While
the model kit is not especially hard to assemble I see a bit of a challenge
when it comes to painting its camouflage colors.
Conceived
and designed in the early 1940s the Komet has the distinction of being the only
‘operational’ rocket-powered aircraft successfully completed by the Germans.
Clocking
out at an amazing 698 mph the aircraft was limited by its short flight
time. Try to imagine what the outcome of
the war would have been if all 370 Komets were put into play with longer flight
times and fully armed.
Conventional
Allied aircraft would have been decimated.
Considering the time era the aircraft was made it was a remarkably
advanced aircraft.
Somewhat
bulky and short, the Komet was single pilot aircraft and if it had been
outfitted with armament and bombs it would have been unstoppable. Two decals options are available:
Luftwaffe
14./EJG2 White 54 Germany 1945
Luftwaffe 14./EJG2 White 42 Germany 1945
Luftwaffe 14./EJG2 White 42 Germany 1945
Following
the detailed instructions I began assembling the engine assembly.
Glue
application had to be sparse as the pieces were so small. Still, I managed to get every part in the
right place and moved onto the cockpit assembly.
A
tool that I found especially handy was the ‘High Precision Diagonal Cutter’
from Hobbico. Using it I was able to cleanly snip out
pieces from the part trees and trim unnecessary flashing. An X-Acto knife also came in handy.
I
also need to note that small files or sandpaper pieces came in handy when for
cleaning up the pieces.
I
proceeded to assemble the skid assembly and moved on to the fuselage and cockpit-all
which went together with very little adjustment. Still, I had to be careful to match up the
pieces so they fit together snuggly.
I
went ahead and taped out the wings for painting and attached them to the
fuselage and installed the engine.
Assembling
the complete fuselage and attaching the wheels along with finishing the cockpit
went smoothly although I had a little bit of difficulty fitting the front and
rear fuselage together which were a tight fit.
But, once I lined them up properly they went into lace snuggly.
Placing
the cockpit clear windows took a bit of doing as to not get any glue on the
pieces. A pair of tweezers came in
handy.
Once
I assembled the entire aircraft I noticed a few pieces that I missed-mostly
from the engine compartment-nothing large-but very small. I need to pay closer attention to the
instructions next time. It’s easy to
overlook something if you don’t pay close attention.
The
pieces did not affect the look of the Komet so I left the model as is.
I
decided not to paint the interior of the Komet specifically because the area is
so small it would be difficult to notice.
Plus,
my painting skills were not up to par and I felt I may make a mess.
The
aircraft body was another matter.
Tackling
the body painting and decaling showed me that I have a lot to work on when it
comes to both.
I
used Italeri’s paints and application was
smooth and coverage only took one coat.
I
followed the paint schematics as best as possible but my coverage looked
amateurish at best. I need to study how
to match colors, brush techniques and masking.
I
used paint masking tape but there was still some bleed-thru. Camouflage paint application needed more
feathering and tonal variation.
Decals
separated from their decal sheets easily enough with a little water. But, as with the small model pieces, I had a
little difficulty placing them. Talk
about detail!
Still,
the model went together easily and if my expertise in model making was better
the model would have turned out better.
I consider this a learning lesson and I already know some things I will
do differently my next model kit.
The
1/72 Scale Churchill Mk.I/II & Daimler Mk.II "Dieppe Raid" (2
kits) Limited Edition two-for-one model kit is a great deal for your
hard-earned cash.
Commemorating
the disaster of the Battle of Dieppe Raid the model kits recreates the two key
Canadian tanks left as wreckage on the beaches after the horrible defeat for
the Canadian/Allied forces
Both
the Churchill and Daimler tanks were medium armored vehicles not suited for a
beach assault.
Each
vehicle is modeled with full details from turrets, armored bodies, equipment
bays, treads and tires and hatches.
Full
decals are included as is a very comprehensive instruction manual which
includes historical text.
For
a different type of tank/armored vehicle check out the 1/35 Scale P.K.H.
Nutcracker Maschinen Krieger Limited Edition.
The
hover tank is all armor and armament as recreated from the original concept by
artist Kow Yokoyama as part of his sci-fi series Maschinen Krieger in the early
1980s
It’s
a beauty of a war weapon with heavy armor, impressive weapons and communication
array, exterior details- including rails and a choice of four camouflage paint
schemes.
The
decal option is the Strahl Defense Force, Kampgruppe BALCK, s.Pz.Abt.503.
If
you love sci-fi, futuristic weapons and one cool looking futuristic mechanism
then the Nutcracker is for you.
The
1/24 Scale Wild Egg Girls Pkw.K1 Kübelwagen Type 82 "Claire Frost"
w/Figure Limited Edition all-terrain German vehicle is made with an Anime/Manga
twist.
The
Egg Plane Girls love their The Kübelwagen even though it hailed from WWII.
Used
throughout the war on many fronts the Kübelwagen had its share of advances and
withdrawals
Highly
reliable and versatile it was a mainstay of the German army with a production
number over 50,000.
You
got to love its open cabin with fold-back canvas roof, easily accessible engine
and storage trunk and its heavy chassis, large wheel wells, practical design and
overall cool look.
The
kit features two sets of decals and Claire Frost figure.
All
of the model kits feature finely crafted parts that detach easily from part
trees and any extra flashing is easy to trim.
Historical
and mechanical details are spot on and by using the easy to understand
instructions sheets each will go together easily. Unless of course you miss a couple pieces
like did on the Komet.
Paint
and decal descriptions are accurate and easy to duplicate.
Hasegawa
Hobby Kits are some of the most detailed and well-crafted model kits on the
market and I highly recommend them.
Next
time I’ll up the ante and attempt to assemble an even more difficult
model.
Now
that I’m learning several tricks of the trade, model assembly is becoming easy
and less time-consuming.