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Revell or Airfix 737


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Hi Gentlemen,

My question is simple if I want to make a Lufthansa 737-100, which kit is better starting point Revell or Airfix? If I'm correct Airfix is mostly series 200. Revell is modern 800-series.

My understanding is that Airfix will require correct fuselage length to be right for 100. Is there any ideas about engines? What are changes if modification is done to Revell kit? Fuselage lenght and engines what else?

Br. Vesa

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Revell's kit is a 737-800, which is a totally different airplane from the first generation 737s. Airfix's kit is a 737-200. However, Eastern Express makes a 737-100 kit. While not 100% accurate at least it's a lot closer to what you want than either Revell's (light years away), or Airfix's (closer, but still no cigar).

Airfix's engines are correct for a -100. You have to shorten the fuselage and extend the aft end of the wing/body fairing.

Revell -800 to a -100: Shorten the fuselage (massively), entirely new vertical fin, shorter horizontal stabs, entirely new wings, entirely new engines, entirely new landing gear struts and wheels.

Edited by Jennings Heilig
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There is NO way to convert an -800 (or any NG series) to a classic series (-300/400/500/600) or earlier (-200/100)

Although they do look alike, the 737 NG series are totally new design, with new wider fuselage, new wing, new tail, new stabilizers, new engines, new everything.

Not even a -400 can be converted to a -100. Just the -200.

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I was just responding to the post that said not even a -400 could be converted.

Many people convert lumps of wood into models.

In this case it's a question of which is the closest starting point which leaves the Eastern Express and Airfix as the best options.

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Most assuredly, all Boeing narrow body airliners have the exact same fuselage upper lobe. The 727 (forward of the wing) and 737 have a shallower lower lobe, but the passenger compartment is identical to the 707-120 of 1957.

In fact, when I had a tour of the production floor at Renton some years ago, 737-300/400/500 fuselage cockpit cab sections were being built on tooling jigs that had acceptance sign off dates in the 1950s, that had been used to build 707 cab sections.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Vesa Jussila, the Airfix 737-200 has the right wing, wing/fuselage section and engines for your Lufthansa 737-100. You just need to cut-off two windows ahead of the wing and two more windows aft of the wing. The overall shape of the Airfix model is not too convincing and it fails to capture the Boeing narrowbody's critical nose and tail shapes.

The Eastern Express 737-100 has the right fuselage length but the wing trailing edge has an irritating fictitious kink and the engines are very wrong (they are right for an Advanced 200). The overall likeness is a bit better than Airfix.

The Revell 737-800 has the right shape for the fuselage nose and tail but everything else (fuselage length, wing, wing/fuselage fairing, engines) is wrong. Even the nose gear leg is located marginally further back (like, 1/4 mm in 144th scale, which is tiny but lifts the nose a bit) because Boeings moved it when designing the 737-300/400/500. The Revell 737-800 has the cabin windows correctly shaped and pitched but sadly a good 1/2 mm too low.

A 737-300 kit not mentioned so far and made by Skyline or DACO (also available in 737-400 and 500 variants) is superbly accurate but cannot be made into a 737-100 due to the numerous differences between the 100/200 and later versions. It does have correctly proportioned nose and tail, and a wing/body fairing that is "almost there" (but subtly not quite) for a 100.

So, if you are ambitious or want to make a particularly faithful miniature sculpture of a 737-100, use the Airfix wing, wing/body fairing, left and right tailplanes,tailfin, and engines -- and marry those to a cut-down Revell 737 with its cabin windows filled-in. You can increase the amount of work (otherwise known as enjoyment) by not fillin-in the Revell 737 cabin windows and instead cutting them out and repositioning them slightly higher in the fuselage, achieving a clear window look. You can also use Revell's landing gear.

---

Editing this message (see red type above) I use the opportunity to add the Minicraft Boeing 737-300, 400 and 500s. They are far outshone by the DACO equivalents but are quite nice, nevertheless. The Eastern Express 737s seem to be based on the Minicraft ones. For completeness' sake, Welsh Models also did vaccuum formed 737s in 1992, long out of production but reasonably good.

Edited by skippiebg
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{much snippage occurred here}

You can also use Revell's landing gear.

No, I'm sorry, that's not possible. The 737NG models have lengthened landing gear to give proper ground clearance to the newer egnine nacelles. The gear legs are much longer than those of previous models. You could do the cross-kitting you describe using a Daco kit (assuming one could be found), remembering to shorten the fuselage accordingly.

