I had a crazy plan to build all the rocket powered aircraft that existed. It all started when I began to build a Tamiya X-1, but also found I had a PM DFS 194, a Pavla Me-163S (bought cheaply), and a Heller Natter BA-349 (2 actually, from double sets of Heller BA-349 & FI-103A). So, I headed down to Hannant’s London, and bought some more kits, in this instance: a Condor Me-163A; a Special Hobby Me-263; and an Academy Me-163B.
So, the Me-163, Komet (hence the joke in the title) makes the centre piece of the range. I could also have obtained an X-1E, and I believe the X-1D, but decided that just the one was enough. So, 7 kits (8 if I built 2 of the Natters) it is to be!
The Tamiya is a lovely kit, one that just about falls together! It’s a little weird, as the interior doesn’t touch the interior wall. However, it’s a lovely interior! Even the undercarriage is a dream. I still have to finish painting the canopy. Actually, there’s no reason not to finish it, as it’a quite easy!
The PM model has only a few parts, and, bar a little work around the instrument panel, is OK. OK also means basic though! Still, it has the right outline. Not sure how accurate it has to be said, but hey, when there’s no choice, there’s no choice! The only problem is the canopy. What a pain! Aside from the crack in the canopy (nearly all in the non-clear section), it’s a real paint to mask. I’ve done most of it, but some parts, towards the front are giving me grief. Sometimes modelling can cease to be fun. This isn’t yet at this point, but it’s getting that way! However, with just a bit more to be done, I’ll finish it. Interior is RLM02, but needs to be recoated as the Xtracolor is satin, and I need flat. I’ll use Color of Eagles RLM02, as I’ve been using it elsewhere. It’s a tad thin, being a Valejo pre-mixed paint, but it brushes OK. I painted on some kind of lap belt. Bit daft, but under that tiny canopy should look fine.
I’ve built the Academy Me-163 B or Me-163S (same kit, but with options for either version). OK, the B was the production version, and the S was the 2 seater trainer version, in case you were wondering! Anyhow, the Academy kit is a full production injection moulded kit, to the usual high Academy standards. That means a lovely detailed interior, everything fitting properly, a quality canopy. There is some discussion on some of the forums about the accuracy of the rear of the cockpit, behind the pilot, in the glassed off area. I have examined pictures (but, to my discredit, not gone to the my local museum, which has one!) and yes, there should be a blanking plate, which is missing. However, it’s a pretty damn nice kit! Interior is RLM66, for which I used Humbrol no.66. Say what you want about Humbrol enamels, they still produce a lovely finish. Yes, you waste a fair bit in mixing, but you must well mix them. Straps, for the panel sides, are pale yellowish in colour. I first tried to use Humbrol 250 Stone, but it looks daft, so I used (I believe) 103, which looks much better. It may have been 71, but I don’t think so. Dry brushing the interior really helps! Need to pick out the head cushion still, and thence some belts. I’m using strips of excess metal from photo-etched sets. Colour is Humbrol 113. A picture I have shows the belts (from the Me-163A) in this colour. Another instructions say to use a more brown colour, but, ah well, seems OK! Already glued in the ‘bridge’ behind the pilot.
The Pavla Me-163S is interesting, simply because one can compare this to the Academy offering, as both are the same item (if one takes the S route with the Academy kit). However, after building the cockpit halves, including the photo-etch (PE) bits (side instrument panels, seat belts, and pedals) and even some stretch sprue for the pedal rods, I found that I simply couldn’t get the halves to fit within the fuselage. Really annoying after painting the PE so much! OK, painted the insides RLM 66 using Humbrol 67, with the belts in red-brown, using Humbrol 113. The wheels were painted in red.
The Condor ME-163A is next. A very weird kit. There is PE, but this PE does not include seat belts (I made my own simple ones, with painted buckles, using some excess material from some other PE), but does include pedals. As the pedals can’t actually be seen from outside, it’s weird! The fuselage is split down the middle, front to back, across the top and bottom, which is not usual (in fact, unique) for Komets, as I’ve seen. The cockpit itself is very basic. No sidewalls (which are a distinctive feature of Komets), a basic seat, a lovely set of pedals, and an instrument panel with PE front, and film backing. This kit is very difficult to build, and has been abandoned. Basically, getting everything to fit didn’t quite work. Possibly it was partially my own fault, but really, the fit is awful. Also, with that awful cockpit (oh yes, what a weird way to attach it, with part touching the headrest, and part resting on the nose), just not worth it, so, it’s gone!
The third of the short run kits is the Special Hobby ME-263, an updated version of the 163, but with proper landing gear and more range (the 163 had skids, and a very short range). Just the prototype flew, but it did fly! For some reason, my kit had a scratch in the plastic, on top of the fuselage. However, this aside, the kit has, so far, gone together nicely. The diagrams for the undercarriage bay are confusing. Basically, the artist showed the items back to front, so you can see which way they go, but, you must have the detail pointing outwards, not inwards, as the diagram shows!!! The kit contains PE, film, and resin, as well as the kit itself, so, quite comprehensive. For the red-brown I used Humbrol 113 again, with the rest in Humbrol 94 (I think!). Although from the same family of companies as Pavla and Condor (or, is it just distributors, not too sure), the quality is far higher. This is still, excuse the pun, a flyer. Interior is my usual RLM02, from Color of Eagles.
That just leaves the Heller kits, but more on those later!
