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

[Balsabasher]

That fuselage looks perfect Lou,you are doing well to contemplate on joining tricky bits as seen on the Comet,with round fuselages mated against a complex wing and tail set up things are not always easy,but you are in good spirits and this will succeed,go for it Lou !
Barry.

[buccfan]

That's looking great Lou,I'me particularly impressed by the nacelle section,very intricate carving.The last of our Comet/Nimrod aircraft were early retired this week.Regards Paul J.

[lastvautour]

I joined the engine section to the wings with little trouble. The wing was notched first followed by the engine section. Now just a bit of carving, putty and sanding, the unit should be ready for the fuselage later this week. In this photo, the fuselage is just resting on top of the Engine/Wing section.

[Balsabasher]

The Comet has been a challenging subject for you Lou,especially those engine nacelles but you have given a lot of thought to this and it is now paying off,what is emerging is the beautiful lines of this classic iconic aircraft with that lovely round fuselage.
Barry

[lastvautour]

The mating of the major pieces is coming along nicely. The engine center section is a complicated arrangement that needs a bit of careful thinking before making those cuts. Final trimming for fit, a bit of putty and sanding will get her ready for the primer. I should be in the paint shop by the beginning of next week.

Lou

[cliff strachan]

Boy, that engine section is indeed remarkable. Lou, did you have to consider any alternative methods of construction? Or did anything reasonable even present itself?
Cliff

[Balsabasher]

Lou that centre section is a work of art in itself,there is not one straight line anywhere,you have worked the module out well,this is going to look really stunning.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Cliff, I though of carving left and right engine module seperately and attaching to the top and bottom of the wing. I rejected that idea earlier on. I though of doing the engine and wings as one piece, however that would have meanth running the grain of the wood sideways to the nacelle shape. Not a good idea for my limited skills. The only remaining option I saw was to do the center engine section as one piece running the grain for and aft. So far it appeares to have worked as desired. I glued the fuselage last night and will do the putty and filling of the larger gaps with bit of wood.
Barry, thank you.

Lou

[lastvautour]

All parts are glued and putty has been applied to the engine/fuselage joint.

[Balsabasher]

Lou your model is bringing back memories for me,I remember seeing scores of Comet promotional models sitting in the windows of travel agents,these days you hardly ever see a single model ? BOAC had hundreds made by a company called Westway models,the company still exists.
Barry.

[cliff strachan]

Very good planning Lou. And thanks for the detailed explanation of the potential obstacles that may be encountered.

Cliff

[lastvautour]

Test fitting window treatment on the comet. Either original square or new rounded windows are no problem when using decals. The cockpit windows may be a problem unless they are made in separate panes. The Comet has been primed and initial sanding has begone. The Duplicolour primer/filler done a nice job, but it is very messy to sand with that red dust getting into everything.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Lou the primer has really pulled the shape together,congratulations on a fine piece of challenging carving my friend.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Thanks Barry. Still a bit more to go.

Lou

[lastvautour]

First complete sanding completed. Now I will use grey primer and give it a final sanding before painting.

Lou