PAS A310 Discussion

[Hasegawa Geek]

I've noticed some threads on this site regarding the discussion of the PAS and Authentic Airliners respective A310 recent kits and wanted to share with you some pics and thoughts.

This kit has been in the works for quite awhile and finally became available a month or so ago. The kit is very reasonably priced for the market it is in. The two resin kits cost me just a little over $100 USD including shipping. I believe the actual price for each kit was around $46 USD.

Disclaimer on the pics: I did not set-up my tripod so some of the photos may appear not very sharp or somewhat out of focus. This is NOT in any way a reflection of the quality of the model. All the details are sharp and well defined and Andrey has once again delivered a fine model of a very ill-represented subject in 1/144.

GE engine option for very late -200 and -300 versions only:

The winglets appear to be a bit "wonky"

Some more, critical, observations of the kit:

I would maybe take a few millimeters off of the nosecone to give it a more stubby front end look, but that is yet to be determined until the two fuselage halves are together.

Compared with the Revell A310:

Compared to Braz A300:

Braz, PAS and Revell:

PAS and Revell A330:

The winglets are a joke and unuseable in my opinion. Way too skinny and angular. Scratch built ones are a must. A very negative point of this kit as with the engine choices, one only has the option to make a -300 with the winglets. Making accurate scratch built A310 winglets is not something I look forward to doing because I realize they will be difficult to make accurate on my own accord. Thats just me. I will most likely take the winglets off of an old Revell model as I feel they are much more realistic looking, albeit a tad too small.

PAS vs. Revell winglets:

As you can see, the Authentic Airliners kit winglets are spot-on. This is basically the main feature that distinguishes a -300 A310, so I feel it is a MUST to have extremely accurate winglets:

The engines appear to be copies from the Revell Beluga kit. If I recall correctly, the engine casings are too big on the Revell ones for an accurate CF6-80C2's. The engine castings are not consistent on either of the two kits I have either. One set is okay, the other requires some massive sanding and shaping to achieve an acceptable look around the leading edge of the nacelles.

Revell vs. PAS:

The fandisk insert is farther back on the Revell kit:

I'm looking forward to receiving Kurt's kits in the mail. The castings looks incredible:

Another issue that stands out, well, to me anyways, is the aft section of the wingbox fairing. I have seen countless A310's in real life and am pretty sure the section circled in the photos below has more of a bend towards the trailing edge of the wing. Instead, both the PAS and Revell kits are pretty much flat. The PAS winbox is too wide as well, it should not extend as far up the fuselage. I find the Revell kit to be more accurate in this regard:

And comparing with this photo, Kurt's kit looks to be the winner out of them all:

The PAS kit lacks any antennae as well, you must fabricate your own. It also lacks the tail-skid, but that is not so much of an issue as this is intended to be a -300 kit, and the -300's have the smaller type that is barely visible (or does it not have one at all? Please correct me on this). Kurt's kit has the option of the tail skid included. His kit also contains a very nice looking photo-etched sprue with antennae, pitot tubes and other small details that the PAS kit lacks.T here is no gear-well detail molded in like on Kurt's kit either.

As for the prices, yes, this kit is very cheap for what it is. I was going to purchase 2 of Kurt's A310's but they were out of stock when I did so I got two PAS kits instead. The A310/300 are the only planes I will buy in 1/144 so price is really not a concern to me. I realize resin is expensive, but when a kit is about 50 USD and is reasonable to work with, that is a major selling point. You do get what you pay for though. I do not have any of Kurt's kits in my hand yet to do a side by side comparison, but they are on the way and I will do so when they arrive. Without trying to sound biased, I think it is fair to say that Kurt's product is of a higher quality and attention to detail than the PAS kit, which is a budget A310 model.

This post is not intended to bash the PAS product. It is simply a fair review that depicts certain aspects of the kit that need improvement. I do not have the AUthentic AIrliners kit in my hand, but from viewing photos of Kurt's offering, I feel confident in saying his kit is a better offering of the A310. It is indeed more pricey, but you get what you pay for, and his is a spot-on A310 model from the looks of it. I will do an equally as critical review of the AA kit when I receive it.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Hasegawa Geek

[Hasegawa Geek]

Spoiler

 

Has anybody built one of these kits yet?

[skippiebg]

On 25.11.2016 г. at 1:35 AM, Hasegawa Geek said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Has anybody built one of these kits yet?

 

There is a part-build on page 2 here

and another unfinished build here

 

Enquired a week ago on PAS-decals.ru whether anyone would post photos of the kit's inboard trailing edge. No replies yet. The A310 has a particularly complex trailing edge gull-wing bend (here and here) similar to the one on the DC-10/MD-11. Revell overlooks it. The Authentic Airliners kit probably has it (haven't seen photos definitely confirming), but is pricey and I have doubts if the undercarriage will bear the solid resin's weight.

