Comet C4

[Meatbox8]

Just a quick question (I hope).  Now that there are a number of very nice looking kits available I have decided that in future all large RAF transports I will build are going to be 144th scale for reasons of cost and storage.  So, my question is was the RAF's Comet C4 essentially the same airframe as the Comet 4C? As I understand it the Comet 4C was the stretched Comet 4B fuselage married to the Comet 4 wings with tanks.  I see that 2 6 Decals do a wing tip/tank conversion for the Comet 4/4C so I'm hoping this will be a relatively straight forward conversion.

 

Cheers. 

[davepb]

Even in that scale, the Voyager is pretty big!

The 26 Decals conversion for the Comet is pretty straightforward.

 

Dave

 

[Meatbox8]

Just now, davepb said:

Even in that scale, the Voyager is pretty big!

 

Indeed.  And the Atlas too, no doubt.  They're well down the pecking order though.  Cold War types take precedence with me, for some reason.

[davepb]

Voyager is 41cm wingspan!

[Meatbox8]

Just to clarify, my intention is to convert the Airfix Comet 4B to a Comet C.4 with the use of the 2 6 Decals resin wing conversion set. Will that leave me with a Comet C.4 or is there more work required?

[Truro Model Builder]

There may be some minor work in terms of aerial configuration and perhaps one or two less windows (check your references) but the RAF's Comet C.4 is a Comet 4C by another name.

[Meatbox8]

10 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said:

There may be some minor work in terms of aerial configuration and perhaps one or two less windows (check your references) but the RAF's Comet C.4 is a Comet 4C by another name.

Great.  That's what I needed to know.  Thanks.

[71chally]

14 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said:

There may be some minor work in terms of aerial configuration and perhaps one or two less windows (check your references) but the RAF's Comet C.4 is a Comet 4C by another name.

I seem to remember looking into this a few years back and there's something like one window less on the stb'd side.

Dan Air must have been happy enough with the 4C & C.4 similarities!

Edited July 5, 2019 by 71chally

[RidgeRunner]

On 7/4/2019 at 11:45 AM, Meatbox8 said:

So, my question is was the RAF's Comet C4 essentially the same airframe as the Comet 4C?

Yes, is the answer, mate. We (Dan-Air) operated the ex-216sqn C.4s as Comet 4Cs until their retirement in 1979.

 

Martin

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by RidgeRunner

[Meatbox8]

5 hours ago, 71chally said:

I seem to remember looking into this a few years back and there's something like one window less on the stb'd side.

Dan Air must have been happy enough with the 4C & C.4 similarities!

Thanks.

[Meatbox8]

4 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Yes, is the answer, mate. We (Dan-Air) operated the ex-216sqn C.4s as Comet 4Cs until their retirement in 1979.

 

Martin

 

Brilliant.  Can't get more definitive than that.  Many thanks. 

 

I built the Airfix 4B as a Dan Air ship a few years back as it happens. 

[stevehnz]

I seem to recall reading on here with regards to converting the Airfix 4B to a 4C, that the 26decals 4C conversion gives you the wing tanks but not the extra span of the 4C. Someone had done their own conversion with some 1/72 Vampire tanks & plastic card wing extensions. I have this book narked on the home 'puter so will check it out later if no-one else chips in with the info.

Steve.

[Dave Swindell]

18 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I seem to recall reading on here with regards to converting the Airfix 4B to a 4C, that the 26decals 4C conversion gives you the wing tanks but not the extra span of the 4C.

That might have been me Steve.

 

 

[stevehnz]

Thanks @Dave Swindell, saves me finding those book marks when I get home tonight. Those two threads cover things fairly well I think.

Steve.

[RidgeRunner]

3 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Brilliant.  Can't get more definitive than that.  Many thanks. 

I was fortunate to take many flights  on them, including many flight deck trips, including Marseilles, Clermont Ferrand, Las Palmas, Palma, Rome-Ciampino, Catania-Fontanarossa, Athens and Bodo. 

 

Martin

[Meatbox8]

2 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

I was fortunate to take many flights  on them, including many flight deck trips, including Marseilles, Clermont Ferrand, Las Palmas, Palma, Rome-Ciampino, Catania-Fontanarossa, Athens and Bodo. 

