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Air Austral Boeing 777-300ER, Zvezda 1:144


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This is likely going to be my last build for a while as I prepare to move back to the UK.

 

I've been in Paris for almost six years, and I've heard UU974 fly overhead nightly from Roissy to Saint-Denis, Île de la Réunion.

 

Even as it sailed south overhead at 10,000 ft, those GE90-115B engines have a very distinctive sound, easily distinguishable from the countless Airbus jets that fly over, and I'm going to miss hearing it.

 

So here is my Zvezda Boeing 777-300ER, with markings from 8A Decs of Mexico, whose decals were, frankly, superb.

 

The decals portray Air Austral colours since their livery change in 2016, in which each aircraft has a scene from Réunion Island painted on its tail.  There is only one aircraft depicted, F-ONOU.  As far as I know, F-ONOU is no longer in their fleet, and they only operate F-OREU, F-OLRE, and F-OLRD today. 

 

I'm sorry, there is no WIP thread on this one; I want to wait until I have a proper workspace to take decent photos of a build.

 

I think this kit is the same as the Revell kit, but I haven't built the Revell version (yet).  I have another set of decals for Turkish Airlines (I see TK2 fly over most mornings - when it's clear...), so I will do a WIP topic on the Revell version, hopefully when I'm back in the UK.

 

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4 minutes ago, spruecutter said:

A really nice piece of work, Neil - very neatly finished. It looks a fair size too - how long is the model's fuselage?

 

Thank you, the length was actually one of the first things I noticed when I pulled the fuselage out of the box - it just kept coming and coming and coming, like a clown's hanky-sleeve trick.

 

It's 51 cm long and a bit less in span, at 45 cm.

 

I had to measure it after it was built because for some reason, the nose cone is a separate part, I'm not sure why.  This was also a feature of the Concorde in 1:144 and 1:72, the Tu-144 (understandable), and the E-3 AWACS in 1:144.  

 

The wing lower surfaces and the wing box are a single piece, which means the model is pretty much full-size and awkward to handle early on in the build process.  But, it means the correct dihedral is easy to achieve.

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1 hour ago, Ryan Hothersall said:

Very nice build. 

 

Saw the real thing a few years ago in Sydney in the old livery. The new livery on your model looks better I think.

 

 

I agree, I think they did a good job with the new design, but it doesn't suit the 787 in my opinion.  It makes the 787 look too short and stubby with the titles that large. 

 

But also Air France appear to have enlarged the titles on their 787 fleet too.  Maybe it's the new fashion?

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Spectacular work Neil !

 

:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

 

You're right about the size of the kit though. Mine has been sitting on the dining-room table ever since I finished it because I can't find anywhere else to store it.

 

mike

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  • 2 years later...

Ah yes Neil, I totally missed this first time round!

A nice interesting livery and well executed, not sure they had coroguard on the underside of the wings though.

I must give Jon's decals a go sometime, I've only heard good things about them.

Cheers,

Ian

 

Edited by Turbofan
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4 minutes ago, Turbofan said:

Ah yes Neil, I totally missed this first time round!

A nice interesting livery and well executed. I must give Jon's decals ago sometime.

Cheers,

Ian

 

 

Thanks, I kept telling myself one day I would go to Réunion, it looks beautiful, but I never had the time to go!

 

The decals were really good, but I dislodged one of the small cargo hold door decals somehow, and I never realised.

 

The decal set in position, with the decal askew:  

 

IMG_1077

 

I only noticed this when I took it down from the ceiling before my move.

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