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No, I'm sorry, that's not possible. The 737NG models have lengthened landing gear to give proper ground clearance to the newer egnine nacelles. The gear legs are much longer than those of previous models. You could do the cross-kitting you describe using a Daco kit (assuming one could be found), remembering to shorten the fuselage accordingly.

You are quite right and I cannot think what made me state this! The Airfix landing gear rules!

Elsewhere on Britmodeller and some years ago, fellow member Stringbag did attempt a DACO 737-300 conversion into a -200 and got some considerable way along, but seems to have sadly dropped it. Here it is:http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/40793-boeing-737-200/

Just editing this to add that the Airfix 737-200 is quite underscale, as can be seen in one of the photos in the thread cross-linked above. (In case anyone thinks the DACO kits are overscale, let me add that I have measued them and they are absolutely spot-on.) This means the Airfix engines are going to be visibly too small, and aftermarket engines are wrong for early 737s, including all 737-100s. (They are right for Advanced 737s.)

Edited by skippiebg
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Early 737s! I need to stop by here more often! :D

I personally think the DACO -300 or -400 to -200 conversion is the least painful way to go, outside of springing for an Authentic Airliners kit. Much easier than mating Airfix parts to a Revell -800, which I've also done. I had mine ready for a little sanding and filling in just an afternoon. One of the many problems with the Airfix kit are the engines are about 4mm too short. Braz's are too short by the same amount and are much too wide. They really don't do a good job representing a -200's engines at all. I used some Authentic Airliners engines on the 2 I built several years ago. The engines on my early -200 below aren't quite right, because I was afraid to go after expensive resin parts too agressively when I was reshaping the pylons. With the Daco kit + AA engines, the only parts you'd need to source from the scrap box are nose gear wheels.

DSCN3034a.jpg

Here are the engines compared:

DSCN3008.jpg

HTH.

Ben

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I personally think the DACO -300 or -400 to -200 conversion is the least painful way to go, outside of springing for an Authentic Airliners kit. Much easier than mating Airfix parts to a Revell -800, which I've also done.

Could this be what you mean?

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=139306

Thank you for the photos!

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this seems to be getting a bit more complex than it needs to...

the original question was about making a 737-100.

nothing else.

quickest and simplest way, as skippiebg said is to take an airfix kit and cut the fuselage down by 2 windows in front and behind the wing...

The only other alteration is to make the port rear cabin door bigger as it contained a set of integral airstairs.

and thats it.

here's mine -

mymodel_737-100_LH_1.jpg

it may not satisfy the purist but it satisfies me and it looks undeniably like a 737-100.

and for reference, here's a real one -

1879868.jpg

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this seems to be getting a bit more complex than it needs to...

the original question was about making a 737-100.

nothing else.

quickest and simplest way, as skippiebg said is to take an airfix kit and cut the fuselage down by 2 windows in front and behind the wing...

The only other alteration is to make the port rear cabin door bigger as it contained a set of integral airstairs.

and thats it.

here's mine -

And mine, not quite as nice as Kev's:

baby_boeings_14.jpg

Yes, if you're dividing rabbits, the wing fairing is for the -200, not the -100. But on the shelf it's a -100.

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Here is the original -130 Airfix plastic of the 60's on ebay now 5 days to go!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lufthansa-Boeing-737-airfix-model-kit-1-144-/271159591407?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item3f225f01ef

Thats 99p and one bid

Below is a buy it now for 34 quid and shrapnel

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRFIX-SK505-SERIES-3-LUFTHANSA-BOEING-737-MODEL-KIT-NEW-BOXED-ar-/370545136866?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item56463614e2

Below is a no bids so far 5 days left

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lufthansa-boeing-737-Airfix-model-kit-/271159599008?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item3f225f1fa0

Plus 3 more in the states for between 18-21 GBP buy it nows and £4.00 ish - £8 p and p

Forget the above info.Its a -200 see Jennings post below!

Edited by bzn20
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Its that long ago is one reason.I didnt go off the made up redge,I thought it came out originally before the -200 had entered airline (United)service.It didnt,I just checked ,it was 1969.But it was before Lufthansa got its 1st -200

D-ABBE, a -230c in December 1969 part of a batch of six frames.Thats probably the about the last time I handled one.It is accepted as a -200,I just forgot!

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