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Showing results for tags 'Airliners'.
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We all understand "War is Hell". For starters, we do a lot of GBs focused on it. Some of us (not me) have fought in wars or served in the military, or their friends and family have. Others have suffered as civilians through wars, or their friends and family have. Many of us have studied wars, campaigns, battles, and weaponry. Between that and the news of the day, which seems worse by the hour sometimes, it might be nice to turn our modeling attention to...the opposite of war? The point of war? The place I think most people would want to whole world to get to, and stay at. Let's call it Give Peace a Chance. For this GB, it's pretty easy. Build something that's not a weapon of war, a means of war, or in any meaningful way associated with war. For example: . cars, trucks (civilian ones), trains . airliners, general aviation . ocean liners, cargo ships (not while pressed into war service) . research vessels/planes . civilian spacecraft Anything from anywhere and any-when, just not military. Sure enough there are some grey zones. Search and rescue - that's good - but often flown by the military. If it says Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines on the chopper, maybe not. Disaster relief - often done by the military and also a good thing. Maybe not for this GB. UN - more of a "it's not war while we're standing on this field" but it's not really peace if there's peacekeepers. Former military stuff pressed into civilian service - the "Swords to Ploughshares" idea - if you like but it's probably a bit of a grey zone given how many not-as-military-adjacent options are out there. There's a ton to choose from outside the grey zone, so I'd say try to make a pretty clear choice. 1. me 2. @theplasticsurgeon 3. @zebra 4. @TimJ 5. @Karearea 6. @Heather Kay 7. @Bandsaw Steve 8. @IanC 9. @Grandboof 10. @Corsairfoxfouruncle 11. @rafalbert 12. @Redstaff 13. @John Masters 14. @Mjwomack 15. @ArnoldAmbrose 16. @Marklo 17. @Keeff 18. @2996 Victor 19. @Paul821 20. @Bengalensis 21. @Paul J 22. @Wings unlevel 23. @flashlight 24. @arfa1983 25. @CliffB 26. @Thom216 27. @Ray S 28. @Trevor L 29. @Whofan 30. @Bertie McBoatface 31. @TonyW 32. @RC Boater Bill 33. @Bobby No Mac 34. @robw_uk 35.
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Boeing 757 British Airways 'Whale Rider' Zvezda 1/144 with 26Decals The Zvezda Boeing 757 is a lovely kit, one of the very best airliner models available. It comes with decals for the previous Icelandair livery, but I wanted to do mine in one of the 'World Tail' schemes. (They should have done one called 'Marmite' as people seemed to love or hate them at the time!). Personally I liked them. If you can spot them, the cockpit is crewed by a couple of CRM 3D printed pilots. I would have liked to have done the Tartan 'Bennyhone' one but couldn't find a set anywhere. Fortunately 26 Decals do a fair few of these schemes for the 757, so I chose 'Whale Rider' as it was on the only 757 I ever flew on, on the Manchester/Heathrow shuttle in 1998. It's as good a reason as any! I'll give a shout out for 26 Decals here as these were absolutely superb. The Tail and British Airways elements were laser printed and fitted with precision, the most stress free decals I have used in a long time. They also come with a sheet of silk screen printed standard 757 items for all the details. It is a hugely enjoyable combination of a superb kit with a set of superb decals, and one that doesn't happen often enough! Of course I have to do a 'with something else', so how about a DACO 737-400 in 'Blue Poole' I'll have to get on with that Revell 767 in the 'Chelsea Rose' scheme now 👍 Thanks for looking, John
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Avro RJ85, Manx airlines. Revell 1/144 with 26 decals This is Revell's little RJ85, soon to be re-released after a long absence from model shop shelves. Just as well as I now only have 1 left in the stash! The laser decals were recently released by Ray at 26Decals as soon as I saw it on his website I had to have it. As soon as they arrived I cleared the workbench and got straight on with it. What a lovely scheme, it is a shame it didn't last too long before Manx were absorbed by BA and G-MIMA was repainted in BA colours. I always have trouble assembling the main undercarriage on this kit, I still haven't mastered it as this one fought me as usual! With a couple of others from my fleet! Thanks for looking, John
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Boeing 720 - Aer Lingus. 1/144 Roden The Boeing 720 was a development of the 707-120, with a the fuselage reduced by 8ft but with the same wingspan and structural weight changes to make it lighter. Other changes to the wing reduced take of and landing speeds, the intention being to create a jet airliner that could operate from smaller airfields than its bigger brothers. In this is was moderately successful, but ultimately it was another Boeing design, the 727 that came a few years later and really dominated in this area. The Roden kit has been around for a while now, and is very nice indeed. However the 720 kit suffers from JT3C engines that noticeably too large by about 25%, (The 720B kit does not shave this problems as the JT3D engines in that release of the kit, with Pan Am markings is ok). Welsh models sell a set of 4 corrected JT3C's that can be used on this kit, as I have done here and they greatly improve things. Decals are from www.classic-airlines.com and they fit beautifully, but being laser printed you need to cut each part from the sheet. Special thanks are to Mike @bootneck for kindly donating this kit! Just had to park my S&M models Viscount next to it! Thanks for looking, John
