DH-106 Comet Completed 13 August 2011 - Repairs completed 31 May 2022

[lastvautour]

[/sub]]My opinion: The De Havilland DH.106 Comet was and still is the sharpest looking airliner of all times. The first jet liner to go into commercial service suffered the faith of being a pioneer. Unknown at the time, the constant pressurizing/de-pressurizing of the fuselage caused fatigue cracks and eventual destruction of several aircraft in flight. Delays in fixing the problem resulted in other aircraft manufacturers taking the lead and the Comet was left behind.  My attempts to recreate this beautiful aircraft in 1/350 scale is also less than successful. My approach has resulted in poorly shaped engine nacelles that will be hard to fix. The next model (yes Virginia there will be another) will be larger and the engine nacelles will be carved separately and attached to the wings. This project may sit for a while but will eventually be completed. http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-732 http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-733

[R.F.Bennett]

Well it's just a prototype Lou, Gonna have problems, Next one is always better. The question is..
Square windows or rounded corners? 
I use the backwards clothspin clamps too, cept' I keep gluing em to the bench! 

[Oceaneer99]

Lou,

What a neat model!  There is a very large wooden model of the Comet at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.  I found out recently that they have an actual Comet that they are restoring!

Garet

[lastvautour]

Thanks for the encouragement. Ray, round windows.

[lastvautour]

Garet, the Seattle Comet has its own section in the Comet site.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/8803/comet/pc10_mk1_m_gapas_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/8803/fcomet.htm&h=462&w=1024&sz=78&hl=en&start=18&um=1&tbnid=NzOpaBKZR5rKWM:&tbnh=68&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddh.106%2Bseattle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

Lou

[lastvautour]

Some progress on what would seem a dead subject.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-1844

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-1843
I had a few seconds so the nacelles were carved sanded and primed.

[lastvautour]

Year end report.

I started to make 1/48 scale blowup drawing, but nothing else has moved on this subject. Maybe 2009???

[lastvautour]

Well it is now 2011 and the Comet project has been resurrected as a 1/72 scale model. The engine nacelle/center wing platform will be carved as a single piece with the grain runner for and aft. After trying unsuccessfully to make the drawing dimensions agree with a note I had copied down, I finally realized that the wing span data had been placed in the fuselage column. Oh well, regardless I am looking at approx 19 in wing span and a 15 in fuselage. The center block piece has been cut and a copy of the drawing glued in place. Photos to follow when reportable progress has been made.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Regarding the fatigue failures on the Comet 1 airliners,many years ago I went on an official visit to Fanrnborough to see the water pressure tanks that had been made to submerge and test the fuselage,the cracks appeared arounf the original squared windows used in the Comet,a very bad move as we now know which caused the loss of many lives.
Those windows set back the Comet development by many years until the real cause was found,the later round windows did the trick with no further bother,there is a saying in aviation design and that is 'If it can be rounded off then do so' this applies to even the smallest of items used in aircraft construction from a tiny bracket to a complete wing as anything can fail in cycle eventually.

I know the problems in executing those tricky engine nacelles top and bottom of the wing centre section Lou,they pull in sharply then go out again as part of the bifercated design of the engine covers,no easy task to replicate in wood.

I like that miniature model as the lead in to the subject,always good practise to make a smaller version such as this.

Barry.

[lastvautour]

The  production line had time to start work on the Comet. Roll out - 2012 or 2013.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

You have made a good start on the engine area Lou.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Real companies spend millions on test equipment. Here a spray can is used as a prototype engine pod (single) holder to test the feasibility of attaching the Comet engines to the fuselage. I have elected to stick with the one centre section containing all four engines. Some progress has been made in that all four engine nacelles are now protruding from the block of wood chosen.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Can you please explain this test a little bit more Lou ? it looks like a milliput engine nacelle you have there stuck to the can,I am intrigued as to what you are testing,where you thinking of trying something to get that big fillet worked out ?
Barry.

[dave_t]

I saw that thing sticking on the paint can in the AJ-1 thread and wondered about it . I think Lou is trying to come up with a way to carve a one-piece nacelle and fuselage/wing fairing, then just glue the whole thing to the fuselage instead of messing with filler blocks and putty. I could be wrong though, maybe Lou is really just a mad scientist.

[lastvautour]

Give Dave a cigar. I have had many problems with fairings, hence an attempt at carving it all in one piece. If memory serves me right, Paul D's DC2 had a centre block containing the large fairings and then attaching the wing to it. This is just a variation on his theme. I have very few original ideas these days.


Lou