Comet A34- Ludwig kit

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Looking more like a comet now!

[43rdRecceReg]

Looking more like a comet now!

Thanks, Adam! Yes, when the main components are put together, it does begin to resemble a Comet. But what amazes me is, even after all the headscratching, solution finding, and heady cement fumes, ...there's still a huge amount of time needed to get that satisfying authentic look.
The Comet looks quite deceptively uncomplicated compared with modern tanks, with a plainer appearance; but the harder one looks, the more there is to add to the build. The turret alone still needs: aerials, a gunsight, a 2in smoke shell discharger, loading hatch handles (with splash guard... ) and...well, you get the idea.
It's tempting to miss some details out- but the inner nerd whinges, and moans, until that annoying, tell-tale, blank space is filled by the appropriate part.

[43rdRecceReg]

A little update. I have a brace of metal fire extinguishers to fit to the turret. As they're quite weighty, they need pins, as well as epoxy, to keep them securely in place.
A wee bit of drilling with my trusty pin vice.

Comet extinguishers

(Click to ENLARGE pics...)

Paper clips used as support pins

I chopped up some paper clips, and embedded them in the extinguishers with JB Weld (metal) Epoxy. I've found it works very well on alloys and white metals.

Lining the extinguishers up

The Brit pattern extinguishers came from Christian Ludwig, by the way.

Extinguishers bonded to Turret storage box

[43rdRecceReg]

The Comet Turret also has a 2in Bomb Thrower No 1 unit near the Loader's hatch. The unit is based on the British 2 in mortar, but its range has been limited to 150 yrds, partly because of the short barrel. It was used for close defence situations, and for firing smoke shells.
You can see it highlighted in this pic:

Comet update-2in bomb thrower-A.jpeg[/attachment If you have some styrene tubing, it's not too difficult to make one of these. (I bought it, in a variety of diameters, in a useful pack from 'Evergreen :thumbup: ) A 2in pipe would scale down to 1/8 of an inch, but I used a tube with ID of 5mm- slightly large, but not too large. I cut an angles piece off the tube, and then bonded it to a wee square of styrene. The dimensions came from the blueprint. [attachment=3]Comet update-2in bomb thrower-B.jpeg

Bonding tube to baseplate

Then I added some Meng nuts to the base. meng nuts are resin based, I think, but I stuck them on with ordinary Revell Pro cement. They shouldn't stick, but they appear to. I didn't want to use superglue as it doesn't work that well with styrene, and mixing up 2-part Plastic Fusion epoxy seemed like overkill for four wee nuts. I'm just hoping they don't fall off. However, I did a test yesterday bonding a 2mm meng Nut to a piece of styrene sheet, just using Revell Contacta Pro and I couldn't prise it off. So...

2in Bomb Thrower complete

Fitted in situ, it looks like this (do bear in mind that all these parts will be cleaned up, prior to painting):

Comet Bomb Thrower in situ

I'm, duplicating some of these pics, because they're apt to disappear after a while, if posted from Imgur... I've seen one or two threads lately (Estniche's Tiger 1 build, for example) where most of the pics have simply vanished into the ether. You'll also see I've added a defensive strap in front of the Loader's Hatch, and begun the process of making my own (openable) hinges from scratch, as there's no online source for WW2 Brit Tank hinges
German hinges-yes. Brit hinges -no. Doll's house hinges just don't look right. Someday, I'll go back and correct the ones I fitted to my Cromwell.

[43rdRecceReg]

This illustration, posted earlier, shows the Loader's hatch fitted with two 'splash' defensive strips. The second one-straddling the hinge on the foremost hatch door, has bullet holes in it from field trials. On production models, I think this second strip was omitted. In any event, I've only fitted the frontal strip.

Loader's hatch details and 2 in Mortar location.

[c.rainford73]

Superb job! Love the details and will continue to follow your progress. You are doing a great job

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Good detailing going on here

[43rdRecceReg]

Thanks, lads!
Looking online, it's possible to find usable hinges for WW2 German tanks, at Shapeways, Asiatam and elsewhere. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, this isn't the case with WW2 British armour- at least not in 1/16 scale, anyway.
So, this is how I made some. I used blueprints as a rough guide to their dimensions and shapes. Even finding online pictures (especially desirable closeups) of turret, and engine deck, hinges is a frustrating process.
First, I picked some junked 1mm styrene, and scored an edge away, to increase the area needed to bond tube to. The tube in question has an O.D. of 2.5mm, and an I.D (Inside diameter) of 1mm

Scoring styrene to accept styrene tube.

Then I bonded the tube to it:

Bonding tube to plate to make hinge pivot.

..and then marked out some rough divisions. I need six hinges altogether. That's four for the Loader's Hatch, and two for the Engine Deck hatch.

Marking hinges out

Cutting hinge bracket out

Outer parts of hinge pivot

Testing hinge fittings

[43rdRecceReg]

Don't forget to click on these images to ENLARGE them; that way you'll see more detail.

Hinges fitted to Comet Loader's hatch

and hinges fitted to Engine deck hatch. Ultimately, this will mean that the Commander's and Loader's hatches will be openable. The storage bins and the engine deck hatch will also open.

Engine deck hatch hinges fitted.

A little factoid, the Comet was the first British made tank to be equipped with a travel lock for the barrel.

I've also fitted one of the Shapeway door latches to the MG gunner's door. The catch for the Driver's escape hatch was broken, and so i'll have to get the Cromwell set again. Most of which will actually go on my Cromwell...eventually.

[43rdRecceReg]

I've had a lot of chores lately, and so the build has stalled slightly. In the meantime, while I turn my attention to the return rollers, here's a really good walkaround (and internal peek-around) of a newly restored Comet. This one has the split Normandy Cowl I have fitted to my model, and practically all the features I'd like on mine. I'd say the interior is every bit as well laid out, and well-engineered, as it would be by the Teutonic cousins of the English- The Germans. It even has comfortable seats, according to the Dutch reviewer. In any event, the restoration is impeccable.
The video is nice and crisp, which makes it ideal for screenshots for my project. The only downside, for me, is that the reviewer must have learned his English from some 'Uptalking' American 'Valley Girls'. 'Valley Girls' have adopted that annoying affected tendency of ending every statement, and phrase, with an upward flourish, ('Australian Upward Inflection') so that it sounds like a question , or a bad case of hiccups.
Anyway, do watch:

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Then there's this account of a scrap between some Tiger 1s, and Some Comets. It finished with one 'kill' apiece. Overall, there's not much info to be had on tank encounters of this type.

phpBB [video]