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BEA Red Wings Some BEA models built over a number of years. All Airfix except the Viscount which is S&M
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Lufthansa Airbus A310 1:144 Revell with AA and 26Decals The A310 was a shortened version of the A300 Airbus, using the same fuselage sections, but with a new, smaller wing. Lufthansa used them from 1983 to 2005, A few are still flying, mainly as cargo haulers. This is the venerable old Revell kit of the A310, with a replacement resin nose from Braz to correct the kit part. It is a simple bit of work, and makes a huge difference to to the finished model. I also scraped and reduced the over prominent reinforcement bulge at the base of the fin, and blended it in a bit of Milliput to improve the look. Decals are silk screen printed from 26Decals and performed superbly. The cockpit and passenger windows are Authentic Airliners photo realistic decals, There is a new kit from Eastern Express, but it is pricey at over £60, so the Revell kit is still worth building if you have one in your stash. But it really does benefit from the Braz nose. Mine was kindly donated by the ever helpful Mr Stringbag, so thanks again Chris! With something else. Lets call this Frankfurt 1986! Thanks for looking, John
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JetBlue Airbus A321neo - 1/144 Zvezda Decals by Authentic Airliners This one came about because Viking daughter travelled from Gatwick to New York in September, and noting the reg. on flightradar as it crossed the Atlantic I immediately wondered if anyone did a decal sheet. A quick google brought up the Authentic Airliners 'Streamers' sheet for the very aircraft I wanted, so a quick order went in and a week later I had them in my hands. The decals were laser printed on constant carrier film, and that large tail decal was amazing. both sides fitted with absolute precision and met at the leading edge perfectly. You need to check your aircraft on Airliners.net though, as mine had a couple of variations in the window layouts from what was on the sheet. (there were about 4 blanked out, 1 each side in front of the overwing exits and the last one at the back each side - simple enough to cut them off before application and replace with blank outlines). The kit is Zvezda, again an almost faultless kit, but with a fiddly option to have slats & flaps deployed. I did mine all retracted as it was less trouble. As it has a complete flight deck included, I blagged the CRM 'Civil Airliner Pilots with Hat' set that boss man Mike had received for review, in order to try them out. They are great! These are the CRM figures painted up, 2 of which I installed in the cockpit. The poses are great, and really natural. The 2 sets are mirror images of each other. I used artistic license to paint the seats light turquoise in order to make them stand out a bit better against the grey of the cockpit, withe pilots sitting on them. They are hard to photograph, but much easier to see in real life. Thanks for looking, John
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Boeing 707-336C, BOAC - 1/144 Authentic Airliners with 26 Decals I've long wanted a BOAC Boeing 707 in my collection, but the old Airfix kit just doesn't come up to scratch, so I took the plunge and bought the beautiful Authentic Airliners resin kit. It's far and away the best 707 on the market. I've had it a while on the workbench, as I then wanted to also do it in Pan Am colours, the indecision leading to it sitting almost complete in primer for 10 years! It is the early AA release with a 3 part fuselage, but went together beautifully. The decals are from 26Decals and were absolutely superb, a real pleasure to apply to the model. The windows are also from Authentic Airliners decals. It is G-AXGX, a 707-336 Combi with large freight door and Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines as opposed to the RR Conways that powered BOAC's initial 707 deliveries. I remember seeing these at Heathrow back in the day, aahhh nostalgia, nothing today can touch the classy look of these old airline liveries! Now I'll have to crack on with that Roden Super VC-10 in the same livery to park alongside it! Thanks for looking, John
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Caravelle III, SAS delivery scheme - 1/144 Airfix kit with Twosix Decals The Airfix Caravelle has been around since 1961, and not surprisingly is very basic. I bought this kit on ebay without reading the description properly, as it had already been started with roughly pained parts. Still, it was only £5. I stripped it back to bare plastic and started again, but then abandoned it about 5 years ago. Recently I found it in its box and decided to get it finished. Decals are from Twosix, representing the delivery scheme for SAS, I chose LN-KLN 'Trgve Viking'. They went on beautifully and the cheatlines helpfully included a thin strip of white with the red pinstripe on the nose. With something else - another Airfix Caravelle in the later SAS scheme (LN-KLI 'Einar Viking') from LN decals. It may be an old kit but is still worth building I think. Better engines, & wheels would ne nice though! Thanks for looking John
