Very nice model and great review Richard! In the mid-2000s, I often saw a BMI A330 parked at one end of the tarmac flying into/out of ORD and always thought it was a really nice livery. In 2011, I got an assignment to Riyadh, and the LHR-RUH leg showed I was flying BMI. Was pretty excited expecting to see this aircraft at the gate, only to see I was getting on G-WWBM, the boring Star Alliance A330. Never thought I would ever fly on BMI though, especially into Riyadh.
The link below shows a photo of G-WWBM in what I guess was a very short-lived Euro-white livery, since my flight was in March 2011 and the airline went away in 2012.
It has been a pleasure to see so many releases for the heritage of Delta Air Lines of recent, with this Republic DC-9-51 one of 5 released over the past few months. The Mary Tyler Moore scheme has also been ignored until recently but it is a tricky scheme to get 100% correct. Even so this is a winner for me:
Thanks for the review. I have this one to go with the 757. Used to see these fly in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor airport back in the 80's with a mixture of old and new including the 757.
Your review mentioned that the cockpit window printing issue was fixed. Did you buy one of the recent bowling shoe Dash-50's?? From all the photos I saw, it looks like the cockpits were printed in the radome again, much to my significant disappointment.
I haven't bought one yet, for that reason. Waiting to see more photos of the actual things from other collectors, before I decide either way.
Your review mentioned that the cockpit window printing issue was fixed. Did you buy one of the recent bowling shoe Dash-50's?? From all the photos I saw, it looks like the cockpits were printed in the radome again, much to my significant disappointment.
I haven't bought one yet, for that reason. Waiting to see more photos of the actual things from other collectors, before I decide either way.
I thought it looked ok but mine hasn't arrived yet so I'll take a look and get back to you
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
NG Tristars are generally excellent but the small issues identified by many have yet to be resolved. This L-1011 shows both but still gets a more than acceptable score and I was more than happy to sell on my Dragon Wings example even though it was a nice model. Checkout the review here:
NG Tristars are generally excellent but the small issues identified by many have yet to be resolved.
As you say, excellent model with yet a couple of nit-picky issues that should be, and were pointed out. Great model, perfect review, Doug
ps. From images of recent NGM L-1011 releases, it appears that the #1 and 3 engine nacelles have that corrected slight cant to the rear. Let's see if that holds true or if it is just a image Photoshop tweak. And if they are new engine moulds, might they be issued individually as retrofits?
Last edited by doug seeley; 06-23-2020 at 05:35 AM.
We are truly spoilt in 400 scale nowadays and I am super-impressed with these new AV400 military A330s. The attention to detail here is very impressive and I count 29 additional elements to the existing A330 mould. Altogether this is a contender for model of the year:
It has been over two years since I reviewed an Aeroclassics 727-200 and this Sun Country example provides a good opportunity to take another look at the venerable trijet:
I don't feel the new AV400 777 has received the attention it deserves, and that is partly due to the wait and release choices, but I have got access to the new AV400 777-300ER mould so it's time for a review. This will partner a 777 mould review coming up and a detailed mould comparison of the type too. I got to say this is another strong combination from AV400:
Thanks Richard, agree the only real criticism I have of the AV400 mould is the APU tailcone, I just got the KLM example and that's the only area that I struggle with it, but still acceptable to me
What a coincidence that I saw this particular Air China 777 for the first time while at work yesterday and then there’s a review of it in model form the very next day. As always, thank you for taking the time to make these reviews. And including the many photos as well. ToddCB
I thought Aeroclassics July releases were a superb selection and I was pleased to see the return of the 747. So, this week I'll take a look at one of the three I acquired:
Looks okay but lotsve detail left out imo. In this age of max detail, I don't think it's worth the money spent. The General Electrics are questionable ( clearly very different from the engines used on the DC-10 mould) yet it's the same engine? No nose cone. Wheels could have more detail and as mentioned a good several times already, no aerials. Nice model all the same but lacking these,I'll sadly give it a miss!
