M1968Q

Without starting a major war, have any of you purchased the Aeroclassics GSE set, and if so, what are your opinions of it? Currently, it seems to be the only game in town as Gemini and Dragon are sold out of their sets. Just your honest opinions please.

Thanks!
Mike Q.

goldy

This set is presently available in 1:400 from Herpa Wings. The AC generic set is nice. Also I have one or two of the AC/BB Lufthansa sets left in stock which have been selling for $20.00 each.

Peewee

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psalover

Hey, When did the Aeroclassics sets come out? I can't beleive I missed it. Are there any out there still?

Don Clipper Spirit

I have seen these sets in person, it the same oversized junk that BB spreaded.

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fazeman

If you notice, most of the AC GSE appears to be from the late propline era. You can tell by looking at the design of the refueling truck and trailer and the cabs of the other trucks. The bus is modern looking and although it's hard to tell by the picture, I guess the rest would probably pass for current use. The forklift is cool.

If AeroClassics, Dragon Wings and Herpa want to get serious, they need to make the Rampmaster series of refueling trucks. You can't go wrong with this equipment at your modern airport.

With that said, lets give a warm welcome to the adorable Miss Addison of Addison Airport (ADS), Dallas, Tx. This 1968 photo shows her utilizing a more modern refueling truck to serve general aviation aircraft.

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Steve

psalover

Are those pivot points on those trucks, or are they straight trucks? The look like they pivot, and they are actually two peices. Strang looking, but I would buy these in a minute.

fazeman

All trucks are straight. There is no pivot point due to the fact that these tanks are mounted on two 5th wheels.

The largest one holds 17,500 gallons.
Also pictured is the low profile truck. It holds 10,000 gallons and will fit under an A320.

Check out Rampmasters on your google search for more details.

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Steve

M1968Q

Thanks for the info. guys...sounds like it has some scale issues, which is what I thought from looking at the pictures.

Mike Q.

psalover

The Aeroclassics bus is huge. Not fitting in a 1/400 diorama. The rest are OK, but more for 50's,and maybe 60's stuff.

Gavin Miller

Mike, I got a full set of AC GSE with my Cathay CV880/DC-3 twin-pack.

They look grossly overscale and thick compared with the fine moulding and engraving of the Dragon Wings GSE (I have several sets of DW GSE which is much better).

I've left my AC GSE in the box because it looks terrible in photos and detracts from my perfect looking AC airliners!!!

I don't know why DW don't continue to release their various GSE sets - there must be plenty of demand for them by newbie airport diorama builders.

I hope DW bring out some plastic retro GSE that looks as good as their modern stuff.

psalover

Unfortunatly it looks like Herpa may beat them to the punch. It seems Herpa is taking the 1/400 serious these days.

M1968Q

Thanks everyone for the replies. Your honest opinions have saved me some $$$. Hopefully DW and Gemini re-release theirs, and Herpa continues to expand their line of 1:400 products. I have picked up Herpa's 1:400 catering trucks, and these are great and more detailed than Dragon's.

The main GSE shortages at my airport are push-back tugs and baggage carts/tractors. I'm adding between 25-30 new gates and really need these GSE. Oh well, guess I'll have to be patient and/or scour E-bay for these.

Mike Q.

hugo

why unfortunately? - Herpa are now producing some good stuff in both 1:500 and 1:400 - and if they can challenge the old DW/GJ stuff all the better - will raise standards. I had a look at the AC gse set at Feltham and was quite disappointed - didn't buy any because it didn't look right - perhaps some was for the 50s but others were just too big.

Gavin Miller

Yes, I've picked up a couple of sets of Herpa's catering trucks and I agree with you Mike, they are better than the DW. Hopefully Herpa will continue to release new stuff in their GSE range because their's stay available on an on-going basis.

I have been "underwhelmed" by some of Herpa's earlier GSE releases (which to me looked like miniature Lego vehicles - very toylike), but their recent catering vehicles and the winter trucks set (if the photos are of the actual 1/400 scale models) are excellent.

Gavin

STEVEJ

I have most of the AC GSE as it was included with some of the models I bought and it has been a let down. It was suppose to be a retro GSE but put it with any prop model and it is way way out of scale. You can fudge it with the wide bodies but thats about it. The DW GSE is very good but no longer available. I ordered the Herpa catering truck a while ago but never received it so I can't comment on that one, but the Herpa GSE that came with the NCA model was absolutely outstanding but way too expensive, I was only able to justify the cost based on what I have invested in time and money on various diorama projects.

Don Clipper Spirit

I'll take that GSE on fazeman's first picture anytime...

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Skyservice

Thank you for posting this thread as I was thinking of purchasing the AC GSE myself. Based on the comments here, I think I will pass on them and hope Dragon releases another set sometime soon.

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fazeman

I hope Herpa will release such catering company trucks as Marriott, Sky Chef and Dobbs. All three of these companies were founded in the U.S. and their trucks were commonly seen at airports for decades prior to falling under the LSG umbrella.

Five packs of each please.

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Steve