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After I got over the worst of the mojo meltdown which hit me about eighteen months ago I decided to concentrate on straightforward models until I felt my confidence was fully back. As a result my 2022 output is mainly OOB builds although the modified Airfix Boeing 737 is an exception. The year’s work should have included a Boeing 787 but at a very late stage I managed to confuse plastic cement and decal solvent and the replacement titles which Ray Charles kindly agreed to send me appear to have got caught in the postal strikes. Never mind, it should give me a head start for next year. I hope you enjoy my collection of 1/144 civilians and I’ll see you in 2023. Dave G Alitalia Vickers V.785D Viscount F-RSIN kit with Classic Airlines decals. In RFI here Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-154M Zvezda kit with Two Six decals. In RFI here Braathens SAFE Boeing 737-500 Daco Skyline kit with mixed Liveries Unlimited and Lima November decals. In RFI here Iran Air Airbus A320 Revell kit with F-DCAL decals. In RFI here Air Europe/British Airtours Boeing 737-200 Adv Heavily modified Airfix kit with mixed Classic Airlines and Flightpath decals. In RFI here Loganair Short SC-7 Skyvan Eastern Express kit with Classic Airlines decals. Not in RFI SAS Star Alliance Boeing 737-800 Zvezda kit with V1 decals. In RFI here EasyJet Boeing 737-300 Daco Skyline kit with Scaleliners decals. Not in RFI ("Double sided" livery from 2000 when EasyJet were moving from telephone to internet booking)
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BAC 1-11, Airfix 1/144 Classic-Airlines.com decals. I don't normally do airliners in 'house' colours. much preferring to build them in actual airline liveries, but when I saw this on the Classic-Airlines.com website I thought it was very attractive. My son bought me the sheet for Christmas last year, so I thought I'd better finish it before Christmas this year! The Model is from the old Airfix 1-11 kit, with the nose made more pointy with Milliput, the wing landing lights filled in, and the wing fences cut off and replaced inboard with plasticard. The decals are laser printed on a constant sheet of carrier film so need cutting around, but behaved very well. G-ASYD spent its entire life with BAC/BAe being used a a prototype/development aircraft. It was in fact stretched to become the prototype series 500, and the shrunk again to become a 400 series aircraft with the 500 wing. Anyway, I think it makes an attractive little model, and the Airfix kit is still worth building if you can find one. And a family shot with a couple of other Airfix 1-11's, also with Classic-Airlines decals: Thanks for looking, and Happy Christmas! Cheers John
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Braathens first and last. DC-4 and 737 Minicraft DC-4 and Daco 737-400,1/144. Lima November Decals Braathens SAFE (South America & Far East) was started in Norway in 1946, receiving its first aircraft, a DC-4, LN-HAV on December 26th 1947. The airline was formed to support the Braathens shipping lines, carrying crews and spares worldwide. as well as charters for other shipping companies. The SAFE suffix was dropped in 1998, and the airline was taken over by SAS in June 2004, being known initially as SAS Braathens. The aircraft were repainted in the then SAS livery. As I already had made a 737 in the final livery, I thought a model of LN-HAV would make a good companion, so here they are! Thanks for looking John
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Boeing 757-200 Icelandair (7032) Zvezda 1:144 First flown in 1982 the Boeing 757 was designed as a replacement the to hugely successful 727 tri-jet. The initial version was the -200 as depicted in this kit, which entered service with Eastern Airlines on January 1st 1983. Designed to cruise at higher altitudes than the 727, the 757 was able to achieve up to 45% fuel saving over its predecessor. The later -300 version stretched the fuselage by 23 ft (7.1m) and entered service in 1999. It has served widely with Civil, Military, and Government/VIP operators, as both passenger and freight haulers. Offered with the Rolls-Royce RB-211 or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines, a total of 1,049 757's of all versions were delivered. After nearly 40 years of service it is becoming an increasingly rare sight in the skies. Since this kit was announced, it has been eagerly awaited by airliner modellers, and first impressions are that it was well worth the wait. It is presented in Zvezda's stout cardboard post-office resistant box, with an outer sleeve depicting an Icelandair 757 taking off. Slide the outer cover off and the box reveals a set of beautiful looking moulding in light grey plastic. Panel lines are lightly engraved, and details are razor sharp on all the finer elements such as engine fans and undercarriage legs. The fuselage features the 'lobe crease' along its length, but is difficult to photograph as it is so subtle. Construction starts with the cockpit (we don't say that very often in airliner modelling!) with seats, control columns and rear bulkhead. Strips of glazing are provided for the cabin windows, and the instructions show to remove various lengths from each one, a sure sign that a -300 is on the way, and this sprue will be shared with it. The cockpit opening is of the 'letterbox' type, with a clear insert for the glazing, like the Airfix 'Skyking' and some Revell kits do. The instructions note to include 10 gr of weight in the nose to prevent tail sitting. There is no option to assemble it with slats and flaps down (which seemed to divide opinion amongst modellers) as the wings are formed from a single span lower part with individual uppers for each side. This is a virtually fool proof way of getting the dihedral set correctly and equally each side, simplicity itself. The wing can be built with the upward curved 'winglets', or the standard tips which are included but marked as not for use. Either are probably appropriate as photos show Icelandair 757's with both at various times. Next up are the engines, and here we have a real bonus. Zvezda have included both the Rolls-Royce and P&W options in full, which is very welcome for those of us who like to buy multiple kits and finish them with aftermarket decals for other liveries. The Rolls-Royce engines are used on this Icelandair version, and feature stunningly moulded fan detail. Also welcome is the provision of inner liners