__________________ NG L1011's: BWIA(Teal/ yellow livery)/
RAF x3/Eastern bare metal/LAM/ Faucett Peru
NG A340: Gulf Air( Gold/Blue))Surinam/Royal Jordanian/Air Namibia (Blue tail) LAN
NG 747 SP/200 Air Namibia( yellow)/Luxair/Air Mauritius/ Saudi Arabian (Green)/Aerolineas Argentinas/ SAA 80’s Orange tail, silver belly 200/ Lufthansa black nose/ Olympic 200
NG 744: United Battleship/ Delta/ Northwest red top/ Qantas 90s livery/ BA
Is this the ''big thing'' that people were hyped for last month?
To say the model look dated is an understatement...
Wingfit seam is far too noticable imo, no fine details print, the silver painting on the left wing leading edge is sloppy....
Not to mention the stubborn removal of the aerials.
The Cathay Spirit of Hong Kong reviewed in 2018 looked much better than this.
Since it's very likely that NG has their own 747 classics in the works, bringing back this oudated and underutilized mould now quite honestly seems to me like a cheap attempt to squeeze some sales before a new and superior offer hits the market.
Despite it’s flaws and being quite dated I’m still very affectionate toward this classic mould, and the two Air France examples that I bought were very well executed all round. Of course, in the 2020’s we’re now in an age of super detailing, micro printing etc. etc., so the standards are higher. The antenna is one area where I remain neutral, because they are not truly to scale in 1:400, and can be a real pain when handling the model. In 1:1 the hole in the 1:400 fuselage for that added detail to be fixed into would be enormous! I accept it as a featured detail but happily live without it on the Aeroclassics models. I don’t think it’s totally fair to judge on that detail alone. But, different folks, different strokes.
If NG produces an updated version of the 747, then of course this will be welcomed, and I’ll gladly add those examples, but I’ll still be keeping all my BB/AC 747s. It’s also very likely that different registrations/variants would be made of the examples already done many years before, if NG were to revisit these.
__________________
"If you're in a hurry, don't worry because I've got a pretty fast act. Before you get a chance to hate me, I'll be gone." - Tommy Cooper
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I've been surprised at how many NG 787s I've been acquiring and this week I take a close look at another beautiful example with this burgundy Juneyao Airlines model:
Apologies for the break but ModelAirliner is back and so are the detailed reviews. This week I take a look at a MAX, which seems timely as the type rapidly approaches re-entry into service:
I've been loving the Aeroclassics releases of late and this Surinam Eight was a must have. It's super nice but even so the regular artwork errors have crept in:
Yup - no real competition for AeroClassics with their DC-8s. Always thought the DC-8 to be a beautiful airframe, especially the -62 and -63 with the clean lines of the JT3D-7 engines. The 707 is a sturdy workhorse, but utilitarian when compared to the smooth lines of the DC-8. And did you ever see a stretch 707? The DC-8s were both handsome and durable, and I miss 'em. Doug
HYJLwings made a comeback in April with a trio of A321s but it is unclear whether they are now just a sub-brand of NG or still their own selves. Nonetheless the models are still delightful even if this one is as of yet effectively a fantasy model since Covid has delayed delivery of the frame:
Any idea what tooling HYJL use for their A380? Was thinking of getting the Airbus house livery although I already have a Phoenix version and have a feeling it's the same mould.
Any idea what tooling HYJL use for their A380? Was thinking of getting the Airbus house livery although I already have a Phoenix version and have a feeling it's the same mould.
No it was the JC Wings / Gemini mould they used for the pair they made.
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Thanks for the info, will start looking for one as I imagine the finish will be superior to my Phoenix example.
Finally managed to source HYJL A321 Paris to New York D-AVZO earlier this year, so hard to get hold of!
I thought Aeroclassics July releases were a superb selection and I was pleased to see the return of the 747. So, this week I'll take a look at one of the three I acquired:
Thanks for your efforts. I really like reading them.
This release really puzzles me. As you said, it could have been a 2005 release. IMO even by those standards I find this rather lacking.
I mean, those wing leading edges look as if they'd been randomly painted on by hand - I have a number of BB400s from the old days and none of them had it that bad.
And in all those years I would have expected the mould to at least get that wrongly shaped v.tail corrected finally. And of course pylons and wings not in one piece.
As you mention this is a -230, I wondered about how the wings were painted on the real deal - knowing they rarely ever get repainted in a 2nd life.
And it seems like this frame was retired still in its expected LH paint pattern. I wonder how this got ignored on both this and the 1/200 variant. The IF200 at least seems to have white pylons. Ok, I admit grey wings looks better
That said, I liked this mould despite its shortcomings back then and bought quite some BB/AC releases simply as there was nothing better available.
