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This one has occupied me since Christmas. It's not an easy kit to build, with quite a few significant pooh traps, not least the 5 part fuselage. As I often find with big kits, I was getting a little tired of it by the end. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the results and now struggling to find a place to display it! The kit comes from BPK (£99.99 via Jadlam) and the decals from Air Graphics (£21.99 via Hannants). Sadly, the kit does not have an opening weapons bay, and the nice looking Air Graphics resin one was out of stock by the time I looked. Given the problems I had fitting the existing weapons bay door covers, I suspect that fitting the resin might have been challenging. Equally sadly, the RAF have not procured wing pylons or anything to hang on them, so my wings are bare, although I am looking at how I can put together a set of SPEAR 3 Missiles to hang from the wings in the future. Brush painted as usual with Humbrol enamels (I used 127 Ghost Grey, which is a little too blue for Boeing Grey (gray?), but matches my own photos quite well) with a darker grey wash in the panel lines. I added two cockpit crew and one side observer, just to give the kit a bit of life! Like with the E-3D kit I did a few years ago, I have managed to leave the wing and centre section loose (at the cost of a slightly gappy join) which will help with storage and transport. Photographing kits of this size always poses me a problem, so I am afraid I have had to photoshop some extraneous detail (my conservatory, house and cherry tree) out of some of the pictures.

After the B-737-200 (link) and B-737-800 (link), here's at last the Big Plane Kits (BPK) 1/72nd Boeing B-737-100 - ref. 7201 Source: https://www.facebook.com/BigPlanesKits/posts/2810667222544336 Available here: https://bigplaneskits.com/shop/bigplaneskits/737-100-7201/ box art V.P.

My latest finished build is the BPK Boeing 737-800. The build was started last year and dragged a bit due to some issues,which lead me to stop on this kit for a while and concentrate on other projects. I actually planned to have clear windows,but the clear parts for the cabin windows had a terrible fit,which I could not solve satisfactory. Another problem were the paint masks for the windows which not only had to be applied for each single window,it took a good 2 hours for both sides,the results after painting were rather disappointing. I also spent a considerable amount of time on the cockpit,but I thought there was something not quite right with the window sizes.When I was applying the silver window frames from the Authentic Airliner decal sheet,I realized that the frames of the decal did not match with the clear part at all.So in the end I oversprayed the windows and used the AA window decal instead. The overall fit is good,careful cleaning and preparation of the parts is a must. Some major issues are in the instructions. Sometimes its difficult or impossible to make out where some parts have to go or in the worst case,are completely wrong placed. Also some parts are not used,at least for the Qantas version,but they are not marked at all so you will have to find out yourself. Also if one follows the instructions concerning the landing gear,it will be impossible to glue it on its position later. I found out its best to build up the gear by installing the legs first and then add all other parts .DON'T follow the instructions !! I also glued the engine mounts to the wing and attach the engines after build and paint. Its much easier that way. The rest of the build is more or less straight forward,some PE parts are very delicate,so caution is a good advice. The fuselage was spray painted with Gunze white surface primer 1500,the red is Revell enamel 31 with a few drops white and the silver-grey stripe around the fuselage bottom is a mix of aluminium and neutral grey. Wings are painted with Gunze grey 315 and received a matte varnish after the decals and weathering was applied. The decals come from the kit and have a good quality and are also quite extensive and detailed. Again here there are some errors in the instructions,so photo research is needed too. Windows as mentioned from AA. Some antennas are not included in the kit,thes were taken from a Heller Boeing 707 sprue in my spares. The Satcom antenna is also not included.I was not able to find such in this scale on the aftermarket,so I will leave this until I found something that matches. Overall I am happy with the end result,despite its issues its a great kit but absolutely not for beginners. I also have the BPK 737-100 and -200 but I hope they will be a bit easier and with less errors in the instructions... Cheers Alex

BPK's 1/144 Bombardier CRJ 900 finished off in the markings of the resurgent Uganda Airlines. The Airline recently bought four CRJ 900s and is expected to add two Airbus A330 NEOs at the end of 2020. Route expansion plans include direct flights to London, Accra, Johannesburg, Guangzhou and Mumbai. The kit includes a transparent fuselage, full cockpit interior, resin engine intakes and exhausts, and a small sheet of etch parts (aerials, pitots, undercarriage doors and rear fuselage strakes) - Plenty of detail to keep you occupied. I finished the kit with Gunze paints and followed the painting guide on the aftermarket decal sheet from 8a Decs (sheet 7909-591), although I have a strong suspicion that the wings and tail planes should actually be white, and not grey. I was torn between the option of using the clear fuselage or the photorealistic windows included on the decal sheet. Unfortunately Fortunately, the decision was made for me after I made a mess of the cockpit paint work, and I'm pretty pleased with way that the window decals turned out 🙂. As far as the rear fuselage/tail markings were concerned, I didn't fancy my chances at joining four decals together without join lines, so I opted to mask and paint the black/yellow/red stripes before applying the crane emblem. Speaking of which, the grey crowned-crane is the national bird of Uganda and it appears on the country's coat of arms : . The antelope on the left is the Ugandan Kob, and as luck would have it, the decal sheet included all four registrations including 5X-KOB. It really was a no-brainer 😀 . Anyway, now that you know more about Ugandan wildlife than you did at the start, here are the standard 4x4 pics: ...and the profile shot : When it came to the "with something else" shot, I couldn't resist the East African Super VC10 Anyhow, that's it for now. Thanks for looking and please feel free to leave any feedback/comments. In the meantime, I'm going to head off to my next build. Best Regards mike

Big Planes Kits (BPK) has just released a 1/144th Bombardier CRJ-200 - ref. 14402 Sources: http://bigplaneskits.com/we-are-start-selling-crj-200-1-144-14402/?fbclid=IwAR0Z6MRCXsSv-RrIzf59p6eXuVVLvt1LKO6vBKunopTFfc5gbUe-9oDGBB4 https://www.facebook.com/BigPlanesKits/photos/a.1510613519216386/2448712485406480/ https://www.aviationmegastore.com/bombardier-crj200-air-canada-united-express-bpk14402-bpk-bpk14402-airliner-modelling-kits/product/?action=prodinfo&art=164770 V.P.