for the intakes. They are in 2 parts so can be assembled and smoothed off before fitting to the fan units. Knowing how accurately Zvezda's kits fit together, a quick swipe with some wet & dry paper should clean up any seams in seconds. Finally the undercarriage is assembled, but there is the option to assemble it 'gear up' in flight, and a sturdy stand is provided should you chose to do this. The undercarriage is made up of Zvezda's typically fine detailed parts, so will need care in assembly. Attention to detail evident even here as two complete sets of wheels are provided, each with different hub patterns. Kudos to Zvezda! Nose leg main part: I've had a couple of messages since posting this review, asking if it is possible to fit the nose leg after assembly. The good news is yes! Stage 10 in the instructions is the final step, and this is where you fit all the legs to complete the model. Summaries from the instructions to illustrate some of the pints made above. Decals Just one colour scheme is provided, that of Icelandair. It is beautifully printed in perfect register and with minimal carrier film. Silver framing is provided for all window surrounds and the cockpit glazing. A much appreciated touch is the provision of blocks of colour for the blue and yellows needed for painting the model. These will be the engine cowlings (yellow) and the under fuselage and fin. A second sheet provides the wing and tailplane walkway markings. Conclusion. The 757 has been high on many airliner modeller 'wants' list for several years. There are nice resin kits available, but the two injection moulded 757's from Minicraft and Eastern Express are not up to most modellers expectations, and can now be consigned to 'collectors only'. This new kit far and away exceeds them, and looks to be outstanding 'in the box. I have no doubt that it will build up with the superb fit that Zvezda achieve with their kits, a little care will be needed with assembling the noseleg, but the rest of it looks to be simplicity itself. I am sure that it should be a big seller for Zvezda, and that the aftermarket decal producers should be releasing some of the many, many attractive schemes that the 757 wore over the years. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Boeing 767-300ER British Airways (03862) Revell 1:144 I'm amazed to recall that it has been nearly 40 years since I first saw the Boeing 767 back in 1982 at the Farnborough airshow, where it was making an appearance with it's stablemate, the Boeing 757. Since then over 1200 of all variants haver been delivered, with the cargo version still in production nearly forty years after the types first flight. Engine options were the Pratt & Whitney JT9D/PW4000, General Electric CF6, or Rolls-Royce RB211. British Airways opted for the RB211 as it was common (in sub-marks) to their 747 and 757 fleets, a choice made by only one other airline buying new (China Yunnan). There was also a lot of commonality between the 767 and 757 flight decks, which made crew training and availability more flexible. Entering service with BA in 1990, their 767's remained in service for 28 years until November 2018. In the early 2000's 7 aircraft were sold to Qantas, making them one of the few airlines to operate the RB211 powered 767.The initial variant was the -200, joined in 1984 by the -300 as modelled here, which had a 21 foot fuselage extension increasing seating capacity by around 50, depending upon layout. Revell's kit was first released in the early 1990's (the date moulded inside one wing is 1992), and has appeared in various different boxings over the years. This latest release is packed in one of Revell's end opening boxes featuring a painting of G-BNWB climbing into an evening sky. Inside is one polythene bag with all the sprues for the 'standard' 767 kit, and a separate bag containing the RB211 engines particular to this version. Also included is booklet of instructions in Revell's usual style, and a very nice A5 sized decal sheet. As far as I know only the previous Gulf Air/British Airways boxing has featured the Rolls-Royce engines, so they make a welcome return here. RB211's below: Produced in white plastic, the moulds are obviously holding up well the mouldings are very sharp with no evidence of flash. Detail is engraved, and comparatively few parts make up the whole kit. A separate clear sprue is provided for the cockpit glazing, but no provision is made for the cabin windows. This is not really a problem as most airliner modellers fill the cabin windows anyway, and use decals to represent them. A set of 'full' windows and a set of window frames are provided on the decal sheet, so you can make your own choice. Construction begins with the nose gear bay, which is inserted into the fuselage halves, which can then be joined. There is no cockpit interior provided, unlike in some of the more recent airliner releases. Wings and tailplane halves are then assembled and joined to the fuselage in a construction sequence which is simplicity itself. You have the choice to build the model 'in flight' with retracted undercarriage, or with it deployed for when on the ground. Finally the engines are added to complete construction of the model. The kit still contains the original engines which represent the Pratt & Whitney JT9D/General Electric CF6. As such they are a little 'generic' but useful if you plan to use aftermarket decals and build a non-BA machine. Aftermarket engines are also available if you wish to go down that route. Here they are, but are marked as not for use in the instructions: The decals are beautifully printed with good colours and razor sharp detail. The Chelsea Rose was one of my favourites from the 'World Image' era, so makes a great choice for this model. Plenty of stencilling is provided, and the tiny 'Roll-Royce' logos are little works of art. Your guarantee of quality is assured as sheet states it was designed by DACO, who only produce the highest quality. The painting/decaling instructions are in full colour, with paint numbers called out from Revell's own range. 