 

All the photos I have seen of the PAS kit suggest its nose might have been modelled after the Braz A300-600 conversion: it has heavy Frankestein features. The engines have also come in for criticism (above, and on the PAS website).

 

The A310 might not be PAS' best kit, but overall I find their kits amazing. Just like injection moulded items, but in resin. Window openings, lightweight, superb fit -- and cheap! The only criticism is that many parts come with long casting runners callig for very careful cutting. AWM -- clearly closely related to the same group of friends that run PAS -- make "deluxe" resin kits without the nasty runners, but costing a tad more.

Edited December 15, 2016 by skippiebg

[Hasegawa Geek]

Thanks for the links. 

 

After looking at both wings from both my PAS and Authentic A. kits, I can confirm both have the wing bend on the trailing edge. The Authentic A. A310 kits wing has the bend but is more subtle and gradual when compared to the PAS. The PAS kit has a drastic bend dip. Some modelers may prefer the PAS to the AA because the bend is more contrasted once built but I prefer the smooth, gradual bend of the AA kit; I think it looks more authentic to the real thing only sized down to 1/144.

 

My biggest complaint on the PAS kit is still the horrible winglets. They look nothing like the real thing. You either need to use a spare set of Revell A310 winglets or build it as a -200.

[skippiebg]

Don't suppose you could post piccies of how the two compare? Even ones taken with your phone will do... Cheers!

[stever219]

Looking at your first few photos the PAS nose sweeps upwards too much, producing a very tight radius to the profile of the radome when compared to the Revell kit, so shortening the nose may not produce the right result for you.  How does the PAS kit compare in fuselage width to Revell's, for instance at the rear of the radome and again at the rear of the nose wheel bay?  If it's narrower than the Revell kit at those points I think you have a bit of a problem.

[Jessica]

Don't make the mistake of treating the Revell kit's forward fuselage as anything even remotely approaching reality. It's the worst Revell airliner in existence.

[skippiebg]

On 17.12.2016 г. at 6:19 PM, Jessica said:

Don't make the mistake of treating the Revell kit's forward fuselage as anything even remotely approaching reality.

 

Hear, hear!

 

Edited December 18, 2016 by skippiebg

[Hasegawa Geek]

PAS wing:

 

 

Authentic Airliners wing:

 

[skippiebg]

Thank you very much, Hasegawa Geek! From the photos, it seems neither kit represents the near-30-degree bend well:

 

http://www.jetphotos.net/photo/8249225

http://www.jetphotos.net/photo/8258181

Edited December 19, 2016 by skippiebg
added link to illustration

[Turbofan]

I don't think you can beat the Bra.Z replacement nose, IMHO it's spot on in profile and plan.

http://www.brazmodels.com/airbus.html

Cheers,

Ian

[skippiebg]

22 minutes ago, Turbofan said:

I don't think you can beat the Bra.Z replacement nose, IMHO it's spot on in profile and plan.

 

Yeah... Pity their A300-600's nose is so wrong.

[skippiebg]

I was wrong about the bend being near 30 degrees. Still -- whatever... The kits still fail to represent the bend properly:

http://

Edited December 20, 2016 by skippiebg

[Hasegawa Geek]

Nice graphical representation of the wing bends. The authentic airilners kit is still a stunning model and has a great nose shape. 

[AV O]

There is a discussion going on elsewhere about the A300-600. 

It raises a question to me.  I have been looking a long time for this issue, but cannot find any diagram showing it.

 

We all know that both A300-600 and A310 share the same back fuselage.

 

Would anyone have a diagram showing the shape difference of  both stabilizers : A300 and A310/300-600 . Though it is subtle in span, what about its chord and area ?

 

And also both wings shapes of the A300 and A310 as the latter wing is much different.  

 

A300 and A300-600 wings have indeed some differences (flaps, no outboard aileron, no wing fence, wingtip fence ) but not in the overall shape and area.

 

Not just a general drawing, but rather something like a superposition or colour overlap.

 

Thank you.

 

Cheers.

AV O

Edited September 7, 2018 by AV O

[AV O]

Why such a question ?

 

If  you had an opportunity to build an A-300-600 in 1/200th scale, wouldn't you like it to have the good stabs ?

 

The A300-600 has its back part changed with an A310 fuselage, which after grafting, results in not only 3 windows more, but is fatter with a different profile down to the tail, the back door sliding at under the root of the fin, together with a light kink under the stab.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by AV O

[Hasegawa Geek]

Interesting conversion. Keep us updated. 

[AV O]

This conversion allows you to build the -600 version, sparing you the need of purchasing and/or wasting a second kit, having to fiddle with cutting 2 kits, filling, adjusting, filing and sanding. And swearing in case you failed !

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by AV O