Review
S&B Komet - by Gerard Cosgrove
As we enter Autumn / Winter there seems to be reduced opportunities to go slope gliding, though for the die-hards like me it never seems to stop me from finding a slope that I can fly at. With this said I decided last year to get an electric powered plane. This would give me the opportunity to fly anytime of the year despite the weather conditions.
My pick was the S&B Models Messerschmitt ME163 C ‘Komet’. S&B Models is a locally based Australian manufacturer of high quality EPP WWII warbirds. They have a wide range of warbirds including the Spitfire, Mustang and P38 Lightning.
Initially the main reason I selected the Komet was that the prop was at the rear of the aircraft. Being new to powered planes I knew that there was no doubt that I would crash my plane. Having the prop at the rear ensures that I’m less likely to break my prop every time that I crashed my aircraft.
The build of the aircraft is simple enough, with clear instructions. Having never flown a powered plane it did take a bit to get used to, but nothing a sloper glider couldn’t handle. The main problem that I had with the plane, or should I say with my radio gear, was interference. I found it very hard to pinpoint the source. And unfortunately there were a number of large and out of control crashes. The turning point was replacing my standard Futaba PMM receiver with a PCM receiver.
Since I have made the swap I’ve had nothing but enjoyable flying experiences. In my plane I only have an 8 cell 1100 NiMH battery which I’m happy enough with, giving 8-9 minute flights. However I can get extend runs of 15-20 minutes on a good slope in nice conditions.
I’m yet to convert to LiPo batteries and a brushless motor, but I know that the performance levels are considerably increased when using brushless.
One item that I really like in the Komet is the cockpit. This area nicely fits your battery, receiver and speed controller, something that is lacking in other powered models. The flight characteristics of the Komet are really nice, great for aerobatics and it even makes for a good sloper if you lose the motor and insert a smaller battery pack.
This is a fun model for those low wind days on the slope, when you need just that extra assistance to gain some height.