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A pair of Balkan Regional Jets - Bulgaria Air E190 and Adria CRJ-100 in 1/144


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I have an ongoing, long-term project to build a model of an aircraft from each of the current and former European “flag carrier” airlines. Here are the latest additions - the Revell E190 and BPK CRJ-100 representing Bulgaria Air and Adria (Slovenia) respectively.

 

Bulgaria Air Embraer E190

This is my first build of the Revell kit. It didn’t give me any major problems although I had to straighten the warped winglets (hairdryer and care) and fill a few sink marks particularly inside the engine cowlings. Strangely the right engine was a perfect fit to the wing but the left one was a complete p.i.t.a., exactly the same as the Zvezda Tu-204 I built last year, an odd coincidence. Pitots, aerials and some other small parts came from an ExtraTech PE set.

 

Paint is the usual Halfords combination of Appliance White and Racking Grey with Tamiya and Revell metallics. Decals are by BOA with Authentic Airliners windows and details from the excellent kit sheet. I know the livery might be a bit white for some tastes but personally I think it rather suits the E190.

 

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Adria Canadair CRJ-100

I used the earlier version of the BPK 1/144 kit before they introduced the full transparent fuselage. It was another easy build without any significant issues. A couple of small parts are a bit crude, particularly the nose wheels, but overall it is a lovely little kit which I enjoyed building.

 

Paint is also Appliance White with Tamiya and Revell metallics.

 

Decals are by Nazca with an Authentic Airliners windscreen and a couple of details from the kit sheet. Anything from the kit sheet needs a coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film first.

 

If the rumours of a BPK 1/144 Boeing 757 turn out to be true and it’s as good as the little CRJ we are in for a real treat

 

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Thanks for looking and as always constructive criticism is welcome.

 

Dave G

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In your intro you ask for constructive criticism, sorry I can not oblige these are two excellent models, very smart and neat, top job!

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Beautiful! I really like the little CRJ. They didn't seem to have a very long lifetime did they. Quite rare in European skies these days (well, everything is rare in European skies these days but oh well!)

 

As you know, I've got the Revell E190 in my pile (it's currently number 2 in queue haha) so good to know about the winglets. I'll have to get creative though as I don't, nor have I ever owned a hair dryer 😂

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Gorgeous work on both. 👍

 

Am particularly gravitated towards the CRJ-100 and it's Adria livery.   Flew with them a few times while visiting relatives in Slovenia, but unfortunately  that outfit went bankrupt last September.

 

regards,

Jack

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Hi Dave,

Fantastic, but then again we expect nothing less! 

Would AA Windows not fit over the Nazca ones on the CRJ? They look quite plain and boring once you're used to AA windows.

So is Balkan not the flag carrier of Bulgaria anymore or have they just re-branded? 

And those nosewheels on the CRJ are teeny!

Cheers,

Ian

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Very nice models of two elegant modern airliners! Flew them both with Belavia (crj-200 in fact). Just wondering how close is a Belavia airplane in your pipeline? B738 in current livery is my favourite.

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Both are terrific builds Dave.  The Balkan E190 gets my vote as I think the mix of red and green make a lovely combination even without a well defined cheat line.

Having said that, the CRJ looks really good too.

Thanks for sharing Dave.

 

Chris.

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Thanks for the generous comments everybody. They are much appreciated and make it all worthwhile :)

14 hours ago, Turbofan said:

Hi Dave,

Fantastic, but then again we expect nothing less! 

Would AA Windows not fit over the Nazca ones on the CRJ? They look quite plain and boring once you're used to AA windows.

So is Balkan not the flag carrier of Bulgaria anymore or have they just re-branded? 

And those nosewheels on the CRJ are teeny!

Cheers,

Ian

Thanks Ian. The Nazca windows probably look better "in the flesh" than they do in the photos which were taken in very bright sunshine. I am preserving the rest of the AA sheet for a possible second model in Maersk livery. Also, when I applied the Adria titles I had just finished overlaying 67 individual windows on a DC-8-63 and I wasn't really in the mood for any more!

 

Balkan went bust in 2002 and Bulgaria Air was established as its successor. If I live long enough something Tupolev-ish wearing Balkan livery will eventually appear.

 

I think the nosewheels are slightly under-scale. They are little more than circular plastic blanks and really need to be replaced. An extensive search of my spares box failed to come up with suitable alternatives and I had intended to rummage through the military stuff (Brengun etc) at the Perth show. Maybe next year ....

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Very tidy builds indeed, and very interesting subjects too - not just the carriers, but the aircraft themselves.

 

Once I began reading BM, I realised I had far more limited knowledge of the aircraft being flown and indeed made than I thought I had, especially WW2 - but that applies to civilian airliners too.

 

I mean, I didn't know there was a Canadair, let alone a CRJ - 100! 

 

One question if I may, you mention using Halfords racking grey - what grey would it be an equivalent for?

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Thanks again for the supportive comments which I really appreciate.

2 hours ago, Whofan said:

..

 

I mean, I didn't know there was a Canadair, let alone a CRJ - 100! 

 

One question if I may, you mention using Halfords racking grey - what grey would it be an equivalent for?

Canadair has been around since WW2 and is now part of Bombardier. They have produced some interesting and innovative aircraft such as the CL-44, the world's first swing-tail freighter and the CL-215, the world's first purpose-built water bomber. The CRJ-100 was derived from their highly successful Challenger 601 business jet and the CRJ series was developed into -200, -700 and -900 versions all of which are handily available in 1/144 from BPK.

 

Halfords Racking Grey is an almost perfect match for FS16515, Canadian Voodoo Grey, which in turn is a close match for so-called "Boeing Grey" i.e. the paint that Boeing use for wings, tailplanes etc. I tend to use it as an all-purpose airliner light grey although I prefer Holts HL Grey 01 for the subtly different grey used by Airbus.

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Thanks for this.

 

 It never fails to amaze me that Halfords paint or other car/ bike paints do a good job replicating aircraft colours!

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Why do I keep missing these civil builds!

 

At the risk of sounding like Rik Mayall in Bottom...

 

What a cracking pair of birds!
 

Particularly like the Adria one.  Fantastic work Dave!

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  • 2 weeks later...

They are both brilliant builds there!! Cracking job!

 

Nice to see the E190 build as I have one in my stash to do, so thanks for the heads up on the engines!

 

That CRJ looks stunning, looks like a great build that and didn't even know there was such a kit! Will have to look into that.

 

Thanks for sharing these two brilliant birds, can't find fault with any of those!

 

 

James.

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Thanks James, much appreciated.

 

BPK do the CRJ-100, -200, -700 and -900 in 1/144. I liked the -100 so much I bought the other three which should emerge as Maersk (-200), Lufthansa Cityline (-700) and SAS Regional (-900) in the fullness of time.

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