Comet Kit Plans

[shawn32671]

Where can I email the DH-4 plan to ya Ray? As luck has it, my plan has a scanned copy of the parts attached to the plan.

[Bill Gaylord]

Where can I email the DH-4 plan to ya Ray? As luck has it, my plan has a scanned copy of the parts attached to the plan.

That's a nice offer of you to Rayd. I'm good on all my plans now, but thanks also for your offers. Just unboxed my Comet Super Stars Albatros DV a few minutes ago, as it just arrived today.

Here's a method worth trying for hand cutting parts from prints. I've built at least 10 models this way, and it's both fast and accurate: I simply place the balsa under the plan and score with a dull exacto. The plan is still usable afterward and barely cut, while the balsa has a good indentation to use as a cutting guide, basically as good as printwood in my opinion. Saves the time of transferring or gluing patterns to the balsa, as well as cutting up prints.

As of 8-13-2013, there's a small version of the actual Sterling Ansaldo kit on Ebay.

[rayd]

Ok shawn, placed my email address on PM. Not sure where the Comet info will appear, will try to keep you posted somehow..am not the best navigating here it seems, but try my best. I'm happy if you have scans or such of die cut printwood for that plane. Always loved that mail ship like biplane.

[shawn32671]

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[BillParker]

Not Comet, but close, really...

http://www.outerzone.co.uk/download_this_plan.asp?ID=4529

take a look...

[kittyfritters]

I remember when this plan was first published in Popular Science magazine in the 1950s. It's an interesting combination of stick and tissue and solid modeling. The Thunderjet is one of those nearly symmetrical early jets that can be band sawed out and carved with relative ease. I seem to recall a similar plan for a MIG 15 that was actually turned on a lathe. I remember being impressed with the wall thickness that was achieved with a gouge and a Dremel tool. At the time I could not afford a Dremel tool.

I have other plans from the 1930s and '40s and kits from the 1950s where the fuselage is carved and hollowed and the wings and tail are stick and tissue. Not a problem for a gas powered model but some of the 1930s plans were for rubber power. I wonder how well they actually flew.

[David Lewis]

Basic idea behind Monogram Speedee-Bilt kits was beautiful, detailed scale models that were still quick and easy to build. The wing was machine carved, tissue covering was eliminated, and hard-to-make parts (scale props, machine guns, landing gear struts, etc.) were nicely done injection molded plastic. The artistic quality of the plans, instructions, technical illustration and box painting was of the very highest standard.

On the downside, structural engineering and flight performance were abysmal to non-existent. They were much too heavy, gear legs were fragile, and the scale prop produced little thrust.

[UPLANDBOY]

GUILLOWS BOUGHT COMET AND THEN SHUT THEM DOWN. I liked building COMET KITs. I wish Guillow's would rekit them perhaps laser cut or at least die cut.

[rayd]

Say, David Lewis....I fondly remember those Monogram Speedie Bilt planes. Enjoyed making them in late years of grammar school. I made many prefabs, various mfrs but the Speedie Bilts, to me, were the best. Often, the best I could get was a few yards of flight...they were not good flyers, good lookers, colorful, well designed...but not much for flying. I fondly remember that gorgeous Spad and Kaydet. For flying though, you really needed to make good ole' fashioned "stick model".....like from Guillows or Comet. One needed ample time to build 'em as well.

Yes, wish Comet materials were made available, perhaps in a "Budget Line" eg sold at Walmart type outfits. Not short kits but hmm...like those that were 75 cents or so 18 ws jobs often available in the Sixties, Seventies at K-Mart. Well, we can hope I guess. Ok, say we try for maybe 7 bucks in a limited frills box, simple construction methods, limited styles.

[kittyfritters]

GUILLOWS BOUGHT COMET AND THEN SHUT THEM DOWN. I liked building COMET KITs. I wish Guillow's would rekit them perhaps laser cut or at least die cut.

From what I understand, that's not what happened. The management at Comet had made a series of bad decisions that ran the company into the ground. Guillow was quite surprised by the condition of the company when they took possession. It turned out that they had bought the name and not much else. This, combined with the fire at the Guillow plant that destroyed the Comet plans, and most of the older Guillow plans, prevented Guillow from doing anything with the Comet line.

[Wildpig]

..... with the fire at the Guillow plant that destroyed the Comet plans, and most of the older Guillow plans, prevented Guillow from doing anything with the Comet line.

Did not know that.

[David Lewis]

My guess is your average Walmart customer would have little interest in, nor disposable income for, stick and tissue. There are exceptions but typical adult stick and tissue buyers and builders skew higher socioeconomically and in educational attainment, and child customers tend to come from these households (two-parent home owner). I'm generalizing but this is where most of the demand seems to be coming from. Nothing against typical Walmart customers.

[Steve Blanchard]

Wow. You don't sound like a snob. At all. You also haven't met many stick and tissue modelers.

[Phugoid]

Hey, I shop at Walmart (Asda as it is called here)

You hardly have to be a millionaire to enjoy stick and tissue, few things can rival the bangs per buck that you get....

Andrew

[kittyfritters]

My guess is your average Walmart customer would have little interest in, nor disposable income for, stick and tissue. There are exceptions but typical adult stick and tissue buyers and builders skew higher socioeconomically and in educational attainment, and child customers tend to come from these households (two-parent home owner). I'm generalizing but this is where most of the demand seems to be coming from. Nothing against typical Walmart customers.

I got back into modeling, after about a thirty year hiatus, because my wife joined a stitching club. When I found out what she was paying for the hand painted canvasses and the floss she was using I decided that I could have my hobby back too. I realized that if I build the cheaper kits and scratch build I can build stick and tissue for a year on what she paid for one of those canvasses!

I know several people who build elaborate R/C ships that returned to stick and tissue when the economy went south and found they thoroughly enjoyed this side of the hobby. There are others who returned to stick and tissue because of a divorce, because with the payments they were making, this was the only practical way to stay in the hobby. There are also many retirees who can stay in the hobby because of stick and tissue, and I'll bet most of them shop at Walmart. This is a hobby that crosses many socioeconomic boundaries and personal situations.