Heller 1/72 Me-163 Komet

HELLER 1:72 ME 163 KOMET

Two variations on boxart, one old (top) and the other newer
My thanks to Walter Fischer for providing these to SMAKR

Reviewer: Ralph Koziarski (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: January 2000

The Aircraft

The Me 163 was a short range rocket powered interceptor employed by the Luftwaffe to knock down the ever increasing number of allied bombers attacking the Reich. The first prototype flew in 1941, but production did not begin until 1944. Unlike many other "last ditch" German X-planes, this little gem went on to have some degree of success. The Me 163 had excellent climb rate, a top speed of 955km/h and was armed with 30mm cannon. However, the plane had it's shortcomings: its 35km range meant that the pilot had little time to intercept and return. In fact the planes would glide back to their airfields, this made them highly susceptible to allied fighters, and once past the fighters the pilot would have to land on a skid, as no landing gear was mounted on early models.

Instructions

Standard foldout picture instructions. Relatively easy to follow, though somewhat vague on painting. All colors are provided only as Humbrol numbers.

The Kit

I waited six years to find a Komet in this scale, and I was delighted to see Heller's model in a local shop for a very low price (under 6 U.S. dollars). However, my delight ended when I began working on the kit.

Current boxing of the kit - supplied by John Kelley

It is molded in Heller's typical light grey and rather soft plastic. The kit comes on 3 sprues; the plane on one, a towing tractor on the other, and a clear sprue with 3 parts. Decals are provided for two versions. I began by assembling the tractor, which went together without a hitch. There is plenty of room for detailing here though, as the model looks plain - no surface detail, pulleys levers etc. (the tracks on the rear especially could use extra work). I painted this the suggested grey-green and set it aside.

The Komet itself, at first glance, looks alright. Softly raised panel lines, a rudimentary instrument panel, and various thingy-majigs and doodads are present. Considering the age of the mold (70s or early 80s perhaps) I was at first impressed.

Construction

The cockpit went together quickly, it consists of a tub, stick, seat and instrument panel. I added detail to the tub and made harnesses for the seat. I then painted and installed the cockpit into the fuselage half. Then came the most dreadful moment of any airplane kit: The fuselage and wing assembly.

This is where the trouble began. There were terrible gaps between the fuselage halves, especially in the nose, and the bottom. After filling and sanding I alleviated the problem, but spent a long time rescribing the panel lines which where now gone.

Next came the wings which were divided into 4 parts (2 upper, 2 lower). After gluing the halves together and then attaching to the body I again encountered large gaps. Once again, putty up, sand down, rescribe. I noticed that for such a small kit I was needing more putty than usual. Once all this was done I noticed that wings posses a slight degree of upward warpage about midway through and towards the back. This may have been a characteristic of the actual plane, but I'm not sure.

Now comes the time when you need to decide which version you want to make. One has cannon which stick out past the wing roots while the other's are completely internal. Also attach the aerial loop if the version you build has one. Finally there are two choices of a tail wheel. One being more exposed, and the other within an encasement.

I decided to model the standard splinter camo version and so needed to attach the loop and the more solid tail wheel. The instructions do not show where exactly to attach the aerial and so you need to do it more or less by feel. Run it along the top ridge of the fuselage until the molding on the bottom sits snugly in place. Again, lots of gaps around the wheel housing required yet more putty.

The final details I added after painting. The landing skid and wheel dolley, a pitot tube which goes onto a little knob on the wing (this gave me some trouble, as the tube is long and its weight kept making it fall off :) ), the clear parts had mediocre fit, but nothing a little wood glue couldn't fix.

A final note on construction: The main antenna can and probably will break due to the soft plastic. This isn't so much a problem, as you will need to scratch build one anyways. The one provided on the kit is too short and does not have the kink and backwards sweep characteristic of the Komet's antenna.

Painting/Markings

As I said before two versions of the me163 are provided. One for JG400 (1944-45) in a green grey/black top over light blue undersides, the other for Erprobungskommando 16 in an overall scarlet. I chose the JG400 version and decals went on without a hitch, although the crosses silvered a little (but that's my fault) and as is usual with European manufacturers, no swastikas are provided. However the instructions do show the size and location for their placement.

Conclusion

Although small and with few parts (47 w/ the tractor included) this kit was an exercise in frustration. The final product looks great indeed, but due to the vast amount of sanding and scribing required, I would not recommend this kit to the novice. Modellers who have experience in part refinishing and scratch building can make a little gem out of this kit. After 23 hours of work it looks nice and sinister sitting next to my B-17, ready to pounce.

Note: the following related reviews links have not been updated since early 2000's - more kit reviews of this aircraft may now be on SMAKR, not reflected below. Refer to the Index for other kits of this type.

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