A mess of Masserbitz (or a culmination of Komets)

[HOG]

Hoyhoy`Al,

After the 109G Croatian build I`ve been `at a bit of a loose end` as Paddington Bear would say, and have been rearranging and perusing the stash (or as SWMBO say`s "moving the dust about a bit")  and I`ve found three komet kits, the Flashback 163A and a couple of Revell 163b`s, one of which was bought of Ebah for .99p as it was started. Now I`ve always liked the picture of an A and B posed together, and that was my first option as both these kits had good reviews, but then I thought lets get all of them out the way and go the whole hog and do the started one as a C.
A check through the references gave me all the detail needed for the first two and a quick surf gave up an A.Bentley plan of the C. Printed this out and by a stroke off good luck the Revell wing is a perfect match on the plan. So with no figures poking their heads above the immediate horizon off to a good old fashion conversion with loads of PSR.
Among my ref`s I have an article on converting the Heller kit into a C and am using this as a rough guide. They suggest removing the fuselage rear and moving the cockpit as far forward as possible so that's where I started.
As you can see the Revell wing fits perfectly over the plan and is probably the only bit of the kit that wont need modifying. The span on the C is slightly wider than the B so will need 3mm `s to be added to each side. (I knew this was going to be easy, 3mm = 3 lamination's of 40thou card) Trouble here is that moving the cockpit tub forward I ran out of kit.





The circle at the front is the correct size for the build and will eventually go where the kits fuselage ends so it should all eventually go inside the correct outline with a small amount of filler. The tail is now of the correct size and just needs sanding to aerofoil section. Adding this I cut one half of the kit below the tip and left the other as is. This gave me a small lip to help glue the extra on.
Now all I have to do is add everything that isn`t there and Roberts my Mothers Brother. Sorry about the flare in some of the pics, this is due to laminating the plan. Next job is to detail the cockpit.
Comments and suggestions welcomed.
More as and when
Cheers  
G

[Eddie M.]

I wish I had your ability to plan ahead in detail. Off to a good start of another very interesting project.

[Brian da Basher]

I envy your abilities along with Eddie, HOG! Your work never ceases to be an inspiration and I know I'm going to enjoy this project every step of the way!

Brian da Basher

[MarkH262]

Why not just try to find the AV Models Me 163 C?

http://www.celnice.cz/avmodels/show.php?obr=1112885342.jpg&s=600&v=478

http://www.celnice.cz/avmodels/show.php?obr=1136136047.jpg&s=600&v=451

http://www.celnice.cz/avmodels/seznam.php?w=meritko&c=1/48

[HOG]

Why not just try to find the AV Models Me 163 C?

Hi Mark
To quote the BBC Radio`s version of the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy " Organic lifeforms have no sense of fun"  

Besides which A&V 1:48 kit £25+ GBP (if you can find one) . Ebah bargain £2.99 inc p+p. Assorted plascard strip etc peanuts. Created stress levels, a means to amuse, nerve tonic addiction, entertainment value and being driven to drink - priceless.

On a serious note I`m sorta disabled and don`t go to work so therefore monies often not so much tight as nonexistant for such fripperies as modelling and you can only watch so many Aussie soaps. But it does fill up the blank spots, and I`m of that age group that remembers when we bought around half a dozen kits just to kitbash one model and interior detail came from the scrapbox. A life without resin or photoetch and the exotic was generally a vacform, so I like to keep my hand and eye in but thanks for the input.

Believe me, I`ve so many models on my `To Build Before Its To Late` list that if I could get the newer advantages I would.
Cheers
G
PS Eddie & Brian thanks for the kind words, not so much an ability more an anal retentive JMNish perversion!  

[GTX]

This is going to be good!

Regards,

Greg

[HOG]

This is going to be good!

Regards,

Greg

that's what I like, boundless enthusiasm and confidence. 

Hoyhoy`Al

Progressing quite quickly. Interior done and fuselage halves closed and profilling begins. My method for this is to cut out the outline section from a plan a and liquidpoly this directly onto a piece of plascard and then finish to the desired shape, In the `goode olde dayze`it used to cost me a fortune in photocopies but now I just prints them off on the `puter. In this case I`m working in black as it should show up well against the milliput and model filler (and its the only card I have to hand) and at the present time it looks a total mess!!!.



As you can see the tail sections on and the tubes arn`t the engine just a support to the weakish single fixing point at the leading edge. The interiors done, nothing special just a mixed muckup of 163 and 263 shapes, as befitting a prototype design, from scraps of card, rod etc with the chair, dash from the kit. As I said nothing special but enough under a closed canopy hopefully.



Next pic batch should have some filler on/in and we`ll see how much of a s.o.b this ones going to be to shape.
All comms, crits and invites to the pub considered with more as it happens,
Cheers 
G