1:400 : SMA : 030201 : Continental Airlines : Boeing 737-222 : N10236
Folks ... the cat was let out of the bag a bit early ... so I am going to post these photos now of SMA's February model release. Should ship to retailers between this week and Feb. 14th.
Seattle Model Aircraft
SMA030201
Continental Airlines (current colors)
Boeing 737-222
N10236
400 pieces
As before, this model will be available at the following retailers. SMA is completely sold out.
Jetstreams USA
JetCollector.com
Aviation World Canada
Aviation Center Hong Kong
Toymax Co
CollectableJets
CR Smith Museum
Ming Lee & Assoc.
Niel Bjornstad & Assoc.
TriStar
Please visit "Other Scales & Antique Models" forum for my 1/100 models! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Location: About a 40 minute drive from Toronto, Canada
Posts: 5,586
WOW Looks great!
Gordon, IMO you're doing a great job in selecting these liveries, but I have one question, why only 400 units?
I mean, I imagine that the last release (United o/c) and this one would easily sell out if they were limited to say.. 800 or even a 1000 units, but these at 400 pieces are selling out before they even hit the stores!
Nice, had this been a 'Meatball' or one of the hybrids that CO had with PE/NY/FL then I might have been willing to shell out $35 but I'll probably take a miss on this one.
One thing however, I noticed that 'Jetways' is not listed in the list of retailers, any particular reason why? I ask this as this is where I purchase some 99% of my models.
Very nice release indeed! I'll be getting a few of these if I can find them. I just wish they would produce more than 300 or 400 of these things for the sake of all former club members
I *almost* had a nit-pick for this. It says 737-222 Advanced, yet the SMAC 732 mold is a non-Advanced 732. (Thus, it'd be wrong). BUT--a quick check of JP Fleets says N10236 is a non--Advanced 732, and the model is thus correct. (I was THIS close to one of my infamous "if you only had picked a different reg number, it'd be more accurate" rants)
PS--I'd like to make a positive comment on these (there's something that appears to be better about this one than previous releases), but then I'd just be accused of being a co-conspirator.
Originally posted by ThomasM One thing however, I noticed that 'Jetways' is not listed in the list of retailers, any particular reason why? I ask this as this is where I purchase some 99% of my models.
Thomas - because we did not sign up to buy 24 of each model. In today's saturated market there are few models that any one retailer can sell 24 of in a reasonable amount of time. And if it ends up being a dog then there is the inevitable fire sale which is not a very fun business practice.
So far there are no other producers nor distributors that require a minimum purchase of 24 pieces in order to stock a release, especially ones that aren't even announced yet.
Originally posted by David Hingtgen I *almost* had a nit-pick for this. It says 737-222 Advanced, yet the SMAC 732 mold is a non-Advanced 732. (Thus, it'd be wrong). BUT--a quick check of JP Fleets says N10236 is a non--Advanced 732, and the model is thus correct. (I was THIS close to one of my infamous "if you only had picked a different reg number, it'd be more accurate" rants)
David,
Based on your judgement, is the Gemini 732 mould a Adv or non-Adv one? Just look at the body shape, what are the differences between a non-Adv and an Adv version?
Thanks!
I guess that offering models in numbers limited to just 400 (or as the case is now, 600) is a great way of ensuring that you get rid of the entire stock.......
There can be nothing worse than having a factory full of old releases that people aren't interested in. Releasing 600 assures the guys at SMAC that they will be lucky to even get one for their own collections!!!!
While it's a shame for those unable to get the models for their collection, this is a great way of keeping the hobby alive and exciting : nothing like having to slash a few tires on the way to the model store to ensure you get there first.....
Originally posted by ba777-236 Gordon, IMO you're doing a great job in selecting these liveries, but I have one question, why only 400 units?
I mean, I imagine that the last release (United o/c) and this one would easily sell out if they were limited to say.. 800 or even a 1000 units, but these at 400 pieces are selling out before they even hit the stores!
I think that the conservative numbers are based in part on the problems encountered by the 737 Club, with which Gordon was involved. In that case they made 700 of each model and many did not sell. The 737 Club liveries were designed to be obscure because, I believe, they did not want to compete directly with GJ (who was producing the models for them). Now the playing field is different and the market is different. With the mainstream liveries SMAC is now releasing they could probably sell 1000 of some of them - like Contintental, United and, when they make it, Delta.
Originally posted by KenB I think that the conservative numbers are based in part on the problems encountered by the 737 Club, with which Gordon was involved. In that case they made 700 of each model and many did not sell. The 737 Club liveries were designed to be obscure because, I believe, they did not want to compete directly with GJ (who was producing the models for them). Now the playing field is different and the market is different. With the mainstream liveries SMAC is now releasing they could probably sell 1000 of some of them - like Contintental, United and, when they make it, Delta.
For those interested, this bird was originally one of Frontier's that Continental picked up after acquiring Frontier/PeoplExpress in 1986-87. Frontier was bought by Don Burr and PeoplExpress and it drove PeoplExpress further down the drain to the point that Lorenzo was the best option not long after. Don Burr had planned to operate Frontier as a separate airline for five years from PE as the corporate cultures were radically different. It was all part of Burr's planned westward expansion and to use Frontier's Denver hub to funnel passengers from the US West into People's network out east.
Within two years of folding Frontier and PeoplExpress (as well as New York Air and Texas International along the way), Continental itself was in bankruptcy....
What about in this era? Was she a Continentel Lite bird!