 

Martin

Never flew on one myself. Either that or I was too young to remember.  Pretty sure me and my brother and sister got shifted off from Gatwick to our grandparents in Blackpool in a Viscount and I think I flew on a Trident to Italy circa 1970.  First airline flight I can really remember was a BA 747 to Mombasa, 1976 I think.  I can even remember the film.  Day of the Jackal staring Edward Fox.   A big pull-down screen and projector and those useless blue headphones that hung down under your chin.  So modern!  We were sat quite near the spiral staircase up to the first class bar.  Wasn't allowed up though. 

[Meatbox8]

4 hours ago, stevehnz said:

I seem to recall reading on here with regards to converting the Airfix 4B to a 4C, that the 26decals 4C conversion gives you the wing tanks but not the extra span of the 4C. Someone had done their own conversion with some 1/72 Vampire tanks & plastic card wing extensions. I have this book narked on the home 'puter so will check it out later if no-one else chips in with the info.

Steve.

Uh oh.  Is that the sound of a can of worms being opened I hear? 

[stevehnz]

2 minutes ago, Meatbox8 said:

Uh oh.  Is that the sound of a can of worms being opened I hear? 

Shouldn't be, just peruse the links @Dave Swindell has provided above & all should be revealed. I hope

Steve.

[Meatbox8]

15 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Shouldn't be, just peruse the links @Dave Swindell has provided above & all should be revealed. I hope

Steve.

Thanks Steve.  Turns out the span with the 26 Decals wing conversion would be too short.  I hadn't realised that the span on the 4B was shorter than the 4C/C.4.  I wonder by how much.

[stevehnz]

About 7 feet. The standard (wide) span was 114' 10" or 115' depending on the source, the 4b had a span of 107'10", close to 15mm difference total in 1/144 if I've done my sums right.

Steve.

[RidgeRunner]

6 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Never flew on one myself. Either that or I was too young to remember.  Pretty sure me and my brother and sister got shifted off from Gatwick to our grandparents in Blackpool in a Viscount and I think I flew on a Trident to Italy circa 1970.  First airline flight I can really remember was a BA 747 to Mombasa, 1976 I think.  I can even remember the film.  Day of the Jackal staring Edward Fox.   A big pull-down screen and projector and those useless blue headphones that hung down under your chin.  So modern!  We were sat quite near the spiral staircase up to the first class bar.  Wasn't allowed up though. 

Well, you have two up on me ? I never got to a Trident or a Viscount. I would certainly have liked the latter. I remember those old screens on early 747s, with the rubber tube headsets? Great days. My first Comet! To Marseilles, was in a 4, G-APDK :).

 

Martin

[RidgeRunner]

6 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Uh oh.  Is that the sound of a can of worms being opened I hear? 

It sounds like the recent discussions about Voodoo jetpipes

[71chally]

Comet dimensions from 'Flight' are,

Comet 4 Span 115ft Length 111ft 6ins

Comet 4B Span 107ft 10 ins Length 118ft

Comet 4C Span 115ft Length 118ft

 

[stevehnz]

@Meatbox8. The thread I knew I had bookmarked with good diagrams about the wing extensions, it appears also that Whirlybird who have released a 1/72 tail pipe set for the Mach 2 & Airways vac kits will also do one i 1/144, I'll be up for a couple, a weak point of the Airfix kit. The link is to Whirlybirds Facebook page.

Steve.

[Meatbox8]

4 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Well, you have two up on me ? I never got to a Trident or a Viscount. I would certainly have liked the latter. I remember those old screens on early 747s, with the rubber tube headsets? Great days. My first Comet! To Marseilles, was in a 4, G-APDK :).

 

Martin

Not entirely sure about the Trident as I was only about 4 at the time.  On reflection I do have a distinct memory of walking up a rear air-stair so maybe it was a BAC 1-11.  I'm more sure about the Viscount though (I think I was even younger, paradoxically) as I remember the huge, to me, oval window and looking out at the two prop ngines starting up on the st'bd wing.