Comet Models: A brief history

A quick look at Somet Models and a link to an real documentary about them:
vimeo.com/116295152?...
First to Fall: • First to Fall: Civilia...

[@jeffgoldenberg9579]

The nice young man in the center of the frame at about 2:26 into the video is my uncle, Sam Goldenberg (Pretty sure that that's Louis Kapitanoff to his right [left side of the picture] and it may be Bill Bibichkow to his left, but I'm not sure). My father, who was only a young kid during Comet's heyday, had very fond memories of hanging out at the factory, as well as building and flying many of their kits. Besides Monogram's Bob Reder and Jack Besser, I think Sid Axelrod, the founder of Top Flite Models, as well as the legendary Carl Goldberg also worked for Comet during the 30s and into the war years. Goldberg is posing for the camera with his 10-foot span Valkyrie at the 0:20 second mark. When I lived in Los Angeles, I was blessed to live near Sam for the last three years of his life, and he regaled me with many stories about Comet's early days. Alas, to my everlasting regret, it never occurred to me to record his memories. But from what both he and my dad have told me, Comet was way ahead of its time, not just in terms of the industry and hobby it helped create, but in the very forward thinking way it treated its employees. Comet hired men and women from all walks of life, and paid everyone equally, with above average wages; things that were unheard of during the Depression and for many years afterwards. Yes indeed, I encourage everyone to watch Nancy Kapitanoff's wonderful documentary "The Comet Model News." Anyway, it's always great to see "the Comet kid" (who I'm told was based on my dad) riding that shooting star once again. Thanks for this and all your videos.

[@maxsmodels]

Thanks. That is so cool

[@danielcarlson7002]

From what I understand, Guillows bought Comet, but didn’t continue the Comet line. GREAT kits!!! Now, on to E-Bay.

[@cipherthedemonlord8057]

Shame they don't remake their Vengeance and a Jenny.

[@JeffFrmJoisey]

Built only 1 Comet balsa model, around 1970. A Piper Cub. My Dad bought me the kit and a large tube of Ambroid Glue to build it with. My 1st time with Ambroid - I made many messy joints. I had no sand paper or sanding skills, so those steps were skipped. I remember trying to apply the tissue paper using Testors Clear Dope with not so good results. That wooden plane skeleton lived on top of a dresser for years!!!

[@fucqtheworld]

Always interesting. The kids nowadays just don't know how much fun they are missing.

[@chriscurtis8597]

Kids now a days do just fine.

[@chriscurtis8597]

@Konnor Ulises nobody cares

[@modelrailpreservation]

Comet made HO scale freight cars in the prewar era too. I've obtained unbuilt examples, and built them. They were a real joy to build. The boxes even gave the price of 35 cents, though the kits came without trucks and couplers, which was standard at the time, as there was little standardization of those parts in HO scale.

[@wendellhughes2184]

My best source of Comet kits was a corner store in Calgary. The owner's name was Ah Nong and he let me open the boxes and look at the plans. I still remember Mr Nong showing me the intricate cockpit detail on the F86D. It cost me 35 cents and I flew it all summer.

[@Edubarca46]

Excellent Max. I understand the short video because of the Vimeo history of Comet. Thanks for sharing information.

[@Wild-Dad]

This one company that I don’t remember ever hearing about. But, after a bit, I recognize the box art from the 70’s that you showed. My younger brother was into the balsa models more than I was.

[@thorick590]

Finishing up an old Comet A26 kit snagged off of eBay... good stuff. Next up: the small Fokker DVII, SPAD and Nieuport kits.

[@Juscz]

Great video and a great link to the other Comet Model Company video. Thanks for sharing! I remember building Comet models in the 1970s and 1980s. Especially loved the Aeronca-K Seaplane kit and the big, 54" wingspan Taylor Craft and Aeronca Chief. The Sparky was another favorite as it was a great flier.

[@roberthill3207]

Have a great day everyone.

[@jimpern]

Many of the small plastic Comet kits later appeared in Aurora boxes, from which I built many in my youth. Many were devoid of landing gear and came with stands. Frog models in the U.K. also reboxed some Comet plastic kits.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Nice story about Comet Models, but you're right, the other video via your link on the Comet Model Co. is indeed an excellent documentary of a great, historic, model airplane company. I really enjoyed watching it.

[@maxsmodels]

Made my job easy.

[@pauladams286]

Kleeware in England sold kits from a number of the smaller US companies, including some by Comet. These were actually called the Comet Series on the box tops.

