Airfix/Amodel Comet 4B cross kit

[ajmm]

Brilliant thread. I’m half way through the all resin Welsh kit (released for the benefit of vacform wusses like me). My first comet. Very very helpful information here. Top interneting, characters. Thank you. 

[The Tomohawk Kid]

10 minutes ago, ajmm said:

Brilliant thread. I’m half way through the all resin Welsh kit (released for the benefit of vacform wusses like me). My first comet. Very very helpful information here. Top interneting, characters. Thank you. 

 

I didn't realise Welsh did an all resin Comet kit, there you go.

 

Tommo.

[ajmm]

A newish release - last 6 months Or so. I say new but I think it is literally the vac form fuselage halves cast in resin. But there is some subtle panel detail on there (which I recall you said was not on the Vacform fuselage). Same tailplanes though.

 

Worth noting that the exhaust cans are pretty basic but Whirlybird Models has released a set of resin cast ones. I can’t vouch for their accuracy but they are an improvement in aesthetic terms. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by ajmm

[The Tomohawk Kid]

12 hours ago, ajmm said:

A newish release - last 6 months Or so. I say new but I think it is literally the vac form fuselage halves cast in resin. But there is some subtle panel detail on there (which I recall you said was not on the Vacform fuselage). Same tailplanes though.

 

Worth noting that the exhaust cans are pretty basic but Whirlybird Models has released a set of resin cast ones. I can’t vouch for their accuracy but they are an improvement in aesthetic terms. 

 

Strange, I have been in contact with Densil recently about the Comet and he didn't mention this version. I should have been a little clearer the vac fuselage does have some light indicative panel lines - I guess they are the same as replicated on the resin parts. However, by the  time the fuselage is cleaned and given a smooth finish they are gone and looking at Comet images in my opinion one does not see many panel lines, particularly in this scale - so I'm happy

 

Good spot with the Whirlybits exhaust cans. I intended to use the Amodel ones which look similar to the Whirlybit ones. I have been doing research on this and they appeared  to be different between machines, but I will probably go for these now. For scale appearance the Welsh ones are probably are not too bad - but, as you say the Whirlybits are an aesthetic improvement, I'll drop Roger a line.

 

Tommo.

Edited June 30, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[The Tomohawk Kid]

I picked up a couple of sets of Whirlybits Comet exhaust cans, I have to say they are very good and match up very well to the pictures that @skippiebg posted up thread - I would say they are an essential addition, ta @ajmm

 

Tommo.

Edited July 4, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Viking]

The Amodel correction project continues in 'Work in Progress'.

It is on its feet and in primer now, finally allowing a look at how the nose reshaping looks,and all the extensions to correct the fuselage and wing.

 

It's been a lot of work, I think I'll do an Airfix one next time!

 

John

[The Tomohawk Kid]

3 hours ago, Viking said:

The Amodel correction project continues in 'Work in Progress'.

It is on its feet and in primer now, finally allowing a look at how the nose reshaping looks,and all the extensions to correct the fuselage and wing.

 

It's been a lot of work, I think I'll do an Airfix one next time!

 

John

 

Lookin' good. In my opinion you have got a better result than 'modding' the Airfix kit.

 

Tommo. 

Edited July 5, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[The Tomohawk Kid]

The rewind of my Welsh Comet is nearly complete and I'm so glad I did it and corrected everything that was bugging me, and as a consequence its now looking a quantum leap better.

 

One of things I hadn't initially picked up that was wrong was fin was not perpendicular and was canted over to the right. I thought I was extremely careful 'sanding' down the vac fuselage halves to the lines I had drawn on the backing sheet, or was it the kit or was I a little ham fisted? Either way, the correction was a leap of faith by chopping (with a razor saw) the fuselage just in front of where the fin blends into the fuselage and adjusting the rear fuselage so the fin sits perfectly upright and square. This was either going to ruin the kit or rescue the model, fortunately it was the later. Because it was a vac fuselage piecing it back together and blending/hiding the join was easy with lots of liquid cement a smidgeon of Milliput, I'm not so sure I could have done that so easily with a resin fuselage.