767 window and door arrangements can vary by airline, so it is always worthwhile checking references for the particular aircraft you are modelling. The instructions show the correct layout for a BA 767. However the fuselage mouldings do not tie up with the drawings, particularly with reference to the door by the trailing edge of the wing. It is not present on the kit fuselage, which is not a problem, but at the very least you will need to fill some of the windows where it is located. I expect though that most modellers will anyway fill all the windows and use the decals provided, which have the correct pattern, and door outlines. Conclusion. It has been a while since this kit was last available, so it is great to have it back. The provision of the RB211 engines is also welcome, as this is the only 767 kit that can give you the BA option straight out of the box. Add to this the provision of a beautiful decal set that would cost a fair bit as an aftermarket sheet, and this is a great package all in one. Recommended. [edit] Some useful tips on building this kit from member Skodadriver here. [/edit] Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or
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I haven’t been as productive as usual this year. The mojo crisis which had been threatening for some time hit me properly in the late spring when I found myself hopelessly bogged down with stalled or messed-up builds. I stopped building and came within an inch of quitting the hobby completely. I'm lucky that my wife is interested and supportive and after I'd taken some time out she suggested a "blitzbuild" of a simple kit to remind myself that I could actually finish a model. That led to the Air Wales ATR-42. Also at her suggestion I binned a load of models I knew I would never finish and basically wiped the slate clean. It was good therapy but bad for productivity! Anyhow, enough of the soul-baring. I'm enjoying building again and the support and encouragement from everybody who has "liked" or commented on my RFIs is greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy my collection of 1/144 civilians and I'll see you in 2022 Dave G Brussels Airlines (Cityjet) Sukhoi SSJ-100 Zvezda kit with Drawdecal decals and Authentic Airliners windows. In RFI here Air Wales ATR 42-300 PAS Models resin kit with Classic Airlines decals. In RFI here Sabena (DAT) BAe-146-200 Revell kit with Daco decals and Authentic Airliners windows. In RFI here SATA (Azores) Airbus A310-300 Heavily modified Revell kit with Braz parts and Two Six decals. In RFI here Air UK Fokker 100 Revell kit with RichW decals and Authentic Airliners windows. In RFI here Air UK BAe-146-100 Revell kit with Two Six decals. In RFI here Air Baltic Boeing 737-300 Daco Skyline kit with Drawdecal decals and Authentic Airliners windows. In RFI here
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Airbus A321-253NX. Titan Airways/United Kingdom Government. 1/144 Revell with 26 Decals This is the new release of Revell's Airbus A321 neo (New Engine Option) LEAP engines and wintip 'sharklets'. My example came with decals for the Airbus 'in house' colours, but I wanted something more interesting. When I saw this set on the 26 decals website, I just had to have it. My kit suffered from sink marks on the wheels and engines, but nothing that a bit of filler couldn't sort out, Maybe I was unlucky because others have not found this problem. Then I broke the sticky out nose leg off twice, and had to drill and pin it . I managed to ruin one of the 'UNITED KINGDOM' decals on the fuselage (late night and beer was involved!), but Ray at 26 Decals very kindly sorted me out with a replacement. Top man Ray! The only tip I would give anyone making this scheme is to cut the 2 part long sweeping blue 'cheatline' sections into halves again, to simplify getting them into place. I'm not usually too impressed with modern airline liveries, but this one is a belter, I really like it! It got a pair of 'N' gauge railway passengers painted up as aircrew: Thanks for looking John
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Bombardier Q400 - 1/144 Eastern Express 'Flybe' decals by Nazca I had wanted to add a Flybe Q400 to my airliner collection for quite a while, as one of those in the subset of 'aircraft I have flown on' I was working in Compiegne north of Paris in 2010-11 and regularly flew from Manchester to Paris CDG on these. I always liked Flybe, the cabin crew were always very pleasant, and the flights always ran on time. It was a shame when they went bust in 2020, although they are now starting up again. I managed to get this kit from the brother of Jeff 'Pinky coffeeboat' who sadly passed away two years ago in April. I never met Jeff but we shared an interest in airliner modelling and often commented on each other builds in this very forum. It came with the markings for the purple scheme, but I really wanted to do the earlier white and pale blue scheme. Fortunately Nazca do a laser printed sheet, which I duly ordered. If you are looking down on us Jeff, I hope you approve of what I did with your kit. I painted up some 'N' gauge railway figures as aircrew, and fitted them in the cockpit. It beats even photo realistic window decals! Thanks for looking, I'll dedicate this thread to the memory of Jeff 'Pinky coffeeboat'. Blue skies matey! Cheers John