Pilatus Turbo Porter PC-6 (7213) 1:72BPK (Big Planes Kits) via Mikromir The Pilatus Porter aircraft is a single engine high wing light aircraft. It was designed and built, since 1959 by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Switzerland, and built under licence by Fairchild-Hiller Corp in the USA. It is designed to be a small transport aircraft with exceptionally short take off and landing performance. The Pilatus Porter is a versatile aircraft and has found many uses with both military and civil operators, and it has been used as a passenger or transport aircraft in virtually any situation. The Porter can be fitted with skis or floats, and has found a place as an ideal aircraft for use with parachuting groups. The Kit The kit arrives with 4 sprues of injected plastic, a photo-etched fret, a couple of resin parts, 6 resin parts, a decal sheet, and a sheet of masks. Panel lines are very lightly recessed, BPK have this exactly right as they are just deep enough to be visible, rather than the heavy 'trenches' that some manufacturers seem to favour. Construction starts in the interior. The cabin seats are attached to their frames and these are added into the rear cabin. In the front the instrument panel is built up and added to the front of the cabin floor. The pilots seats are then added along with rudder pedals and control columns. The completed cabin is then added into the fuselage along with the rear bulkhead. The tail wheel assembly is added at this time. Next up tow sub assemblies are made up for adding later. The nose is made up and the prop added, then the main landing gear unit is made up with its resin wheels. The main wing is then made up. The top is one part to which the bottom two parts are added along with the flaps. This is then attached to the fuselage and the glazing is added along with the side doors. The tailplanes and rudder units are then added. The completed nose & landing gear units are added. Lastly a variety of external parts are added such as aerials and the flap actuators. Markings Decals are by Decograph from the Ukraine and look to have no issues. 4 schemes are provided; 20th Year PC-6 Markings, Austrian Air Force, Langenlebarn AB, Austria 1996 UV-20A, US Army, Berline 1980 OE-EMD Red Bull Markings, Austrian (The modeller will have to paint the yellow areas using the supplied masks) Austrian Air Force 2013 Conclusion This is a great kit from BPK. They make the best use of the various material to bring you a great looking kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Canadair Challenger CL 604 / 605 (14406) 1:144 BPK (Big Planes Kits) via Mikromir The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a business jet family originally developed by Bombardier following acquisition of the concept LearStar 600 from Bill Lear. Lear had really no influence on the design and development and thus Canadair took on the Challenger name for the aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1978. Following the acquisition of Canadair by Bombardier in 1986 the aircraft became known as the Bombardier Challenger. The aircraft can be distinguished by use of Fowler Flaps normally seen on airliners. Following The CL-601 is a newer version featuring winglets to reduce drag. As well as civilian operator many air arms acquired the aircraft for VIP and other duties. This was later followed by the CL-604, this incorporated new GE CF34-3B engines, new avionics from Rockwell Collins, an increased fuel capacity, and structural improvements to the wings and tail. As more fuel is carried the undercarriage has been replaced by unit which can carry the increased weight. The US Coastguard has purchased a single aircraft which they have designated C-143A for the role of Medium Range Command & control (MRC2A). The Kit The kit arrives with 3 sprues of injected plastic, a photo-etched fret, a couple of resin parts, 6 resin parts, a decal sheet, and a sheet of masks. Panel lines are very lightly recessed, BPK have this exactly right as they are just deep enough to be visible, rather than the heavy 'trenches' that some manufacturers seem to favour. In order to save the problems of cabin windows in this scale the whole fuselage is made of clear plastic. Construction begins with some smaller items you will need later. All three landing gear units are made up and put to one side, following this the engines are made up. The fan fronts and rear cones are resin while the main parts are plastic. Next up the cockpit is made up. The floor is attached to the rear bulkhead, the seats and control columns are then added. The cockpit can then be added into the main fuselage. A solid nose cone is then fitted. It seems a shame that despite the clear fuselage there is no main cabin interior at all. Once the fuselage is together the main wing can be attached. The instructions strangely don't show the wing being assembled. In one stage the lower wing is attached, and in the next one the uppers are already there as if by magic? The tail, and tail planes are now added along with the tail cone. The cone differs between a couple of the decal options so make sure you fit the correct one. The engines can now be added along with fuselage antennas from PE. The flap actuators and the landing gear can now be added to finish off the model. Markings In addition to the decals masks are provided for the USGC Strips. Decals are by Decograph from the Ukraine and look to have no issues. 4 schemes are provided; C-143A US Coastguard, Tennessee, USA 2007. CL-605, QATAR, Lviv, Ukraine 2013 CL-604 Royal Australian Air Force, Melbourne, 2017 REGA Swiss Air Ambulance, 2011 Conclusion This is a great kit from BPK. They make the best use of the various material to bring you a great looking kit. Overall recommended, but could have been slightly better based on their 1/72 kits. Review sample courtesy of

Bombardier CRJ-100 1:144 BPK (Big Planes Kits) The Bombardier CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) is a a highly successful small airliner which started life as a development of the Canadair Challenger, and has been developed and stretched from the -100 series to the -1000 series. Entering service in 1992 the 50 seat CRJ-100 was soon developed into the CRJ-200 with more efficient engines, and sold widely to many airlines around the world, with a total of 1,021 of both models being delivered. The stretched CRJ-700/900/1000 series is still in production, with over 600 having been delivered. CRJ's can be seen at virtually any major airport around the world, and are likely to be in service for many more years. The Kit BPK from Ukraine is a relatively new manufacturer who started off producing a lovely 1:72 Boeing 737. They have now branched into 1:144 scale and chosen the CRJ-100 as their first model. This is a good choice as it is such widely used aeroplane, and no doubt the aftermarket decal manufacturers will be along soon with many of the liveries worn by this aircraft. (The CRJ-100 is due to be released in 1:72 scale soon, as noted on the side of the box). The