Quote:
Originally posted by Sentinel Chicken
Within two years of folding Frontier and PeoplExpress (as well as New York Air and Texas International along the way), Continental itself was in bankruptcy....
Originally posted by AV8TOR 600 units. Hmmm..I wonder how they ever came up with that number...
Easy. 24 divides into 600 for a nice round # of 25 cases. In todays market I agree with Gordon that 600 is a safe number of models to make IF they are well-known airlines. The mould being used for these is also different and better.
The #1 problem with the first SMAC releases was the relative obscurity of the airlines.....none were associated with any major country. The #2 problem was the price of admission. Neither of these problems exist with the new generation SMAC models.
Yeah I noticed that, I never could find ANY information about "Air Nauru" although I loved the model.....but, United Mainliner 737, USAir and Continental are answers to several of my prayers to the 1/400 model god
Originally posted by N. Eberhard Easy. 24 divides into 600 for a nice round # of 25 cases. In todays market I agree with Gordon that 600 is a safe number of models to make IF they are well-known airlines. The mould being used for these is also different and better.
The #1 problem with the first SMAC releases was the relative obscurity of the airlines.....none were associated with any major country. The #2 problem was the price of admission. Neither of these problems exist with the new generation SMAC models.
That was pretty much my thinking. The 737 Club was really a different concept. I think the goal was to make models that would otherwise NEVER be made. The problem was that there were not enough diehard B732 lovers to make that work.
Originally posted by freewing David,
Based on your judgement, is the Gemini 732 mould a Adv or non-Adv one? Just look at the body shape, what are the differences between a non-Adv and an Adv version?
Thanks!
GJ's is a 737-200Adv. (As opposed to SMAC's standard 737-200)
The Advanced ones have many INVISIBLE differences, as well as a few visible ones. The big easy to spot difference is the number of rudder hinges---737-200's have 3, 737-200Adv's have 2. All of them have the large upper hinge, and a smaller hinge mid-way down the rudder. But only the NON-Advanced 737-200 has the 3rd one, about 3/4 of the way down the rudder. Also note that the CO Springs UA 737 crash was one of UA's very few Adv 732's, and lacked that 3rd hinge on the rudder. All newer 737's have the 3rd hinge again. Take from that what you will.
Based on the postion of the CO titles, you can tell this plane had the "Lite" titles. They were painted over with white paint once after they discontinued the low fare airline within airline.
Yeah this was one of the Frontier birds. All of which were non adv models. All of Frontier's "37 A's went to UA in a last ditch effort to bring in cash.
N10236 222 19937/148 236 N7389F
The original FR tail number.
As for the lite title they wouldnt be painted over but removed. The "Continental" titles are just big decals. It always amazed me to watch the paint shop guys. It always looked like they were building a really big model kit when they painted them. I reconfigured the interior on this aircraft adding a first class section back in it. That was a great summer job.
I would like to see the very rare inital paint scheme after the Frontier take over. They had "Continental's" angled above the "Frontier" title on the fuselage and "Proud bird to be" near the tail logo.
thanks for the CO Lite info ... I just about freaked when I first saw the model with the uneven titles ... then I went home and saw that it just so happened that this particular aircraft had these offset titles.
As for the 737club ... we had no choice in what models we could choose from ... and we screwed up with how to offload the inventory. Enough said, the we-blew-it compensation model will be going into production vbery shortly for those who stuck by us when everything went bad.
As for SMA and releasing 600 models ... well it is simple. Sam,tom and I have to handel everything ourselves (especially the $$$) and 25 cases has a nice even feel to it.
Remember when we go up to 2-3 models a month we have to be able to store all thse boxes ... and since it is our money and nexks on the line we didn't want to go overboard.
Perhaps in the future the numbers will increase ... however normal SMA releases will always (for now) be 600 units/release.
Now, if I convince my partners to let me make an exclusive model for DA.C ... well I might make a lower quantity since it will only be my money on the line ...
Originally posted by Gordon Werner As for the 737club ... we had no choice in what models we could choose from ... and we screwed up with how to offload the inventory. Enough said, the we-blew-it compensation model will be going into production vbery shortly for those who stuck by us when everything went bad.
As for SMA and releasing 600 models ... well it is simple. Sam,tom and I have to handel everything ourselves (especially the $$$) and 25 cases has a nice even feel to it.
Remember when we go up to 2-3 models a month we have to be able to store all thse boxes ... and since it is our money and nexks on the line we didn't want to go overboard.
Perhaps in the future the numbers will increase ... however normal SMA releases will always (for now) be 600 units/release.
Now, if I convince my partners to let me make an exclusive model for DA.C ... well I might make a lower quantity since it will only be my money on the line ...
We'll see.
Gordon
Thanks for the explanation! The number of 600 is fine I guess, just as long as I can get one before they sell out!
I'll admit the club wasn't what I thought it would be but I still can't remedy that 737-fetish I have so I gotta keep on with the SMA models. I am still looking forward to the 'compensation' model even if you aren't..I'm sure it'll be a good one!
IMO, this (SMAC) is still the best ticket in town along with the Aeroclassics 737s that are being released and I wouldn't miss it for the world!!
Amen Shayne ... wasn't involved with the 737club, but I have since purched all of them ... Gordon .. keep up the good work .. these SMAC releases are sweet
1:400 : SMA : 030201 : Continental Airlines : Boeing 737-222 : N10236
Looks to be a former Continental Lite plane!
But
Your Privacy Choices