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DH Comet, BEA Red Square. 1/144 Airfix with 26Decals After much Chopping around an Amodel Comet last year I thought I'd have another go at the old Airfix kit, I used the most recent boxing which has the cabin windows filled in. First released in 1961, it is very simple with only 6 parts to make the basic airframe (2 fuselage halves, upper and lower full span wings, and 2 tailplanes). The wheels are far too skinny for my liking, so I replaced the mains with the spare ones in the Amodel kit, and the nose wheels are Viscount main wheels from S&M kit. We really do need an up to date injection moulded Comet in 1/144 scale, but this one still scrubs up well considering it's age. (oops, just noticed I've knocked the aerial wire loose while taking the photos). With my much modified Amodel Comet C.4 Thanks for looking, John
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Airbus A320neo British Airways 1:144 Revell (03840) The A320 neo is the most recent development of the highly successful Airbus range of narrow bodied airliners. Available as the A319, A320, and A321,'neo' stands foe new engine option' as the aircraft can be fitted with the very fuel efficient Pratt & Whitney PW1000G or the CFM International LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines. The other noticeable change is the wingtip 'sharklets', similar in appearance to those used on Boeing aircraft, which replace the smaller winglets previously used. With 95% commonality with the earlier A319-A321 range (now known as the 'eco' engine current option), it is an obvious choice for airlines operating the older machine. Entering service in 2016, the A319-321 neo family has become the worlds fastest selling airliner, although production delays with engines initially slowed down deliveries. They will be seen at airports all around the world for many years to come, probably in a vast number of different liveries. The Kit. This is the second release of Revell's all new tooling, which has no commonality with it previous range of the A320 family. Packed in one of Revell's end opening boxes, and moulded in their standard white plastic, everything is crisply defined and flash free with no sign of sink marks or other flaws. The fuselage has a large cut out where a clear cockpit glazing section is fitted. This far better then the old kit which had a 'letterbox' slot into which the clear part had to be inserted, not an easy job. Cabin windows are moulded open, with clear plastic window strips to fitted from the inside. All the blade aerials are moulded along one fuselage half, but personally I cut these off for later re-attachment as they make cleaning up the fuselage seam very awkward. Rather than alignment holes and pins, Revell have gone for interlocking tabs along the fuselage halves. A neat little cockpit is provided, complete with separate instrument panel. I often scratch build my own airliner cockpit interiors, so here is one job saved. The wings are very nicely moulded with inbuilt dihedral and broad, thin sprue attachment point which make removal from the sprue much easier. On the old A320 kit you had to remove a number of flap track fairings and fill panel lines, as the kit shared the same wing mouldings as Revell's A321. No such problem here, this is a dedicated A320 wing ready to use 'as is'. The wingtip Sharklets are on their own sprue along with the nose cap. The previous release of this kit in Lufthansa colours came without any undercarriage, and could only be built 'in flight' using a stand provided. This was done by Revell to put the kit into a lower 'skill level' rating, but disappointed many of us more serious builders. Happily, the full undercarriage is now included in this 'British Airways' release, along with a range of three different satellite/Wi-Fi fairings. None of these Wi-Fi fairings are needed for this version but it is nice to have them anyway. Another big plus is that two complete sets of engines are included, the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G and the CFM LEAP. BA only use the LEAP, so there are a pair of the PW100G's to go in your spares box! Looking at and comparing them, the differences seem very minor so full marks to Revell for tooling them separately. The fine detail is superb, particularly on the fan blades, which are the major noticeable difference between the two engine types. The intake rings are separate parts, which makes painting them silver much easier. (Tip - attach them after the nacelles are painted, using white glue so as not to risk messing up your nice finish). Options. Only one livery is supplied, the current British Airways scheme. The decal sheet has been designed by DACO, and really is excellent, covering all sorts of fine stencil detail and giving a choice of four different aircraft. Printing is faultless with minimal carrier film and in perfect registration. Were this to be an aftermarket sheet it would probably cost half as much as the complete kit. Conclusion. This is the A320neo kit we have been waiting for Revell to release. Finally it comes with full undercarriage, and the provision of both engine types is a huge bonus for those of us who like to build several variants using aftermarket decals. It looks superb in the box, and should build up fairly easily. I'll build my first one straight from the box as that decal sheet is simply outstanding, and I really like the BA scheme. I'll probably get a few more to put in the stash, awaiting further aftermarket decal sheets. The provision of the three different Wi-Fi fairings and both engine types makes this a no-brainer, as you'll be able to build any airlines A320neo without having to also resort to aftermarket engines. This is how to produce an airliner kit Revell, I'm impressed, keep 'em coming! Highly recommended. Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit
