These will be my entries, an original Trimaster Me-163S and a DML (ex Trimaster) Me-163B-1a. Since both kits are essentially the same I figured I would build both together a get two builds done at the same time
It is funny looking at these kits today, when they first came out 25 years ago (the Trimaster box is dated 1990!), we thought they were the balls! Etched parts, metal detail parts, engraved panel lines, and decent accuracy. But working on these kits this weekend I noticed the upper fuselage on the Me-163S lines up about .020 short of the bottom halve. The rear window clear part on the Me-163B is going to need a shim on one side to correct a gap, and the wing to fuselage fit on both are going to need a bit of tweaking to get the best fit. It is just kind of interesting looking at these kits today 25 years on with respect to what we consider state of the art kits today. Don't get me wrong, these are still both good little kits and I am happy to be building them, it just struck me as I was test fitting the various bits and pieces and seeing some of the issues how our perception (or at least mine) of what we consider top of the line kits has changed over time.
Ernie
It is funny looking at these kits today, when they first came out 25 years ago (the Trimaster box is dated 1990!), we thought they were the balls! Etched parts, metal detail parts, engraved panel lines, and decent accuracy. But working on these kits this weekend I noticed the upper fuselage on the Me-163S lines up about .020 short of the bottom halve. The rear window clear part on the Me-163B is going to need a shim on one side to correct a gap, and the wing to fuselage fit on both are going to need a bit of tweaking to get the best fit. It is just kind of interesting looking at these kits today 25 years on with respect to what we consider state of the art kits today. Don't get me wrong, these are still both good little kits and I am happy to be building them, it just struck me as I was test fitting the various bits and pieces and seeing some of the issues how our perception (or at least mine) of what we consider top of the line kits has changed over time.
Ernie