In today's world of CAM I'd expect something that looks more accurate and less "handcarved". I hold my breath for an NG 747Classics here.
Thanks for your efforts. I really like reading them.
This release really puzzles me. As you said, it could have been a 2005 release. IMO even by those standards I find this rather lacking.
I mean, those wing leading edges look as if they'd been randomly painted on by hand - I have a number of BB400s from the old days and none of them had it that bad.
And in all those years I would have expected the mould to at least get that wrongly shaped v.tail corrected finally. And of course pylons and wings not in one piece.
As you mention this is a -230, I wondered about how the wings were painted on the real deal - knowing they rarely ever get repainted in a 2nd life.
And it seems like this frame was retired still in its expected LH paint pattern. I wonder how this got ignored on both this and the 1/200 variant. The IF200 at least seems to have white pylons. Ok, I admit grey wings looks better
That said, I liked this mould despite its shortcomings back then and bought quite some BB/AC releases simply as there was nothing better available.
In today's world of CAM I'd expect something that looks more accurate and less "handcarved". I hold my breath for an NG 747Classics here.
A quick 2 minute Google search confirms your suspicions. The wings and horizontal stabilizers were, indeed, consistent with what we'd expect of an ex-LH 747 - painted white.
A quick 2 minute Google search confirms your suspicions. The wings and horizontal stabilizers were, indeed, consistent with what we'd expect of an ex-LH 747 - painted white.
Oops I didn't notice that! My bad.
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
This week I take a look at another NG Tristar and one that is sold at a premium price due to licensing. Does it improve the model? No, probably not, but it is a superb release nonetheless:
The L-1011-500 tristar from NG is indeed a good mould. My only point of criticism is the third engine that is missing. I understand that it might be hard to install, but on my ATA it is a kind of blue spot which makes the front view a little meh imo.
__________________
Collector of special airplane liveries in 1/400 scale!
The L-1011-500 tristar from NG is indeed a good mould. My only point of criticism is the third engine that is missing. I understand that it might be hard to install, but on my ATA it is a kind of blue spot which makes the front view a little meh imo.
The third engine isn't missing it shouldn't be there! This is a Tristar and not a DC-10 the third engine is buried in the rear fuselage not in the tail hence the S duct!!
The third engine isn't missing it shouldn't be there! This is a Tristar and not a DC-10 the third engine is buried in the rear fuselage not in the tail hence the S duct!!
My bad, more of a visual collector so genuinely did not know that haha! Learned something new today. But I saw a few video's and pictures of the ATA plane landing and I am still not sure if that colour blue is originally inside the S duct. To me a brown/black'ish colour would be more accurate according to what i saw. Ofcource a detail but still important for a correct frontview imo, because this blue kind of stands out.
__________________
Collector of special airplane liveries in 1/400 scale!
I've been loving the return of older Aeroclassics moulds and the 727-100 is one of their finest. This week I take a detailed look at colourful Mexican example:
I've been loving the return of older Aeroclassics moulds and the 727-100 is one of their finest...
I'm mildly shocked to see you giving this mould 8/10, although its tail is so far off the mark.
I quite disliked the mould back when it came out and I'm surprised to still see it selling while there are other offerings that from an engineering point of view are three classes better. Just no 727s
I'm mildly shocked to see you giving this mould 8/10, although its tail is so far off the mark.
I quite disliked the mould back when it came out and I'm surprised to still see it selling while there are other offerings that from an engineering point of view are three classes better. Just no 727s
I don't think the tail is 'so far off'. Aside from a mild angle change it hasn't really got any issues if you ignore the seams. And if that's the only criticism you can level at it I fail to see how you can score it less. So I gave it an 8 based on the fact it is cradle mount, has seams and a minor incorrect tail front.
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Hi Richard
Do you anticipate doing the SP review anytime soon? Be great to see your input on this!