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Boeing 747-8F Cargolux LX-VCF “Facemask” (03836) 1:144 Revell A very topical issue from Revell featuring their 747-8F kit in Cargolux’s “facemask” livery, including a real facemask with the Revell Logo. Just what you need for the next trip to your local model shop! The 8F is the freighter version of the 800 series of the 747, with a shorter upper deck bulge than the passenger variant, and no windows in the fuselage sides other than 3 either side in the ‘bulge’. The 800 series is the largest of the 747's featuring a fuselage extension of 18 ft, with a new wing and more powerful and economical GEnx turbofan engines. The 8F freighter has outsold the passenger variant by over 2 to 1 (107 vs 48), with only Lufthansa, Air China, and Korean operating the 8I (Intercontinental) passenger model. Cargolux are among 10 freight companies operating fleets of 8F’s with 14 in their fleet, while UPS is the largest operator with 28 delivered or on order. Sales have been disappointing for Boeing, the 8I passenger variant ceased production in 2017, while the 8F is likely to finish production in 2022. The kit. The top opening box features a lovely photograph of the full size machine looking spotlessly clean on the ramp, and a few detail shots on the box sides. Inside we find Revell's well known 747-8f kit moulded in white plastic, with the sprues packaged in various separate plastic bags, a 28 page instruction booklet, and an A4 sized decal sheet. Detail is lightly engraved, though some of the mouldings are starting to show evidence of flash that will need careful trimming off. The instructions are in Revell's familiar full colour booklet showing a full parts map, separate assembly stages, and four-view decal placement diagrams. Construction begins with the cockpit, yes eve in 1/144 scale many of Revell’s airliner kits feature a cockpit interior, and moves on to 10 stages covering various undercarriage bays and legs. These are all then fitted into the fuselage halves, which can then be closed up with some nose weight added (40 grams noted in the instructions). As with many of Revell’s wide body airliners, a ‘belly’ plate is then fitted to complete the fuselage. The wings and tailplanes are simple upper and lower sections with clear lights to insert in the wing root leading edges. The eight flap track fairing ‘canoes’ are made up from two hales each before fitting to the underside of the wings. Next up are the four well detailed GEnx engines, featuring lovey fan detail. On a previous build the completed fans actually rotated inside the cowls when blown on, such is the finesse of the moulding. The undercarriage can be fitted in the extended position, or left off to model the aircraft ‘in flight’ if desired. There will be eighteen wheels to paint but happily, the hub/tyre interface is nicely defined so it should not be too onerous a task. A substantial stand is supplied to mount the completed model on, should you like to display your models this way. Assembly is completed with the cockpit glazing and various aerials on the fuselage. Decals. The A4 sized sheet of decals is very impressive and looks simply gorgeous. Printing is razor sharp and in perfect register, and the colours look spot on. Numerous small details are provided, and as someone who prefers to keep cockpit glazing clear, I am pleased to see a beautifully printed frame decal with windscreen wipers. Revell have come up with a novel solution to the blue ‘mask’ covering the nose. This simply would not work as a decal, the only realistic way to do it is by painting. So Revell have printed some paper templates to cut out and tack onto the model, using printed lines to line up with panel lines moulded on the fuselage. You then apply your own masking tape to the fuselage, using the paper templates as a guide. They are then removed, and blue nose can be painted on. I really like this solution, it mirrors what I tend to do anyway with my other airliner models where I use a photocopy of the decal sheet cheatlines to cut out paint masks from Tamiya tape. The blue ‘mask’ is then detailed with edging and some ‘flashes’ to represent creases in it. Conclusion. This is a very imaginative issue from Revell, it is nice to see a ‘special’ livery available in a mainstream kit, instead of having to rely on aftermarket producers. Their 747-8F kit is a good one, and coupled with that lovely decal sheet makes for a great combination. Get one while you can, it is a limited issue and I cannot see that it will ever be issued again in the future. Highly Recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit
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British Midland DC-9-15, 26 Models 1/144. British Midland were the only UK operator of the DC-9, using both the short -15 and the longer -30 versions. This kit from 26 Models contains the plastic from the Fly Models DC-9, with 2 fuselages for the -15 and -30 for you to choose from. Also included is a set of 26 Decals own silk screen printed sheet, for the -15 and -30 in British Midland colours. I know there are some minor issues with the engine pylons being slightly too far back, and not wide enough. Well. I know now! But not when I started the build, so they are not corrected. I'm happy with it though, it is a lovely livery from what to me was the classic age of airliners. I thoroughly enjoyed this build, I chose G-BMAA 'Dovedale' because it is such a lovely part of the country. I can never resist a photo 'with something else', so here is my growing British Midland fleet: Thanks for looking John
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Hello and happy new year 🎉✨🤗 ... Since I was waiting for the MILLIPUT to dry on my 727 I started a new kit while I was motivated and inspired, thanks to you guys👍 I love Fokker airliners so I just had to have the F 28 from FRSIN, 1/144, injected plastic! The surfaces are VERY rough, I tried to capture this in the pictures so that everybody can judge for themselves if a FRSIN or Mach 2 kit might be something to consider in the future...