kit comes in a neat top opening box, with a side profile drawing of one of the 3 options contained within. Inside there are 3 grey plastic sprues of components, 1 clear, 1 photo etch fret, resin engine parts, a sheet of window masks, and a decal sheet. A pretty comprehensive kit of parts. The first thing to notice is that model has a complete flight deck, with pilots seats, instrument panel, centre console, and rear bulkhead. Decals are supplied for the panel and console, and even for the rear bulkhead. This assembly fits into a separate nose moulding, which itself is in clear plastic, which is then fitted to the main fuselage sections. This is a great idea, as it should create an excellent blended in windscreen with minimum effort, particularly as pre-cut windscreen masks are supplied. Also unusual is the treatment of the cabin windows. The fuselage has recess running along it, into which you fit a clear plastic strip each side. Window masks are the placed over these, and removed after painting to reveal the cabin windows. You could either cut out part of the recess leaving a lip around its edge for the clear strip, or paint it black before fitting the clear part. Either way, it should create nice flush windows and I am keen to get on with the build and see how it goes. The engines are made from injection moulded upper and lower halves and pylon, with resin exhaust cones and intakes. Having the intake and fan detail as a single piece like this is by far the best way of doing it, as there is no awkward join inside to clean up. The rest of the construction is conventional, with a 1 piece lower wing with 2 uppers, and a main gear bay. The 'T' tail and undercarriage complete the model. Apparentlt there is a flaw on the injection moulded fin, so a resin replacement is provided. All the mouldings are nicely done, with fine detail and minimum flash. Panel lines are very lightly engraved, and the trailing edges of the wings and tailplanes are lovely and thin. Decals are provided for 3 liveries. 1) is the early 'Delta Connection' Comair cheatline scheme, 2) is the later plain white Delta Connection scheme with a blue underside, and 3) is the overall white Air France scheme. The decal sheet is silk screen printed with good colours and in perfect register. All the edges and lettering are crisp and sharp. A large range of tiny little stencils are supplied, along with a choice of several registrations for all 3 options. Conclusion. This is an impressive new release for BPK's first entry into 1/144 scale. The attention to detail is excellent, with the use of photo etch and resin where appropriate, and the decal sheet covers every last detail that will be found on the external airframe. I really like the innovative way of doing the cockpit and cabin glazing, it should give a very good result. It is a very well thought out, high quality, complete package (do you know of any other injection moulded airliner kit that comes with etched windscreen wipers!). So impressed am I, that this kit is going straight on to my workbench today and will shortly feature in the 'Work in Progress' section. [Edit] WIP thread is now here. [/Edit] [Edit] Finished model is here [/Edit] Finally, I hope that BPK consider doing some more 1:144 airliners, top of my personal wish list would be a Q400 (in FlyBe colours please!) which would make the perfect companion to this one. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Hello, Started my excellent BPK CRJ-100 recently, before I knew it I had the wings on and was ready to address the seams! The fit is really good and the option for using the clear parts is very smart thinking from this manufacturer. As evident in the pics I wont be using the clear approach as window decals etc. are just fine with me in this scale. I usually would clean up the seams on the fuselage before attaching the wings, but I was having so much fun I just said the heck with it and started gluing parts. So there is a bit more work to do before paint. Here are some shots. FullSizeRender by The 3rd Placer, on Flickr IMG_2906 by The 3rd Placer, on Flickr FullSizeRender (1) by The 3rd Placer, on Flickr Thanks for looking. Ryan

Canadair Challenger CL-604 / C-143 MRC2A 1:72 BPK (Big Planes Kits) The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a business jet family originally developed by Bombardier following acquisition of the concept LearStar 600 from Bill Lear. Lear had really no influence on the design and development and thus Canadair took on the Challenger name for the aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1978. Following the acquisition of Canadair by Bombardier in 1986 the aircraft became known as the Bombarider Challenger. The aircraft can be distinguished by use of Fowler Flaps normally seen on airliners. Following The CL-601 is a newer version featuring winglets to reduce drag. As well as civilian operator many air arms acquired the aircraft for VIP and other duties. This was later followed by the CL-604, this incorperated new GE CF34-3B engines, new avionics from Rockwell Collins, an increased fuel capacity, and structuaral improvements to the wings and tail. As more fuel is carried the undercarrige has been replced by unit which can carry the increased weight. The US Coastguard has purchased a single aircraft which they have designated C-143A for the role of Medium Range Command & control (MRC2A). The Kit The kit arrives with 8 sprues of injected plastic, 2 of clear plastic, a photo-etched fret, 4 strips of resin parts, 6 resin parts for the engines, a decal sheet, and a sheet of masks. Panel lines are very lightly recessed, BPK have this exactly right as they are just deep enough to be visible, rather than the heavy 'trenches' that some manufacturers seem to favour. Unlike some of their larger airliner kits the clear area for the cockpit is only half of the fuselage not a complete round section. Like the bigger kits the main cabin windows come as a strip to fit into the fuselage. The lower wing is a single full span piece, the advantage of which is that the dihedral is perfectly set for you. The uppers are separate pieces for each side. Construction begins with the interior of the jet. Here BPK provide a full interior front and back. The rear cabin has an executive/VIP fit with a couch and 8 seats, though I am pretty sure the Rega Air ambulance fit, and the Coastguard fit will be different. The cockpit has 2 seats and the control columns. Rudder pedals are moulded to the floor. the galley area between the front and rear is also built up here with bulkheads to separate everything. The overheads are provided for the rear section but the instructions are a little vague as to their exact location! Once the interior is complete it can be added into the main fuselage. As note here that the main cabin deck will need to be chamfered to match the fuselage profile for a good fit. Once the main fuselage is closed up the clear window parts can be added to their recesses. Now its time to concentrate on the wings. The wheel wells need to be fitted into these first. The instructions would have you fit the lower wing part first (again the rear fuselage part needs to be chamfered), and then add the upper wing parts. For some structural stability I think I would be tempted to add the top of the wings first. The cockpit glazing can then be added at this time. I would be tempted to add this before adding the wings as it will be easier to work on just the fuselage. Once the wings are added the winglets can be added to their tips. The engines are the next sub assembly to be done. The resin pats are sandwiched between the plastic cowlings and the engine pod is then attached to its mounting pylon. The main landing gear units are next up; the nose leg has four parts to the leg, a retraction strut and wheels. There are plastic two part wheels or resin 3 part wheels depending how the modeller want to approach this. The main gear units have two part leg, retraction strut an wheels. There are plastic two part wheels + a photo etch part, or resin 3 part wheels + a photo etch part depending how the modeller want to approach this Given the good looking resin units it would be a shame not to use them. The vertical tail is added next along with the horizontal flying surfaces which attach at its top. The rear tailcone is then added under the vertical fin. This is followed by attaching both engines. There are some PE parts to add to the fuselage at this point also. The distinctive hinges for the Fowler Flaps are added along with the undercarriage. The last thing to be added is a fully detailed plastic and PE air stair for the aircraft. Markings In addition to the decals masks are provided form the USGC Strips, and the Reaga Checks. The decal sheet allows for two schemes; C-143A US Coastguard, Tennessee, USA 2007. CL-604 Rega Swiss Air Ambulance HB-JRA. Conclusion This is a great kit from BPK. They make the best use of the various material to bring you a great looking kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Canadair Challenger CL-601 1:72 BPK (Big Planes Kits) The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a business jet family originally developed by Bombardier following acquisition of the concept LearStar 600 from Bill Lear. Lear had really no influence on the design and development and thus Canadair took on the Challenger name for the aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1978. Following the acquisition of Canadair by Bombardier in 1986 the aircraft became known as the Bombarider Challenger. The aircraft can be distinguished by use of Fowler Flaps normally seen on airliners. Following The CL-601 is a newer version featuring winglets to reduce drag. As well as civilian operator many air arms acquired the aircraft for VIP and other duties. The Canadian Armed Forces procured 6 of these aircraft designating them CC-144B. The Luftwaffe also operated 7 aircraft, retiring them in 2011. The Kit The kit arrives with 8 sprues of injected plastic, 2 of clear plastic, a photo-etched fret, 4 strips of resin parts, 6 resin parts for the engines, a decal sheet, and a sheet of masks. Panel lines are very lightly recessed, BPK have this exactly right as they are just deep enough to be visible, rather than the heavy 'trenches' that some manufacturers seem to favour. Unlike some of their larger airliner kits the clear area for the cockpit is only half of the fuselage not a complete round section. Like the bigger kits the main cabin windows come as a strip to fit into the fuselage. The lower wing is a single full span piece, the advantage of which is that the dihedral is perfectly set for you. The uppers are separate pieces for each side. Construction begins with the interior of the jet. Here BPK provide a full interior front and back. The rear cabin has an executive/VIP fit with a couch and 8 seats. The cockpit has 2 seats and the control columns. Rudder pedals are moulded to the floor. the galley area between the front and rear is also built up here with bulkheads to separate everything. The overheads are provided for the rear section but the instructions are a little vague as to their exact location! Once the interior is complete it can be added into the main fuselage. As note here that the main cabin deck will need to be chamfered to match the fuselage profile for a good fit. Once the main fuselage is closed up the clear window parts can be added to their recesses. Now its time to concentrate on the wings. The wheel wells need to be fitted into these first. The instructions would have you fit the lower wing part first (again the rear fuselage part needs to be chamfered), and then add the upper wing parts. For some structural stability I think I would be tempted to add the top of the wings first. The cockpit glazing can then be added at this time. I would be tempted to add this before adding the wings as it will be easier to work on just the fuselage. Once the wings are added the winglets can be added to their tips. The engines are the next sub assembly to be done. The resin pats are sandwiched between the plastic cowlings and the engine pod is then attached to its mounting pylon. The main landing gear units are next up; the nose leg has four parts to the leg, a retraction strut and wheels. There are plastic two part wheels or resin 3 part wheels depending how the modeller want to approach this. The main gear units have two part leg, retraction strut an wheels. There are plastic two part wheels + a photo etch part, or resin 3 part wheels + a photo etch part depending how the modeller want to approach this Given the good looking resin units it would be a shame not to use them. The vertical tail is added next along with the horizontal flying surfaces which attach at its top. The rear tailcone is then added under the vertical fin. This is followed by attaching both engines. There are some PE parts to add to the fuselage at this point also. The distinctive hinges for the Fowler Flaps are added along with the undercarriage. The last thing to be added is a fully detailed plastic and PE air stair for the aircraft. Markings The decal sheet allows for 4 Canadian aircraft, and one Luftwaffe to be built. Also included are mask for the Canadian aircraft with D-Day stripes. Canadair CC-144B (601/CL600-2A12) Nova Scotia, May 14, 2015. Canadair CC-144B (601/CL600-2A12) England, August 12, 2011. Canadair CC-144B (601/CL600-2A12) Ontario, July 15, 2015 (Codes on the Nacelles). Canadair CC-144B (601/CL600-2A12) France May 16, 2014. Canadair CC-144B Luftwaffe 600-2A12, Quebec, May 25, 2001. Conclusion This is a the first kit I have seen from BPK and its a good one. They make the best use of the various material to bring you a great looking kit. Highly recommended, in addition if you don't fancy the Military VIP version BPK inform us a civilian version is on its way.. Review sample courtesy of

Big Planes Kits is to release a 1/144th Pilatus PC-6 Porter kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/BigPlanesKits/photos/pb.1509837872627284.-2207520000.1441887573./1637678556509881/?type=1&theater V.P.

Bombardier CRJ-200 - 1:144 BPK Air Canada Jazz This kit was released earlier this year and Reviewed here It followed on from their earlier kit of the CRJ-100 This build has been almost finished for a couple of months now, but work commitments have been keeping me from my bench more than I would like. I finally got the finishing touches of photo etch on this week. These are lovely little kits with an innovative solution for the glazing. The nose section is moulded in clear and the side windows are clear strips with masks provided for the windows. On this release the 'Jazz' titles and maple leaf on the tail are also masks, allowing you to do the red or green versions. The tail logos are supplemented with decal 'leaf veins' for detailing. I am extremely impressed with them. They needed care applying to the fuselage, but look absolutely brilliant once done. It gives that 'painted on look' becasue they are! Enough words, on with the photos; And 'With something else' its brother the dash 100 in 'Delta Connection; A little extra to show the fuselage & tail masks in process; Now we have the 1:72 vesrion also. This has the 'Jazz' stencils as well. I'll be doing the green version this time. Thanks for looking John

Bombardier CRJ-200 1:72 BPK (Big Planes Kits) The Bombardier CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) is a a highly successful small airliner which started life as a development of the Canadair Challenger, and has been developed and stretched from the -100 series to the -1000 series. Entering service in 1992 the 50 seat CRJ-100 was soon developed into the CRJ-200 with more efficient engines, and sold widely to many airlines around the world, with a total of 1,021 of both models being delivered. The stretched CRJ-700/900/1000 series is still in production, with over 600 having been delivered. CRJ's can be seen at virtually any major airport around the world, and are likely to be in service for many more years. BPK from Ukraine have already released models of the CRJ-100 and 200 in 1:144 scale, which are lovely little models, reviewed here. In a logical move they have now released them both in 1:72 scale, with different marking options for each. The CRJ-200 has been received for review at Britmodeller, and comes in BPK's familiar yellow box with a sturdy cardboard base unit. A side profile of an 'American Eagle' CRJ adorns the lid, with the side panels announcing a Pilatus PC-6 in 1:144 and a Boeing 737-100 in 1:72 as 'Coming soon'. That will have many a modeller waiting with eager anticipation! Lifting the lid, we find that there are a number of large mouldings, several sprues, a bag of resin parts, an etched fret, a large clear moulding of the nose, a set of decals, a set of masks, and instructions. Most interesting is the now familiar style of BPK clear moulding for the cockpit area. This is a very innovative way of producing the cockpit glazing, and having used it on the 1:144 CRJ's I can confirm that it works really well. The unit comes sealed in its own ziplock bag to protect it, and is cleanly moulded. The actual window panels are lightly marked out, and the mask sheet provides each panel as a separate unit to apply before painting. Next we have the two fuselage halves, which look huge after the 1:144 versions. Similarly they have recessed channels where the glazing strips will go. On the 1:144 versions I cut them out leaving a 1 mm lip all around to retain the clear glazing strips. Panel lines are very lightly recessed, BPK have this exactly right as they are just deep enough to be visible, rather than the heavy 'trenches' that some manufacturers seem to favour. I prefer the BPK style every time. The 1:144 CRJ gives a sense of how much bigger this 1:/72nd version is. The lower wing is a single full span piece, the advantage of which is that the dihedral is perfectly set for you. The uppers are separate pieces for each side. Again the panel lines are lightly recessed, giving visible but subtle detail. Sprue D contains most of the cockpit parts, as having provided clear cockpit windows, there is a complete cockpit unit to put inside. Seats, control columns, panel, coaming, and etch brass details are provided, along with decals for the instruments and even the bulkhead behind the pilots seats. Rudder pedals are shown, but not numbered, on the instructions. It is a simple deduction to work out that these are parts Pe34 on the etch sheet. The mouldings are very nicely done, and will only require minimal clean up once removed from the sprue. Sprue E holds the engine cowlings, pylons, flap tracks and airstairs. This last is an interesting option. A very complete set of airstairs is provided, which on the real CRJ is the front door which hinges at the bottom and drops down to form the stairs. The etch brass sheet provides a number of fine details and handrails.The front door itself is moulded shut on the fuselage half, and will require removal if you want to use the open option. Chain drilling and cutting with a sharp knife will probably be the best way to do this, and then of course you will need to scratchbuild a bulkhead and floor to sit inside. I've started doing this on 1:144 scale airliners and while it is not for beginners, is not actually that hard to do. It is nice to have the option here for the more advanced modeller to take up. The engines are made from injection moulded upper and lower halves and pylon, with resin exhaust cones and intakes. The resin parts eliminate the need for any join seams around the intakes, and simplify the cowlings into very simple units to make. Sprue F provides the fin, tailplanes, and winglets. All very cleanly moulded with the same fine recessed detail seen on other sprues. Sprue G holds the glazing strips for the cabin windows. Unlike the 1:144 versions which are plain, these have the windows etched lightly into them, which will help with locating the individual masks. Also on the sprue is the extreme nose tip and landing lights. We even have the individual bulbs (G5 & G6) to go behind the landing light glazing! Resin. Seven strips of resin components are supplied, and feature incredible detail. All are flawlessly moulded with not trace of any air bubbles or flaws whatsoever. The detail on the engine fans is outstanding, I doubt that it could be made any better or realistic. Each fan blade is beautifully curved along it's length, and separate from each of it's partners. The engine nozzles are similarly impressive, with beautiful compound curve shapes and lightly recessed detail. The wheels have circumferential treads, with separate hubs featuring crisp and fine detail. Separate tyres and hubs always makes painting so much easier than single mouldings, full marks to BPK again here. The resin components are some of the most beautiful I have seen, and without a doubt are of the highest standard possible. Etch. A small brass fret is packed with a large number of small details, mainly aerials and vents found at various points around the airframe. It is surprising how many tiny blade aerials are scattered around the CRJ. Decals and masks. Two main colour schemes are provided, two for the 'American Eagle' shown on the box lid, and 'Air Canada Jazz' in either red or green. A full set of stencils are also present, for placing at various points around the airframe. The Air Canada Jazz schemes are the most interesting, as the main elements are not decals but masks. This provision was also made with the 1:144 kit, where vinyl masks are applied to the model and paint airbrushed on to give the 'Jazz' titles on the fuselage and the maple leaf on the tail. I have actually used these on the 1:144 scale kit, and they work brilliantly. What you actually use is not the 'Jazz' lettering, but the vinyl around it. It needs care to apply it to the fuselage and line up correctly, not forgetting to put the oval inside the 'J'. It has since been suggested to me that a lightly soaped solution could be applied to fuselage first, which will allow some room to move the vinyl around. Apparently this is how it is done on full size vehicles. I have not tried it, but mention it here in case anyone else wants to have a go. Once pressed down, I airbrushed some white onto the masks. The idea being if that there was any paint 'creep', it would be white and match the fuselage. The red was then airbrushed on top to give an even coverage. Pulling the masks off revealed a very pleasing result. Another lesson I learned was to be very careful removing the masks. I managed to put a couple of scratches in the red paint with my knife blade and had to touch them in with more red paint. It was only because I was using the tip of the blade to lift the masks, and slipped a couple of times, so take care. The result is well wort it though. This is still under construction and needs all the silver work applied to leading edges etc, and well as the wheels. This is the result of using the masks on the 1:144 CRJ to spray the red paint on. Conclusion. The two 1:144 BPK CRJ's I have built are little beauties. I love the way BPK approach their kits and devise innovative solutions for them. The complete cockpit glazing sections and cabin windows are good example of this, and give the most superior results. The fit of parts on the 1/144 kits was excellent, and this 1/72 version looks to have the same finesse and precision about it. Although probably not suited to absolute beginners, they are very enjoyable and satisfying kits to build, and this larger version should be stunning when finished. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Looks like a good kit for a good price to me http://bigplaneskits.com/shop/uncategorized/crj-100/

Bombardier CRJ-200 - 1:144 BPK 1:144 BPK (Big Planes Kits) The Bombardier CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) is a highly successful small airliner which started life as a development of the Canadair Challenger, and has been developed and stretched from the -100 series right through to the -1000 series. Entering service in 1992 the 50 seat CRJ-100 was soon developed into the CRJ-200 with more efficient engines, and sold widely to many airlines around the world, with a total of 1,021 of both models being delivered. The stretched CRJ-700/900/1000 series is still in production, with over 600 having been delivered. CRJ's can be seen at virtually any major airport around the world, and are likely to be in service for many more years. The Kit BPK released a kit of the -100 series aircraft last year, and have now followed it up with a -200 series version. As the only major difference is with the engines, this kit contains almost the same plastic, resin, and photo etched parts as the previous kit, but with a completely new decal sheet and masking set. The box has a side profile of a CRJ-200 in a British Airways livery, which is one of the six options provided. Inside there are 3 grey plastic sprues of components, 1 clear sprue, 1 photo etch fret, resin engine parts, a sheet of masks and a decal sheet. The first thing to notice is that model has a complete flight deck, with pilot’s seats, instrument panel, centre console, and rear bulkhead. Decals are supplied for the panel and console, and even for the rear bulkhead. This assembly fits into a separate nose moulding, which itself is in clear plastic, which is then fitted to the main fuselage sections. This is a great idea, which makes it very simple to obtain a flush fitting clear windscreen. It is even easier to use than the ‘top half’ windscreen inserts found in some of the Minicraft and Revell airliner kits. It is so much better than using decals, and the cockpit interior is actually visible on the completed CRJ-100 kit reviewed previously. Also unusual is the treatment of the cabin windows. The fuselage has recess running along it, into which you fit a clear plastic strip each side. Window masks are the placed over these, and removed after painting to reveal the cabin windows. Having used this method on the -100 review build, I was very impressed with the results. The rest of the construction is conventional, with a 1 piece lower wing with 2 uppers, and a main gear bay. The 'T' tail and undercarriage complete the model. The tailfin moulding on the main sprue in the original release did not meet BPK’s high standards as it had a small ‘sink’ mark near the top (barely noticeable), so a resin replacement was supplied. The -200 kit now has 2 fin halves as injection moulded pieces to correct this minor flaw. The engines are made from injection moulded upper and lower halves and pylon, with resin exhaust cones and intakes. Having the intake and fan detail as a single piece like this is by far the best way of doing it, as there is no awkward join inside to clean up. All detail is finely engraved on the kit, just as it should be on an airliner. Although difficult to photograph in grey plastic, hopefully it is visible here; Decals are provided for 6 liveries. Lufthansa Regional (Lufthansa CityLine) Lufthansa Regional (Eurowings) British Airways (Maersk Air) UTair Ukraine Air Canada Jazz (Red) Air Canada Jazz (Green) The decal sheet is silk screen printed with good colours and in perfect register. All the edges and lettering are crisp and sharp. A large range of tiny little stencils are supplied. The Air Canada ‘Jazz’ liveries are partly supplied as paint masks, to produce the ‘Jazz’ titles on the fuselage and maple leaf on the fin. Fine detail for the stalk and veins on the leaf are on the decal sheet. What better way to get that ‘painted on’ look than to paint it on. I am really interested in this, as I've never used pre-cut masks to create markings. I would think that lining up the masks accurately and using an airbrush will be essential, but results should be really good. Conclusion. It is obvious that BPK have set themselves very high standards in engineering their kits, as the surface detail and fit are extraordinarily good. When I built the previous CRJ-100 kit, the dry fit of the lower wing to the fuselage was so good that the join line was all but invisible. Few manufacturers can achieve this, so full marks are due here. What I really like though is the way that BPK think of new solutions to problems. The clear moulded front fuselage section takes a little care, but is not difficult, and gives an outstanding result. No doubt this is the best way to do it. Likewise the cabin windows. A little filler will be needed to blend the clear strips in, and then the masks need to be applied. The result though is top quality, clear windows with perfect smooth surfaces. Just imagine if other airliner kits were offered like this, how easy it would be to represent different window layouts. The choice of 6 alternate liveries is the ‘icing on the cake’. I would like to do all of them but can’t quite decide which one it will be yet. I like the British Airways one and it would fit in my other BA models. I’ve flown several times on Lufthansa CRJ’s so I could add that option to the ‘airliners I have been on’ part of my collection, and the Air Canada ‘Jazz’ ones look really interesting, the masking intrigues me and should give a good result. Whatever I decide, this kit is heading straight for my workbench ahead of ongoing projects, as I enjoyed building the last one so much. This is a beautiful little kit, do yourself a favour and get one. But I warn you, you’ll want another after that…. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Footnote: The build thread of the previous CRJ-100 kit is Here Last picture, the completed CRJ-100 previously reviewed on Britmodeller;

Bombardier CRJ-100 1:144 BPK The Bombardier CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) is a a highly successful regional airliner which started life as a development of the Canadair Challenger, and has been further developed and stretched from the -100 series to the -1000 series. BPK from Ukraine recently released an injection moulded kit of this little airliner, and very nice it is too. A full review appears Here. BPK have used a very unusual, but succesful, method of reproducing the glazed areas on the model. The whole cockpit area is moulded in clear plastic, and clear strips with masks are used for the cabin windows. There is even a full cockpit provided, with instrument panel decals. I was so intrigued by this that the kit went straight from the review bench and onto the workbench, pushing several other projects out of the way. It is a beautiful little kit, with exceptionally good fit and was a pleasure to build. A work in progress thread is Here On with the photos; And the traditional 'with something else' shot to lend a sense of size. The most likely companion I could find was a Zvezda Boeing 767 in American colours. I expect these 2 often met in real life. Thanks for looking, John

Boeing 737-200 1:72 BPK Whilst Boeing was achieving considerable success with the larger 707 and 727 in the 60’s, development of the BAC 1-11, DC-9 and Fokker F.28 were progressing well to serve an anticipated need in the world market for smaller aircraft on short haul routes. In 1964, Boeing proposed their intention to tap into this market. To keep timescales down, they proposed a design that would use 60% of the structure and systems of the 727 which would also benefit by keep costs to a minimum. The 727 cabin had an advantage over its potential rivals in that it accommodated six abreast seating compared to a maximum of 5 abreast on the others. Another feature of the 737 would be its capability for Cat 2 Landings, the first of its kind. Production of the 737 was guaranteed following an order by Lufthansa for 21 100 seater aircraft, the first of which went into service in 1968. A follow up order came from United Airlines for another 40 aircraft; however they wanted a larger aircraft that would become the 200 series. Further refinements to the 737 200 led to the refined 737-200 Advanced which included improved thrust reversers, modified flaps, more powerful engines and greater fuel capacity allowing a 15% increase in payload. This became the ‘standard’ configuration by 1971. A lull in orders in 1970 drove Boeing to offer greater diversity in the design. Versions included the 737C (meaning convertible passenger / freight version) using a large freight access door, 737QC (Quick change which had palletised seats allowing quick removal) and the gravel kit equipped model for use on unpaved runways. Production of the 200 series continued until 1988 when no less that 1,114 aircraft were produced and served hundreds of airlines around the world and in 2010, over 300 were still in operation! The kit News of this release from BPK of Ukraine has been popular and when I received mine, I could see why. The only other 737-200 model in this scale is the multi-media kit from Welsh models with a vac formed fuselage. The kit comes in a sturdy top opening box and inside you’ll find a lot more parts than you’ll be used to if 1/144 is normally your scale. The version represented is the ‘Advanced’ model with refined details as mentioned above so can be built into a vast amount of livery options as and when they become available. First impressions are very good, but not mainstream. There’s an absence of locating pins where you would expect them on a mainstream kit, so some additional skill and patience will be required to deal with this, but don’t let that put you off. Included in the set is over 100 injection moulded parts, additional resin & etch, rubber tyres and cockpit and cabin window masks. A great feature too is the clear nose section meaning that you won’t be left with the challenge of trying to prevent glue marks on your cockpit windows! There is no flash or sink marks to be found on any of the parts. Included on the sprues but identified as not used in the instructions are what look to be the gravel pack parts, so we could expect further versions to be released. The instructions are in A4 gloss paper and mostly adequate, however there are a few ambiguities that I’ll cover in the review. Assembly starts with the cockpit. In here you will find all major features including seats, side, front and overhead panels, centre console, control columns and decals to add the necessary detail. The cockpit assembly locates to the rear bulkhead and it all fits into the transparent nose which on first impressions captures the shape very well. The next step for the cabin windows requires a decision from yourself and reflects in my opinion some clever design work to give you these options. The cabin windows for each side are provided as clear strips that locate into the fuselage halves with finely marked windows. The kit is supplied without window decals that you typically find in aftermarket decal sets, so you will be required to cut the plastic out of the fuselage parts and replace them with the clear strips. If you intend to use decal windows that will probably become available from aftermarket suppliers, you could simply glue the clear strips over the top of the indented sections although one side will need a raised bead sanding or dremmeling down as noticed in the picture below. Doing this enables the clear parts to sit flush with the exterior surface. Leaving the indented sections in place and painting it with a dark colour before inserting the clear strips and masking the windows may also be an option to consider. If you do decide to remove the indented plastic, leaving some of it in as a locating surface for the clear parts would be advisable as long as it doesn’t foul the windows. The surface detailing in the fuselage is very nicely done with fine recessed details. Moving on to the next build assembly and we have the main gear bays and wing box that locates in to the lower fuselage. Two spars are added as well as adequate gear bay detailing that adds plenty of interest. You may want to add some additional plumbing here if you like a lot of detail. The spars protrude out of the wing box to support the wings when fitted. With the main parts of the fuselage assembled, it’s all brought together – fuselage halves joined and cockpit, wing box, nose and tail cones attached. Again without the benefit of locating pins, be careful to get everything aligned correctly. Here I noticed a few things missing from the instructions. One of the last stages is to add the nose wheel bay, but to do so, you need to cut away part of the clear nose and fuselage halves to do so. It will be easier to do this before you assemble the fuselage. No mention is made of nose weights either, so I’d play safe and stick some metal up front too whilst you’re there. This may be obvious to some, but I’m one of those who steams ahead and pays the price later for my impatience!!! Onto the wing assembly. This is a simple affair; the wings are supplied in top and bottom halves with the gear bays to be inserted as separate parts. As these will take the weight of the kit when sitting on the gear, I’d recommend plenty of glue here to prevent them from breaking loose under load. Separate flap jack fairings are supplied and simply fit to the lower wings. The tail and tail planes follow the same two halved approach with a small spacer to be inserted between the tail halves to offer some rigidity. Detailing in the engines is well catered for. The intake fan is mated to an etch IGV (inlet guide vanes) part that requires the vanes to be twisted through 90 degrees and the intake cone fitting to the IGV. These then mate to an injection moulded cylindrical insert that provides a smooth intake profile. The exhaust looks to be more challenging. Instead of using a plastic insert, the exhaust has to be made forming a flat sheet of brass plate into a cylinder. You may try to find some tubing of a suitable diameter to avoid doing this...I think I will! Resin exhaust compressors and exit cones are supplied to finish off the inner detailing. The undercarriage is quite a complex arrangement. Each main gear assembly is made up of no less than 6 parts excluding the wheels themselves. The nose wheel bay also has to be assembled from 5 parts, so you may want to reinforce the joints to prevent it from collapsing under the weight. The nose gear assembly contains a further 10 parts, so you may want to have a beer on standby for when you finish that off! The tyres are supplied as rubber which some dislike. I suspect that some aftermarket resin replacements may become available in due course. The tyres do have some small amounts of flash so this will need to be removed. The instructions for the main gear door assembly aren’t very clear, so I will be looking for some reference material when I come to build this to see exactly how the 3 parts fit together correctly. The etch sheet contains quite an array of exterior parts including wing root intakes and the various antennas and probes around the fuselage which is a welcome addition in 1/72 scale. A nice touch too is a front passenger door and port baggage doors supplied giving you the option of cutting the fuselage out and having the open doors. I see a good diorama possibility here. Unfortunately, the forward air stair isn’t included. The decals The decal set produced by Decograph is quite simple. I would of preferred a number of options but only one livery is included for Piedmont airlines; aircraft No. N780N which was delivered in 1980. This aircraft finally ceased operations as registration YI-APY in 2010 with Iraqi Airways. The sheet doesn’t include fuselage cheat lines, door frame markings or windows which again would have been useful for those who prefer that route. Masks are included to paint the door markings though. The cockpit panel decals are nicely detailed too. For those wanting some British liveries, keep an eye out of the Two-Six website as Ray has a number of options that he’s planning to release (as well as non-British liveries) including: Britannia 1970s & 80s British Airways Negus & Landor Dan Air London BA World liveries Air Europe Conclusion This is a welcome model of an iconic aircraft so will probably be popular amongst the airline modelling community. The detail is good and the shape looks accurate too from what I can see without assembling it. I suspect it will spur a number of aftermarket initiatives too. It’s not a kit for beginners, but nor does it require expert skills either. Judging by the release of the T-43 and the inclusion of the gravel pack parts, BPK are going to cover most if not all of the 200 series options in due course. Additional liveries and decal options would of been a good feature to add value, but overall I’m very impressed with what BPK have created. Review sample courtesy of

Bombardier CRJ-100 1:144 BPK The Bombardier CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) is a a highly successful small airliner which started life as a development of the Canadair Challenger, and has been developed and stretched from the -100 series to the -1000 series. Entering service in 1992 the 50 seat CRJ-100 was soon developed into the CRJ-200 with more efficient engines, and sold widely to many airlines around the world, with a total of 1,021 of both models being delivered. The stretched CRJ-700/900/1000 series is still in production, with over 600 having been delivered. CRJ's can be seen at virtually any major airport around the world, and are likely to be in service for many more years. BPK of Ukraine have just released a 1:144 scale model of the aircraft, Reviewed here. When Mike asked me to review the kit I almost snatched his hand off, as I have a liking for these small airliners in the 10 - 100 seat class. Usually I have to build them from vacforms or short run kits. The range of injection moulded kits is growing, so it is good to see another manufacturer present a new subject. In the review I was very impressed with the kit and intrigued to see how the glazing would work, so it went straight from review bench to workbench. As an airliner modeller, it is great to be able to say 'Work started with thh cockpit'. We hardly ever get to say that! A floor, bulkhead, center console, and two seats are provided, along with decals to detail them. (If you build this model, note that the bulkhead sits on top of the cockpit floor).I painted the seats dark blue with light blue straps and white headrests, in the hope it will make them stand out when viewed through the windscreen. With decals on, and a penny to show how small the whole assembly is. Next the fuselage halves went together, showing the recess for the clear strip that will form the windows. Also dry fitted is the resin tailpane. I am not sure why it is in resin as it is also in plastic on the sprues, but it fits superbly. I wondered whether to paint the recess black, or cut it out. In the end I decided that it would be more interesting to cut it out. leaving a lip all around the inside to reatin the glazing strip. It was easy enough to drill a series of holes and roughly join them up with a blade, then neaten it all up. All 3 stages shown here; and the finished cut on the other side; And then with the glazing strips installed. When I cut the glazing strip to size I initially just pressed hard on the knife blade. Beware, I got stress fractures in the clear plastic. On the other side I made several cuts to trim it, which was the smart way to do it. The plastic parts for the engines were assembled next. Note that part 8 (a lower cowl half) in mentioned twice in the instuctions. 8 & 9 should go together, and 10 & 11. Not 10 & 8. The fronts are resin inserts, which gives a nice seamless intake, as are the rear exhaust cones. On all my airliner kits I usually scrape the inside trailing edges of the wing halves to thin them a little more. It is not stictly necessary, but gives an even thinner trailing edge to the assembled wing. I did it here, it only needs a little scraping, a couple of minutes work on each mating surface is plenty. Finally, I attached the wing parts to the fuselage and glued the resin fin on. This is where we finish today; Thanks for looking, John