Prop-Jet Electra

Got an email announcing some upcoming Inflight releases and this one caught my attention

IF7070812BP AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 707-300 N8406 (Polished)



I don't own a single Inflight/JC/AV200 707 for the simple fact that all the pax windows are way too high. Not a big deal to some, but to me misplacement of this basic feature wrecks the entire illusion.

Here we have an opportuntity to put those passenger windows where they're supposed to go. There is no cheatline to be connected to the cockpit windows in a specific way. With this particular mould the cockpit windows will always be too high but with any non-cheatline livery that can be worked around. Pax windows, doors, emergency exits, titles and lightening bolts should all be positioned properly, no excuses.

Nothing says it like a picture so here we can see where all those details should be positioned along the fuselage. Note how the first passenger window occurs below the height of the rear cockpit window, not parallel to the window. Note where the emergency exits are in relation to the top of the wing root. I'll look for a better photo showing the rear lightning bolt position in relation to the horizontal stabilizers (here it is blocked by the catering truck).




It's not rocket science. If at 7 years old I could get it right again and again then I know you folks as competent adults can pull this off. I would thoroughly enjoy having a quality 1:200 707 in my collection and an Astrojet would be an appropriate choice for this Tulsa boy. So what do you say, are you up to the challenge?

Or is it too late because they've already been made

N. Eberhard

There's no way these are made yet, so send this thread content directly to the folks at Inflight at inflight200@hotmail.co.uk

N553UA

I'm on board for this one. Finally a polished AA 707 Astrojet!!!

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Prop-Jet Electra

Doing it now Nick and thanks

Bealine

They get that window line on the money, I'm having one.

Prop-Jet Electra

Email sent to Inflight - we'll see how it goes

panam707

I know this may sound cynical, but I have no doubt that whatever you suggest to Inflight will be completely ignored, and that whatever your worst fears are will be manifested in the final production version of this model.

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Ruth -- cancel the ticket check. We're leaving...

727pilot

The old IF 200 problem: The window-line is way too high and ends up nearly parallel to the horizontal stabilizer, which is completely wrong. Somehow I guess they will never manage to get it right. Pure ignorance!

Recently I cancelled my orders for two Lufthansa 707s made by "BlueBox Models" because of the same fault. "BlueBox" use the IF 200 mould and apparently have the same printing process.

A real shame for all retro-collectors!

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View my Lufthansa model-collection at http://www.lhmc.de/e-index.htm.

silverbreak

is this better?

Charlie Alpha

Ouch!!
Much worse. That looks freakish.

The 707 had a 'double bubble' fuselage when viewed from the front. The 'crease' on the side of the fuselage just above the wing fairing is the division point between cargo hold and floorline of the passenger cabin.

The cabin windows are centered midway between the floor (crease in the fuselage) and cabin roof. Also, the 707's had a straight floor line between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. The cockpit windows were a LITTLE higher that the cabin windows because of the taller 'pedestal' style seats, but not much.

Now that I have a few of the older InFlights, the cabin window height is just about as close as you can get. IMHO, the new Aviation200 Pan Am 707's are a little bit high, but not much. The BOTTON of the pax windoes should be even with the BOTTOM of the side cockpit windows.

I think the actual cabin windows should be pretty much where they are shown on the original drawing. American Airlines Final Colors is a good reference because the blue cheatline pretty much lines up with the pax cabin windows.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ameri...c03218b1c8b14a

And another. Notice the cheatline position in relation to the horizontal stabilizer in a slight 'nose up' trim.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ameri...c03218b1c8b14a

panam707

My biggest concern is that this model will have exit paths on the wings. It shouldn't. But I bet it will.

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Ruth -- cancel the ticket check. We're leaving...

Charlie Alpha

I bet you are right.

Just like the "Pan Am' titles on the wing of the short titled N767PA Aviation200 release, emergency exist markings would be just as wrong on this livery.

panam707

Indeed. I sent back that Pan Am 707, by the way.

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Ruth -- cancel the ticket check. We're leaving...

DLmd11

Charlie Alpha, good points on the location of the cabin windows in relation to the cockpit.

It seems that in all 707's I have seen the windows, doors, cheatline and titles were way too high and someone did criticize me one time when I said way too high, but they are.

The worst example I have seen of this was on the black and yellow livery of the MAS 707. Even the cockpit was printed above the molded wondows of the model.

Let's hope someone makes these corrections and gets it right.

DLmd11

I do have one more thing to say about the 707 and this was mentioned in another thread.

The engines could be a little larger. They seem to be a little too small for the model.

Todd Michaels

Too bad this model isn't an Aviation 200 release, like the previous American 707. For one, it'd be much less expensive.

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travsuz

And for second, it would be to retailers much sooner. With IF 200 if could be a year or two. JC Wings could have it out in a few months.

firefly

With IF200 moulds and their final products, it is always WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET scenario. I haven't seen any IF200 releases ever been corrected about the mistakes.

Upkeep

Just remember that the wing box will be the same, and if memory serves me right, you didn't fancy the way it finished up near the rear on your Air France 707.

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Refining a rather modest, yet elegant 1:200 Air France jet set.

Prop-Jet Electra

Received a very nice reply to my email, so let's wait and see what happens
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I'm sure it's a headache trying to get honorable factory worker #12 to follow directions


Oh and how right you are Mr. C Every now and again I wish I hadn't sold that. However...

It would be nice to have at least one 707 and Inflight is the only 1:200 707 game in town. An Astrojet would be great - I've lots of good memories and anything called an "Astrojet" must have been cool

Air Jamaica DC 9

I love it when you talk dirty.....I mean the truth

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Patrick C. Boulton
A.K.A Voyager

Upkeep

I can relate. "Astrojet" is a cool term during the opening hours of the 'jet-age'.

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Refining a rather modest, yet elegant 1:200 Air France jet set.

Charlie Alpha

It would be nice to have at least one 707 and Inflight is the only 1:200 707 game in town. [/QUOTE]


Not true. There are also BlueBox and Aviation200 707's. Fortunately or unfortunately, they are all produced on the same mold and probably in the same factory. And they have the same issue: high cabin windows/cheatlines. So, in a sense, you are right.

What is really strange is that it didn't used to be that way. I have several of the old InFlight 707's, and the passenger cabin window placement is pretty good.

As I've posted before, the correct position of the passenger cabin windows is: BOTTOM of the windows parrallel to the BOTTOM of the side cockpit windows, and TOP of the cabin windows parrellel to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer IN NEUTRAL trim. ( It is important to remember that the entire horizontal stabilizer on the 707 moves up and down when the trim is changed). The InFlight mold looks to me like it has slight noes up (leading edge of HS down) trim.

Aside from this one issue, although some may argue there are other problems, I personally do not see any other major issues with this mold.