 

In my mind its now looking like a Comet, hopefully a dusting of primer tomorrow and I can push forward with it to completion in the coming days/weeks.

 

Tommo.

Edited July 16, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[The Tomohawk Kid]

I thought it would be an opportune time to post an update on my Olympic Comet 4B.  From when I decided I just could not live with my previous effort and decided to rewind it, it was intially an incredibly disheartening move and I did it with heavy heart and I was close to confining to the never be completed pile. But I'm so glad I did undertake the rewind because its turned out a quantum leap better, although its not entirely apparent from the photos below.

 

The paint has been curing for 72 hours, I'm going to let it cure for a few more days. The next move is to somehow create the matt black radome on the nose - if I'm being honest I don't know how I'm going to do that as compound curves are going to make masking very tricky, the same with a black decal, so my thinking hat needs to go into overdrive. Any ideas and thoughts will be most welcome.

 

 

 

 

Tommo

Edited July 16, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Skodadriver]

That's looking great Tommo.

 

Fastidious modellers will recoil in horror but I tend to paint smaller black radomes freehand using a smallish brush and water-based paint, usually Revell Aqua. Have a couple of good photos to hand and use them to make a few light pencil marks to guide you. Start in the centre of the nose and gradually work outwards checking from all angles as you do. If it goes horribly wrong, a damp tissue or cotton swab will remove the paint provided it hasn't dried fully. If you end up with brush marks but the radome is otherwise OK, let it dry then very carefully sand out the brush marks with 1500 wet and dry and retouch as needed. I'm not recommending this, only saying it's how I do it. 

 

An alternative possibility is to use a leather punch to make a disc of black decal sheet. The problems are that the maximum punch size is usually 4.5mm which may be too small and it really only works if the tip of the nose is round rather than elliptical. 

 

if you decide to mask, cut down Tamiya vinyl tape is probably the way to go. It might be possible to use 2mm tape straight off the reel but I'm not sure if it would cope with something as small as the Comet radome.

 

HTH

 

Dave G

[The Tomohawk Kid]

Despite me saying I was going to leave it for a day or two, I needed to get that radome painted. I ended up using Tamyia flexible masking tape, I had to pull it very tight and being low tack it took a few goes to conform to contours and line square it was held in place with standard Tamyia tape really forced down to adhere to the fuselage and the rest of the model was masked with a repurposed Sainsburys carrier bag. I then sprayed it with a series of light coats of Chaos Black (which drys to a nice satin finish) wafting away from from masking tape making sure not to spray down the length of the fuselage, just in case the tape had lifted.

 

I removed the tape with trepidation - no bleed or overspray as I was fearing, not absolutely perfect but more than satisfactory

 

The next decision is, do I paint the flying surfaces with a high sheen silver? I did this on the tail planes and its hardly noticeable - so, that is something for me to ponder on.

 

Tommo.

Edited July 16, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[The Tomohawk Kid]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the moderators, here is the latest and last update.

 

Exhaust cans painted gun metal and drybrushed with steel and fitted - I went with the Amodel ones despite sourcing the Whirlybirds ones because they are oversize for the Welsh kit, I'm curious as to the fit on the Airfix kit, the kit the are meant for? As can be seen most of the decals have been applied, there are still a few more to add - as well as the undercarriage to complete. The tail planes are pushed fitted for show, the dihedral looks too accentuated, I need to check my refs to get them set to the correct angle, also I may revisit them as there are elements I'm not satisfied with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tommo.

Edited July 17, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Viking]

Last post on this from me also. It is finished!

 

 

 

It has been a great thread, but next time I'll make an Airfix Comet!

 

John

 

[The Tomohawk Kid]

Looks great John!

 

I must put the finishing touches to mine, whilst I ponder moving it over the finishing line due to me becoming sidetracked - all will become apparent shortly.

 

One area where I have found the Amodel scores over the other kits is the nosewheel undercarriage, I'll update the composite pros and cons post accordingly. Therefore, I'll be using the Amodel parts alongside the Welshmodel's main gear.

 

Tommo.

Edited July 24, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid