I couldn't stop adding to it! Boeing 737 with enhancements. Airfix 1:144

[Viking]

Airfix 1:144 Boeing 737

TwoSix 'Air Europe' Decals. Airwaves Etched brass galleys

Plus my own scratch building

 

 

Ok, I went a bit mad here and didn't know when to stop.
It started out as an attempt to improve the old 1960's Airfix kit of the Boeing 737-200, and just kept going and going as I had more ideas. I already posted what the improvements were in my second attempt but which got finished first.

Basically it was;

- Replace the cockpit glazing with the part provided in Daco's 737 kits.

- Scratchbuild some interior detail for the cockpit, including the flight crew.

- Open up the main and nosewheel bays, which are just shallow opening on the kit

- Improve the engines. They are too short in the kit, and have the early 'skinny' pylons only applicable to the first 100 or so machines produced.

- The passenger cabin windows are just little square shapes. I filed the all top and botton to open them up to oval shape.

- I had a etched brass set for the forward integral airstairs, so they were added.

- Adding the Airwaves etched brass detail set, which consists of the forward and aft galleys.

- Then I decided that a few rows of passenger seats were necessary.

- I though a base would be nice, so made one.

- As I had opened the luggage bay and fitted a floor, it really needed a loading vehicle to park there.

- I has a set of etch brass luggage wagons, but no tug. Both this and the luggage wagon are scratch built, and generic rather than replicas of actual vehicles.

- A tow bar on the nose would be nice. So I scratched on up from rod & tube. Must make a tug though!

- Finally, it needed some passengers walking out. These are unpainted from Noch, and its taken me weeks to paint them all.

 

The model represents G-DDDV known to its crews not as 'Delta Victor' but as the 'Dirty Vicar'.

She followed my father around after he retired from British Airways, and made subsequent comebacks with Air Europe and then Gulf Air. G-DDDV appeared in all 3 liveries. There is a little figure of 'Viking dad' sitting in the left hand seat, just visible through the cockpit.

 

Enough talk, on with the photos;

 

 

 

 

 

Crew visible in cockpit;

 

The little scratchbuilt vehicles;

 

 

 

Improved wheelbays;

 

Some of the interior bits;

 

 

 

Thanks are due to member Skodadriver who supplied me with the Daco clear cockpit part and silver frame decal, enabling me to go a bit mad and do this!

 

Cheers

 

John

[RNoAF Aerobatic Team]

That is an superbly little dio! !

[paganpete]

Awesome man!!!

[woody37]

Crikey John, you're eyes must be shot after doing that!

Gorgeous little diorama, after all this rain, it's giving me that summer feeling!

Cheers

Neil

[mikesmodels]

:goodjob:

[Foghorn Leghorn]

[theplasticsurgeon]

Superb build John - very well done.

Brings back memories of a return flight from Tenerife in 1989 for the wrong reasons - no that was a fan engined 737-300, but still Air Europe.

I suppose the cheap ticket price should have said something - Air Europe closed down shortly afterwards.

Flew out to Tenerife on a Monarch 757, very new at the time - no problems other than it was an overnight flight.

Again on the cheap, my dad left his car with a colleague who lived near Gatwick - this comes back to bite.

Return flight happened to be Air Europe. I can't remember it all but I'd guess tickets were from a bucket type agency filling unused seats.

Anyway, arrived at TFX in plenty of time for the flight. Booked in luggage taken away - all OK.

The flight appeared on the lounge screens, and slowly move upwards - as flights ahead of it departed. Still looking normal.

Arrived at the top of the screen, without any call to board - getting edgy now. Asked airport staff - everything is under control.

Disappeared off the top of the screen - defo getting panicky about being left behind.

Eventually called to board the flight, about two hours after scheduled departure time. Everybody is edgy, can this flight go whilst we're in the queue? Relief at being bused out to the plane.

Sat onboard for another hour - this was an absolutely full plane! No information about what's going on or the delay.