[@poldet148]

Again, thanks, I started building with a COMET plastic kit, continued on with the stick and tissue kits. Lots of good memories.

[@proofbox]

Comet was a little late to the die cut party which gave Guillows a big leg up as a balsa modeler for quite a while now [ I have about 150 kits awaiting building ] I found the Comets lighter but the Guillows a more complete kit and lately Dumas has a interesting line some folks say it's past it's time but I am not so sure about that I am hoping that the upcoming generation may discover that these things require patience and skill a human quality that needs to be passed from generation to generation.

[@dannyh8288]

What planet are you on? The upcoming generation is only concerned with cell phones. Hobby shops are dead.

[@raoulcruz4404]

I have the Comet P-38. Started building it in 1986 or so. I had a single edge razor to cut the balsa. More like Pine. I even contemplated using a coping saw to cut out the printed parts. Not die cut. Eventually bought printed paper patterns online and used quality balsa. This was about 10 years ago. ( part patterns were not on the build plans like Guillows). Still not completed. I want to vacuum mold the canopy.

[@orbitalair2103]

I built one of these back in about 1978, shes a great model, you will love her when shes done. The plans and parts prints are on outerzone.co.uk

[@FastSports-ScaleCarGarage]

Another great video! Thanks for the link, certainly going to check out the doc! Well done!

[@jeffpiatt3879]

Grew up building Comet models. So sorry to see them gone. Would LOVE for Guillows to bring back some of the best Comet Models- the 54" Taylorcraft, the 'tube o'matic war birds. Great stuff! Whish I could go back and buy all of them.

[@P61guy61]

Awesome video and thanks for the link. You are producing valuable historical work. Thank you for posting.

[@DickieDelouise]

👍👍 I love your story about trying to draw your dad's Luscombe🙂 the only Comet kit I ever had is my unbuilt Spad. And btw, 0:25 I really dig that plane!

[@jimkline8746]

I just recently found your site and I still build balsa RC planes and plastic kits. my first balsa kit I worked on was a Comet Globe Swift when I was seven (1965), I built the fuselage and my dad built the wing. I have also built many of the plastic kits you showed, the Monogram Gulf Hawk was one of my favorites. Keep up the great job, especially like the endings!

[@maxsmodels]

thanks

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

AWESOME video Max. I have the Aztec and Apache, two of each and unbuilt, and an Aero commander, great kits.. Just missed on a Cessna 310 on evilbay. I need one of those Ercoupe models (see my avatar, that cockpit section is mine - was reg no N3188H) Want a model Cessna 140 too as I own the fuselage of N76402. Both those US registered aircraft were written off here in the UK. Never knew those Aurora Civvie kits were ex Comet. Please keep up the great work Max.

[@orbitalair2103]

The model with the stick and wires to the control surfaces. I have seen a few of those, I think the one I have plans for is a WW1 fighter, I suppose it was someones fun way to make adjustments to the trim of a model in a realistic way. You know how scale modelers are.

[@sugarhillsrr]

Another video by Max what a wonderful way to end the day, Thanks Max !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@maxsmodels]

Flattery will get you everywhere

[@buzzawuzza3743]

Your videos are tops with me! Love the info and seeing the kits and the box art. Keep up the good work.

[@cipherthedemonlord8057]

Building a Comet Ercoupe my grandfather never got around to do. Now I love the actual plane after reading about it and seeing a video. Also have his Gull II I may try and do an electric conversion on. Not as easy building as the Guillows ones though because nothing is pre cut and can be broken off easily.

[@roberthill3207]

Thank you excellent video thumbs up stay awesome everyone.

[@rickzinck9326]

Great stuff Max. Thank you.

[@larrydee8859]

As always; Great model history video Max. ( Interesting experience; Back in the 1970s, there were two different events in two different hobby shops, where for some reason, the people in each store, discouraged me from buying Comet models, because there were two fragile, compared to Guillows, or Sterling). I recall Comet had a nice selection of models though. At the time I didn't purchase many balsa models. I regret not buying any Comet models. Thanks for the link!

[@raoulcruz4404]

Larry Dee Interesting they said too fragile. The one discouragement I heard was the Comet models were not die cut parts. The early ‘80s kits had very dense balsa. However, I’ve only built 2 Comet models.

[@larrydee8859]

@@raoulcruz4404 Thanks for the feedback, Raul. That's an interesting point, about the balsa not being pre- cut, yet thicker. Then, it's possible, they may have actually been more robust, when flying.

