish (my first language) (and please it's high time to give Texas -that is Tejas, actually- back to its legitimate owners, by the way).

I could recommend a good kit psychologist. Early kit attachment trauma is a known modelers' malady. I know by experience: I was still unduly attached, among other kits, to Airfix's DH88 Comet, and had to building them once in a while until Doctor Strange cured me.

 

Hablo solo un poco de español, lo que aprendí en la escuela secundaria hace mucho tiempo. And we stole Texas fair and square!

 

I agree completely with your point about EKAT (Early Kit Attachment Trauma). It has helped deplete my bank account with the further assistance of ebay and PayPal.

[Space Ranger]

1 hour ago, Sturmovik said:

If the Commander and Twin Commander were the same, I suggest painting this aircraft as the Twin Commander LQ-OEI. Saw it once at Aeroparque.

LQ-OEI is a model 690 Turbo Commander. Same Aero Commander basic design but with turboprops. The 680, which is the subject of the kit under discussion, is an earlier model 680E with Lycoming piston engines.

 

Commander/Twin Commander model numbers can be confusing. The Wikipedia article contains the most comprehensive listing I have found:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Commander_500_family#Variants

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The putty is sanded down. Panel lines are restored. Of course a coat of primer will reveal more to do, but the worst of the "decal engraving" is covered now:

[Alan P]

Enjoying this restoration build and grammar tutorial 😉 

 

Was Bob Hoover's Aero Commander similar to this model? I remember being astounded the first time I saw film of his engine-out aerobatics.

 

Alan

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

19 minutes ago, Alan P said:

 

Was Bob Hoover's Aero Commander similar to this model? I remember being astounded the first time I saw film of his engine-out aerobatics.

 

Alan

Nope, not the same.

 

[Space Ranger]

10 hours ago, Alan P said:

Enjoying this restoration build and grammar tutorial 😉 

 

Was Bob Hoover's Aero Commander similar to this model? I remember being astounded the first time I saw film of his engine-out aerobatics.

 

Alan

There will be a grammar quiz on Monday. Please bring a #2 pencil and a Big Chief tablet to class.

 

Hoover flew a "Shrike Commander," a model 500S, which was basically a 500B with pointed nose and squared off tail, powered by two 290 hp Lycoming IO-540 engines. It is displayed in the colors of his last sponsor, Evergreen International Aviation, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Space Ranger

[VH-USB]

Moa,

 

I'm loving your build. These old Comet kits need a lot of work and you surely are the one to turn a turd into gold!

My brother Tom used to fly the mail, at night, in an Aero Commander way back around 1970 so I have a soft spot for them.

 

Tim

Edited May 9, 2019 by VH-USB

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Those "retracted" wheels are eliminated from the nacelles:

 

I raided the spares box with mixed and not very convincing results. Found a suitable trio of wheels but not good seats and consoles, thus I decided to scratch the interior:

 

And it is now done after just an hour's work:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

36 minutes ago, VH-USB said:

My brother Tom used to fly the mail, at night, in an Aero Commander way back around 1970 so I have a soft spot for them.

 

Tim

That´s no doubt a sweet memory for your brother.

I have never built before a Comet kit, but this particular one is a mixed bag, and the surface detail (saved those "etched decals) is quite good, having corrugated surfaces, inspection hatches, door, and even the position of lights marked too. The fit is better than some contemporary kits. And the surfaces are shinny and smooth (must be that "Lustrex" plastic advertised on the box, which I googled and indeed was a "thing" then, being used for kitchenware, containers and such).

This always makes me wonder about the erratic and seemingly illogical steps of the kit industry, capable of producing this extremely nice (in some regards) product, and even today insisting in barely buildable spawns. I am aware (although not really knowledgeable) of the different production methods and their costs, but sometimes I feel I rather build an old kit, even with it's faults, than a kit that is so lacking that is pain to build, produced just a few years ago to "high sub-standards".

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The nose lights are drilled, and the front wheel closed doors are removed:

 

The landing gear legs are fashioned:

 

Instrument panel is added:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The nacelles are assembled:

 

The plastic sleeves will eventually be glued to the roof of the wheel well, and will provide some adjustment allowance (sliding the legs in and out) to get the correct "sitting":

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The nacelles are glued to the wings. The fit was extremely good, as with all other parts of this little kit.

 

More surprisingly, not a single sinkhole, even in the parts that are "solid" (like the wings, rendered in one piece). Furthermore: one single ejector tower. ONE. In a totally inconspicuous place.

Can anyone explain this to me? Is this "Lustrex" plastic magical? Or the manufacturer knew then something they don't know now? Hum...

 

The exhausts were drilled, and later on sections of metal tube will be added after the model is painted.

 

I am actually surprised at myself for deciding to build this little kit.

In first place it is in an odd scale which drives me crazy and makes me want to wash my hands repeatedly after touching it.

In second place it is a "modern" plane, a species I never touch not even with a pole save in extremely rare occasions.

In third place I don't even like the subject, it's too normal for my taste, too "airplaneish", and I would have been much happier -given the case- building for example a Britten Islander or even better a Trislander (like this one, from the net):

 

All that been said, the surprise continues as I see that the build sparked some interest, more interest notably than many other models I posted here, that to my belief deserve much more attention than a simple twin-engine a-hum affair.

My fellow modelers never cease to amaze me. Which is a good thing.

 

P/S: preemptive strike: I know that there are a couple of esoteric kits for the Trislander, I am not touching them. But thanks for thinking of it.

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

And if as all this wasn't enough, to add to the dramatic circumstances that make me ask myself why am I building this model, there is no lavatory in sight.

A dry fit of the interior, that mysteriously, unlike 90% of kit interiors, does fit. (well, I made it, so better does).

Consider that even some relief has been molded on the coaming, credit to the care put by the pattern-maker. (Why, oh why, those firebrand "decals", I will never comprehend):

 

Look at that punem, it would make a mother happy.

[foresterab]

Always nice to see one of these built.   Tend to see the Aero Commanders overhead all summer as they bird dog out the water bombers for forest fires.    Great platform for the work they're doing.

 

foresterab

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Base colors:

[provencenut]

My dearest Mr. Stern; just in case that you decide to choose the Questor Survey livery for your Commander, I have already done decal artwork for that, although not in 1/81 scale. But that is easy to resize...

Mika

Arctic Decals

[Space Ranger]

So "Moa" is actually the incredibly talented but publicity shunning Gabriel Stern who possesses modeling skills far surpassing those of mortal modelers and is able to leap tall piles of styrene in a single bound?? Many have wondered where he's been hiding out, and now his secret identity has been exposed! Mwah-ha-ha (evil laugh)!