During that time a squall hit the airfield and cabin crew closed the doors to avoid damage to the plane. Now it's getting hot and stuffy inside.

Suddenly the pilot fires up the engines, and announces we'll be on out way very soon. Taxi out to the runway for the fastest departure I'd ever been on.

No checks of control surfaces or hold on the runway, this chap lined her up and hit the throttles. We were gone!

Climbing north into dusk and dark - and that squall that had hit us on the ground. This was a rough flight, to the point that seat-belt signs were lit and cabin crew ordered to their seats.

Gradually it calmed down, and movement around the plane was allowed.

Then the captain explained that cabin-crew were over their hours, and need a rest period. No calls for next half hour. That was a first for me.

About half an hour further, and the captain comes on again. "Gatwick is being resurface at night - so we can't land there. We're going to East Midlands, about 20 minutes extra flying time." There was uproar - a plane full of tired disgruntled passengers! "But the airline will provide complimentary transport on to Gatwick." Well thanks for that!

Thinking back, the crew must have know all this before departure, but brought us back anyway to avoid overnight hotel expenses for everybody.

And on we flew, following a line of lights that was the M1, past a city that was Leicester - and into East Midlands. A few months later the 'plane type and airport hit the headlines - Kegworth!

At East Midlands it was bitterly cold, the first time I'd seen frost on a 'plane - just like a car in morning.

The airline did provide onward transport, in the form of 3 of the ropiest buses I'd ever seen. Low back seats, these were buses, and not coaches.

Those 20 extra minutes, cost another 3 hours in the world's most uncomfortable bus, driving down that line of lights I'd watched from the air. Then we were dumped at Gatwick at four in the morning - where everything was closed! No food, no drinks, it was cold, nowhere to lay down, - and worst of all, couldn't call up that colleague for the car at that time! Eventually we did get home, albeit a day late!

Thanks for flying Air Europe - I never did again.

Edited February 9, 2016 by theplasticsurgeon

[Vince1159]

An absolute stunner,attention to detail's one thing but your detail with the flight crew's something else (if you have a spare kit G-BRJP British airtours hint hint,cough)....

[Rodders154]

WOW superb build

What eyesight you must have.

Rodders

[andy wood]

"Ok, I went a bit mad here and didn't know when to stop."

Know that feeling! Nice to see an airliner getting the detail treatment!

[stringbag]

That little diorama has turned out very well indeed John.

Seeing all of the individual components during the build were impressive but seeing the whole picture is really something else.

Greater than the sum of the parts as my Dad would have said.

Chris.

[bzn20]

Great job,love all the detail you've added, the vehicles,baggage trollies and conveyor etc. and all in 144th. Well done,Thanks for showing.

Do Airwaves do these etch Galleys in 1/72nd? I can't find any.

[PLC1966]

Good work.

[niki]

These are the sort of dioramas I like most.

Your entire scratch work is very much appreciated on this side of the keyboard

Cheers,

Niki

[Lancbuilder219]

A for Amazing! Very very nice work!

[michael301757]

Absolutely stunning build,never seen that done before, superb.

[mitchem]

Dear me, I think I've just lost my breath !

I think you've just made a diamond out of peanut-butter.

Absolutely stunning work and very inspirational. Thanks for posting.

mike

[andymoore]

what a fabulous modelling adventure - but when will it end? Wouldn't it look good parked up under the Queen's Building? Maybe with a few plane spotters looking down....

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Love the detail John, great enhancements! I wish I had the time and skills to do that sort of stuff in 1/144 scale

[Mountain goat]

Now this put a big smile on my face! The scene looks lively and fun - very well done!

Jay

[Widow 65]

Brilliant!!

[bhouse]

That is one of the most impressive dioramas I have seen. Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

[Max Headroom]

10/10 for that. Awesome

Trevor

[Murdo]

That is fabulous work, beautiful attention to detail. Very impressive!

[FatFlyHalf]

Amazing.

Eyes like an eagle, watchmakers skills and a sense of adventure!

You are one heck of a modeller.