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Armstrong Whitworth Argosy - Air Anglia (classicairlines.com decals) 1/144 MikroMir The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was designed in the mid 1950’s as a medium range freight transport. The pod and boom layout was chosen to give an unobstructed cargo bay. With the cockpit on top of the pod and large swing doors at the front and rear, loading and unloading was greatly eased. It was designed so that when the aircraft was parked, the floor was at the average height of flatbed trucks of the day. The civil versions were to be found working as far apart as the United States and Australia & New Zealand, with the last ones retiring in 1991. This is the MikroMir kit -reviewed here I was tempted to do the Elan version with the red pinstripes and some careful masking, but when I saw this aftremraket decal sheet from classicairlines.com, I had to have it. It is foe Air Bridge Carries, subcontracted to Air Anglia and so carries both titles. G-APRL was long lived, and today resides in retirement at the Midland Air Museum near Coventry in Elan colours. Don't forget the Walkaround section has a vast library of reference photos, which proved very helpful with this build. As always 'with something else'. Rodens' Carvair with classicairlines,com BUA decals. A few pointers on building this kit. I had seen complaints that the fuselage halves don't close properly around the interior. So I glued mine together without the interior in place, and the halves fitted perfectly. The cockpit opening 'letterbox' was trimmed to allow the glazing to fit in snugly, with the advantage that I could push it out from the inside with a finger each time I trimmed a bit more. The little pegs on the floor sides were nipped back to be less prominent, and the cockpit floor and cargo bay floors slid in from the front, and actually clicked into place perfectly. Do it this way and there is absolutely no problem with the fit of these parts. For my traditional cock up, I somehow managed to lose the rear cargo door after putting the kit away after writing the review. It is there in the review photos, so its loss is entirely my fault. I only noticed when I went to cut it off the sprue!. Mentioning it to Mike 'Bootneck' on these forums, he very kindly offered to do a resin casting for me from his example of the same kit. 10 out of 10 for generosity and helpfulness Mike, without you this project would likely have been abandoned. Mike did me 2 casts, which fitted perfectly. (After 2 months the original part is still missing, I thought it might eventually turn up but it must be quite some carpet monster in my modelling room). The booms are just dry fitted here, the gaps in the join were not so noticeable when properly glued. With huge thanks to Mike 'Bootneck' for rescuing this build. John
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Hey, Please excuse this simple question but I'll have to ask When painting airliners, would you say the glossy white is the better approach or a matt white (like a normal white primer) followed by a gloss coat? I would think, a glossy coat would make the paintwork look more uniform but I might be missing something here. Also, I see many of you swear by spray cans when it comes to painting airliners but are there any good airbrush paints out-there for white, grey and the like? Many thanks! Cristian
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Airfix Boeing 707 1/144 26 Decals - Air Mauritius I've got three of the ancient Airfix 707's in the stash, but what to do with them? They are the Conway engined -436 version not used by very many airlines. Browsing the 26 Decals website I came across this laser decal sheet which really appealed to me. It covers two ex- British Airways 707's, G-APFD and G-ARWD. I chose G-ARWD, originally delivered to British Eagle and sister ship to the ill fated G-ARWE. The kit originates from 1963 and has a number of areas for improvement. In no particular order: The nose is way too narrow, I shimmed it by about 5mm to fatten it, and fitted a Daco clear cockpit section. I've been using these on Airfix Airliners, and done several 737s and a 727 with them. The 707 can now be added to that list. The talfin is too short, I raised it by about 10mm The engines are horrible. I widened the intakes (which made a huge improvement) and sanded them to a better shape. All raised panel lines sanded off an rescribed I made one or two other improvements, but this has been lurking on my work bench for about a year, as I worked on it slowly, It always seemed to need filling or sanding, so was never the favourite when I got a bit of bench time! Anyway, I got there in the end it is now finished. I'm not in any hurry to start the other two just yet. With something else, its' rival the DC-8, also using 26 Decals. Thanks for looking. John
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