[@redblackvette]

I sure built a lot of those. And I have Comet Sparkly and the same Taylorcraft mitts at home to build.

[@monkeybuttslap]

Have you thought about a doc on Evergreen and Plastruct, especially since Plastruct is going under new ownership and location?

[@gustavoantonelli]

I love the Cessna 310, specially this older version. I didn't know that existed a kit by Comet. I'll make a research at Old Model Kits!

[@xtalvt]

It is interesting to me the parallels of Comet and the electronics explosion of the early 50's. If you think of Comet as the Bell Labs of model airplanes, it spawned several companies (Top Flight, CG, ...) from it's employees.

[@mongolike513]

You are going at it big Fella! Get it down before we forget? I had already forgot, ahem. Ahh but all that killer box Art! Thanks heaps.

[@hertzair1186]

3:53 I actually have this kit, but in its Aurora iteration...that Pearl Harbor trivia was great, I remember the incidents from reading and the movie....I think one of the gals had a few bullet holes in their plane....

[@mrains100]

Thank you!

[@xtalvt]

I have two or three of these kits in storage (have not seen them for 10 years). One is either the Taylorcraft or the Aeronca Chief, one is an over wing flyer (might have gull wings .. cloud buster maybe) ... and one might be the P-38 . If I am right, these kits were relatively cheap ... as I found out because the balsa parts were not die cut (just checked pictures on another site to confirm this) ... just the shape stamped on the balsa for the builder to cut out. I think that was why I didn't build them. It was easier to buy a Guillow's that had die cut parts. I kept them saying I would build them in my old age ... hmmm ... my old age is fast approaching (if you ask my wife, she will say it already here). As always ... LOVE THE VIDEOS !!!

[@larrydee8859]

I know the feeling, as I collected a lot of models, with the idea of building in my old age. Yes; My wife says it's now here, but don't have the time, unfortunately.

[@wdtaut5650]

I remember Guillows (and Berkeley) kits referred to as 'die crunched'. I guess the knives got dull but they kept making kits with them. For me, it was a toss-up between Comet and Guillows, whichever kit appealed the most when I had a dime (or was it 15 cents?). I built many of each, probably more by Comet. There was a time when the smaller model kits came with spruce stringers instead of balsa. That was some tough building when your hobby knife was a broken razor blade. As you do, I now have several of their scale models, and a couple of Sparkys, still in the box waiting to be built. Plans for many Comet designs are available at Outerzone.co.uk. A few years ago, someone was selling disks with plans for Comet Dime Scale models on Ebay. I missed it, of course.

[@Paladin1873]

I remember building that Aurora Apache at least twice.

[@johnnoble01]

The Ercoupe was the second stick and tissue model I made. Tried to convert it to control line, or u control as fellas over the pond like to call it, but lack of experience turned it into a right dogs dinner! Liked the Comet kits though! 👍

[@Siren851]

Man, I love these kit mfr's histories.

[@georgeh.7238]

If I remember correctly built the Comet Japanese A6M Zero.

[@user-tx2gk5qs2h]

Thanks both for the video and the link. Although wooden stikck models are familiar to everyone in my generation, I've never even heard of this company. And - yes! - Mr. Reder was right.

[@Pete-tq6in]

It's a shame that Comet went by the wayside, an even bigger shame is that Guillows appeared to buy them out simply to kill their range. Guillows models are generally overweight for free flight rubber and underbuilt for U control. They make nice display models but, unlike many Comet designs, they need a lot of modification and lightening to become reasonable flyers. Comet models have a simple charm about them. Thankfully, many of their plans are widely available on free plan sites today, including some of their very earliest designs. Here in the UK we had mainly Veron and Keil Kraft but Comet and Guillows kits were also obtainable. I loved them as a kid growing up in the eighties!

[@JMChladek]

I built a Comet Aeronca Sedan years ago (didn't quite finish it). I have the Comet 707 in my stash and it is a VERY accurate kit of the Dash 80 in its early configuration. I would love to build it, but it has plenty of nostalgia value in its current state. So I will probably convert a Minicraft KC-135A into a Dash 80 instead.

[@markfrench8892]

Whenever anyone mentions Comet and Guillows I also rhink of Sterling, though Sterling was more into RC aircraft.

[@robertjablonski9830]

Sterling made a bunch of rubber powered planes and control line planes.

