NEW! Gas Patch Models 1/48 Me163B Komet kit review

[@Dragonblaster1]

Eric "Winkle" Brown flew 483 types of aircraft. However, he flew most marks of Supermarine Spitfire, but that only counts as one type. He was the only Allied pilot to fly the Me163 under power. The Allied High Command had issued an edict that no RAF pilot was to attempt to fly the Me163 other than by glide tests. However, Winkle was a Royal Navy pilot, an excellent German speaker, due to studying aero engineering in Germany between the wars, and he had been given the task, in the last days of the war, of flying as many types of German aircraft as possible. He realised that eventually, High Command might realise that there were aviators other than RAF pilots, and they might extend the ban to all Allied pilots. He persuaded the ground crew to fuel up a 163, and he let rip. He was an amazing pilot. In his storied career, he was the first pilot to land a dual engined plane on an aircraft carrier, with about four inches to spare, the first pilot to land a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier, the first pilot to deliberately land an aircraft with a functioning undercarriage, but with wheels up, on an aircraft carrier (there was a trial for rubber decks on ACs). He flew not only fighters, but the B29 Superfortress, the Avro Lancaster and the de Havilland Comet, as well as hot jets like the English Electric Lightning, the F104 Starfighter and the MiG-15.

[@BlackAndBluez]

I’ve built this kit and I can confirm it is as good as it looks in the box. Zero aftermarket required. Hands down the best out of the box cockpit of any kit I’ve ever built. It is a bit fiddly to put together, careful clean up and alignment of parts is crucial, but you will be rewarded with a beautiful model.

[@AubreyStJohn3000]

Cant believe I missed this review...Just ordered mine AND still at a good price! Cant wait.....Might have to order All of their kits!

[@geofflord2739]

thanks mate,your channel is a joy

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Thanks very much. 👍🏻☺️

[@stpepe3708]

good, quality company! hope for many more in the future

[@mikehanson7328]

Peter, l am having to revisit old posts. Suffering from podcast withdrawal! Mike

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Sorry Mike, I am unwell with Covid at present. 🤒 But a couple of new kit gems to come once I am better...stay tuned!

[@mikehanson7328]

@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab get well soon Peter, l had it earlier on this year, it's very unpleasant. I found an old Aurora Gotha in my stash the other day, sadly not Frog but still worth a look!

[@timsands9740]

Thanks Peter, just ordered mine 😉 rest up and hope you don’t get any side affects! Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. 😁

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Thanks Tim...all OK...SO FAR! 🤞🏻

[@johnf3885]

Great video Peter I cab see you getting a job with the BBC! It's a great kit and one which I might purchase if I can sneak it by she who must be obeyed!! I'm starting to get grief about having unbuilt kits!

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Thanks John, though not sure about working for the BBC, this week that is now like a byword for dishonesty!? 😱 But thanks anyway.😬 Just tell 'she who must be obeyed' that collecting classic models is no worse than shoes or dresses. 😉 You will not regret buying this one. 👍🏻

[@andrewgowing9815]

Mine arrived two weeks ago. Great kit.

[@kenhanson1819]

Fantastic review, Peter! I've had my eye on this kit since I saw it announced in late 2019. I've got their Henschel Hs123A-1 (Early), and it's a stunning kit. The instructions are along the same format as in your Me163 kit. They certainly know how to produce highly detailed kits! I saw a KZbin video a few days ago in which Eric Brown was describing what it was actually like to fly the Me163, and it was very interesting. He said if there was any fuel left in the aircraft upon landing, it would cause a violent explosion which would result in the death of the pilot. He's the greatest test pilot that ever lived, imho. Really incredible all the different aircraft he flew over the course of his career. Those roundels are for the French Air Ministry. Italian roundels have a green dot in the center. Thanks for the video, now I'm off to order one!

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Thanks Ken. In Mano Ziegler's book 'Rocket Fighter' he describes an incident he witnessed whereby one of his Me163 pilot commrades had a hard landing and the plane nosed over. When the rescue vehicle got to the plane it was steaming as the Hydrogen Peroxide tank had burst open, flooding the cockpit. Most of The poor pilots body was partially literally melted away by the corrosive acid! 😱 Eric Brown was very brave to fly that thing, that's for sure!

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

The aircraft's max speed was actually 950kmh! 😱

[@ModelkitStuff]

great review, I love your historical background knowledge it ads another dimension to the review. I have one of these on order, did you get one of the additional masking sets with it? I have ordered the venal one, but they also have a tape version to.

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Thanks Jason. No, I didn't know about the additional mask sets? I did the Meng 1/32 version (see my recent vid about reference books, in which you can see the finished model). I am delighted to see quite a new manufacturer get it right so quickly. Let me know how you get on with your masks? 👍🏻

[@christianedevulder9046]

not italien .....french test prototype

[@JohnSmith-ve8mj]

Hanna reitsch also flew the prototype of this aircraft, only woman pilot to do so!!