__________________ NG L1011's: BWIA(Teal/ yellow livery)/
RAF x3/Eastern bare metal/LAM/ Faucett Peru
NG A340: Gulf Air( Gold/Blue))Surinam/Royal Jordanian/Air Namibia (Blue tail) LAN
NG 747 SP/200 Air Namibia( yellow)/Luxair/Air Mauritius/ Saudi Arabian (Green)/Aerolineas Argentinas/ SAA 80’s Orange tail, silver belly 200/ Lufthansa black nose/ Olympic 200
NG 744: United Battleship/ Delta/ Northwest red top/ Qantas 90s livery/ BA
I don't think the tail is 'so far off'. Aside from a mild angle change it hasn't really got any issues if you ignore the seams. And if that's the only criticism you can level at it I fail to see how you can score it less. So I gave it an 8 based on the fact it is cradle mount, has seams and a minor incorrect tail front.
If it would be just that.
A too large aft fuselage (#2 exhaust) combined with a disproportionate too small vertical tail among other things.
But all this was exhaustifly discussed, 17 years ago. So I'll give it a rest.
Just saying, but my major concern with an 8/10 rating would be the capping at 10. Not much to improve, rating wise. I mean, we are looking at what I consider an oldschool Chinese handcarved mould that in no way could compare to 2020 standards where Chinese factories seem to have arrived in the late 20th century and manufacture computer aided. That's my impression at least when looking at the latest moulds.
If it would be just that.
A too large aft fuselage (#2 exhaust) combined with a disproportionate too small vertical tail among other things.
But all this was exhaustifly discussed, 17 years ago. So I'll give it a rest.
Just saying, but my major concern with an 8/10 rating would be the capping at 10. Not much to improve, rating wise. I mean, we are looking at what I consider an oldschool Chinese handcarved mould that in no way could compare to 2020 standards where Chinese factories seem to have arrived in the late 20th century and manufacture computer aided. That's my impression at least when looking at the latest moulds.
If you're talking about the Aeroclassics 727-200 then I would agree on the #2 exhaust, however on the 727-100 it isn't an issue. The rudder could be extended back by a mm or so I agree.
New moulds have not significantly improved the shape of the models. Yes they have aerials and more detailed undercarriage (both of which are rather a non-issue on a 727) but the moulds aren't much better. Indeed quite a few 2010 decade moulds are awful. It is the printing that has improved dramatically but again for a 727 I don't think it is such an issue. I would hold up the existing Aeroclassics 707, DC-9 and DC-10 to anything NG have done.
Regardless comparing a 727 mould to a 787 mould isn't what the scoring is about.
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Phantom ll is correct. The mold wasn't great when it debuted and collectors made numerous posts about its short comings years ago. For senior collectors with large collections NG has established the standard by which everything else is now compared. The inaccurate tail, basic printing, incorrect nose and cockpit shape and toy like wheels do not merit an 8 when collectors are spending between $50 and 60$ a model.
Phantom ll is correct. The mold wasn't great when it debuted and collectors made numerous posts about its short comings years ago. For senior collectors with large collections NG has established the standard by which everything else is now compared. The inaccurate tail, basic printing, incorrect nose and cockpit shape and toy like wheels do not merit an 8 when collectors are spending between $50 and 60$ a model.
I'm spending maybe $40-45 on a 727 model, and only if it's a new release. Not sure where you're getting 50-60.
Phantom ll is correct. The mold wasn't great when it debuted and collectors made numerous posts about its short comings years ago. For senior collectors with large collections NG has established the standard by which everything else is now compared. The inaccurate tail, basic printing, incorrect nose and cockpit shape and toy like wheels do not merit an 8 when collectors are spending between $50 and 60$ a model.
Your image basically confirms that the mould is accurate aside from the point I made about the front of the tail! The nose looks fine as do the wheels on a 727.
As for printing that is not part of the mould score is it. I am a senior collector with a large collection and although NG are great they aren't the second coming either. Even if they were they can't make every model in 400 scale so it is pointless to suggest they ought to.
Anyway like has been said this 727 costs less than $40. I am happy to admit Aeroclassics failings but I am not going to bag them consistently when they produce solid models like this. It may not be 100%, which is why it got a score out of 25/30 but to suggest it isn't a good model is nonsense and way over the top.
__________________
Richard
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
The Indonesian market continues to be well-served by dedicated retailers getting models made for them and the latest pair are Batik A320s made by Panda Models for Airshop Diecast. This week I take a detailed look at one of the pair:
304Likes
Re: Detailed 1:400 Scale Model Reviews
Your Privacy Choices