[@raoulcruz4404]

I built the Sterling Eindecker, it was rubber band powered. It had real solid rubber tires.

[@larrydee8859]

Many years ago, I. Built the Sterling, Spad, also with real rubber tires. That was a nice model.

[@flyswryan]

I got hooked up with a bunch of peanut scalers for a few years. We built a lot of Comets kits and flew them in a hangar we were able to use, since I’m an aircraft mechanic and had the right connections (probably the only reason they recruited me). I never liked the covering tissue paper they supplied with the kits: there were some pretty hideous colors! I built the Porterfield Collegiate and used my own silk span and colored dope, as the blue and yellow tissues provided were bogus: the Collegiate was never painted yellow. I’d say the kit quality was comparable to Sterling, as in low, except being peanut scale, it was acceptably low. I can see how you could confuse an all metal Luscombe 8E with a tube & fabric Taylorcraft BC12D. I suspect I’ll be doing the same when dementia sets in...at least you didn’t trace the picture of a Champ.

[@darrellid]

Was hoping for CCR's "It Came out of the Sky".

[@warrenchambers4819]

Thank you for the Comet link. I'll be watching it after this. Loving the Model kit manufacturer history keep'em coming. Can you do a Shepard Paine video also? Pretty Please?????

[@maxsmodels]

am looking into it.

[@maxsmodels]

Thanks, i was gong to blow this off with a quick reply but then I looked into his work and got hooked (thanks for that, like I don't have enough on my plate). Oh well, I shouldn't drunk blog. I will put something together but I seriously do not think I can do his genius justice. We lost him too early.

[@warrenchambers4819]

@@maxsmodels As a kid growing up in the 70s I was fascinated with the 2 page flyers in Monogram model kits of Shepherd Paines work his "How to's" so to speak. I'd take'em to school and study them over and over. Really it was those flyers that really opened up modeling as a serous hobby for me and many others as well. The kits I remember having those are the Monogram B-17,B-24, B-29, P-61, B-26, B-25 and the Amor series Screaming Mimi, Hedgehog etc. The fascination we as modelers get with just opening the box is hard to describe, like Christmas(as a kid) wrapped up by the perfect day while wearing ur most comfortable clothes and a hit of speed to ur imagination. Haha. You get the point. Thank for the reply and as I've said before Love ur channel and keep the great videos coming. I thoroughly enjoy your work thanks for doing it.

[@Habu12]

I did build some Comet kits, but like Guillow’s better. Comet didn’t have the die cut parts.

[@mongolike513]

Oh by the way I hear Wingnut Wings passed away two days ago. RIP.

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Lance Lipinsky rocks! I have his cd!

[@sparetime2475]

I want that model f-100 lol

[@maxsmodels]

Sooouper Sabre

[@rwl8150]

Thumbs up to a fellow SASS member.

[@maxsmodels]

Red Max

[@rwl8150]

@@maxsmodels SmokeyPColt

[@Paladin1873]

Moose, you once hit a tree with N2996K and hardly dented it.

[@maxsmodels]

just a belly scraper with a tiny persimmon tree

[@kiplindsay8413]

I built many!

[@benflay6038]

Interesting comet is a British kit maker to

[@johnbryant8603]

🎩🙏🏽

[@kurthirschfield7596]

Sweet Luscomb, bummer...

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"Did I hear someone say 'KITES'?!"_* 😝😝😝😝

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

At 03:56 in this video: *I ♥ ERCOUPES//AIRCOUPES!!*

[@robertjablonski9830]

Since your adding wood model history how about Scientific and Sterling? Hint hint

[@maxsmodels]

Funny you should mention that. I have a Sterling model build somewhere on the channel and I am considering it. My fist wood kit was the Sterling AT-6 which I did recently. I never got the automatic gear extension to work right because it is crap! INSANE I SAY! Oh, here it is. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHq7Y4eVatiobrs

[@robertjablonski9830]

@@maxsmodels between my dad and I we built the Ringmaster, Baby Ringmaster (together at the same time when I was 8). Waco, Piper Tri pacer and Mustang and Fledgling.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

The founders of COMET GRADUATED in 1929? Wow. *"CONGRATS, you're adults now!"* *"ALSO CONGRATS, Welcome to THE GREAT DEPRESSION...."*

[@maxsmodels]

Darn kids!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@maxsmodels >>> Talk about BAD TIMING...😊

[@johnaitken7430]

I built a bunch

[@kurthirschfield7596]

*e