Authentic Airliners: 1/144 Olympic B.707-320C "City of Knossos"

[The Tomohawk Kid]

Kit: Authentic Airliners resin with etched metal detail parts.

 

Decals: Two Six Limited edition screen printed and Flying Colors detail set.

 

Paint: Tamyia Acrylics.

 

I present to you the AA 1/144 B.707-320C Olympic Airlines "City of Knossos" as it would have appeared circa 1969/70. Olympic introduced Boeing 707-320 Bs & Cs in 1965 and they immediately replaced Comet 4B and DC 7B on Olympic's capital routes, with Comet being relegated to the secondary ones as well as servicing package holiday routes, that was pretty much the status quo until Olympic retired their Comets late 1969/early 1970 - the DC 7Bs were retired after brief stints on domestic routes. The mid-sixties to the early seventies was the apogee for Olympic, with the introduction of the 707 it gave Olympic true global reach. They were now able to offer direct flights from Athens to most high profile destinations around the World, including to NYC, which was the first route the 707s operated for Olympic. Whilst I rate the the livery, it does not quite suit the 707 as well as it does Comet, but still looks cool in my opinion.

 

Here is "City of Knossos" at Orly in 1973:

 

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1430625

 

The AA kit is sans instructions drawings and decals. However, AA do offer a limited range of liveries as well as their 3D window decals as extras. I did dip for the 3D window decals but I sourced Two Six' limited edition Olympic decals (which I believe are now OoP). These were designed for the Minicraft kit, but they only required slight adjustment to fit the AA kit, but they did require lots lots of decal softening and setting solution to wrap around the rear of the fuselage. They were on the verge of cracking but they did eventually settle down and adhere before they became distorted or broke. I applied the AA 3D flight deck glazing decal, but it looked plain messy and wrong and I decided to replace it with the Flying Color ones, which does look good. I did however use the 3D decals for the pax cabin glazing and they are quite the opposite of the flight deck ones and look great and do what they say on the tin and add the right amount to the depth to the model.

 

With no instructions with the kit, the moral of the story is: research, research, research and more research if in doubt do a bit more research. I enjoy this element of a build and given there there is a goodly amount out therefore, it was not an issue  for me - one area that took me sometime was the positioning of the nose wheel leg as that appears to vary from variant to variant. What I didn't realise is, the 707-320 had an asymmetrical engine layout, with No 4 having a different pylon arrangement the others are also slightly canted towards the fuselage - I assume to give a laminar airflow over the turbines blades to offset the sweep of the wings. The fit of the parts is exceptional in fact at the moment the wings are push fitted, which explains the slight gap you may notice between wing and fuselage. I may make it permanent join in due course, but it is handy for storage and I'm also wary of damaging the paint finish so may leave it also - I'll decide what to do after a coat of thinking about it. As with my Comet it is not quite finished as there are some detail parts to add. I'll probably wait until the days draw in when I have more time on my hands before I start that exercise on both models. I bought the Flying Colors decals mainly for the coroguard and other detail parts, they saved a shed load of masking and time, their decals performed beautifully and reacted well to Micro Sol and Set and give nice painted finish. I also used some of the 26 detail decals off the Olympic sheet, its interesting note that luggage hatch decals matched up perfectly with the engraving on the AA kit, well  done both Kurt and Ray. I'm generally happy with the finished models there are couple of elements I recoil at, but that's me with any model.

 

You will notice in some of the images below I have posed the 707 next to the Comet. The one point that leaps out to me is the size difference between the machines, particularly taking into account Comet 4B was the highest density version of Comet. I know you can't do this but its certainly an interesting discussion topic is, had Comet not had the early accidents, I venture the lead Comet held in jet pax aviation would have been short lived anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tommo.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Jeddahbill]

Very nicely done!

Bill

[Wulfman]

Not one, but two lovely builds, great work !

 

Wulfman

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Beautifully done!  I really love your work on these, and getting the engines' tilt right in all three dimensions is a feat of itself!  

 

The 707 really is a handsome aircraft, and I've built two of the Heller kits.  The engines do have a slight upward cant while the aircraft is sitting on the ground, but it's not as noticeable as on JT-3D-equipped DC-8s.  Regarding the pylon differences: the two outboard engines had no turbo compressors installed, but Boeing chose to keep the hump on the starboard pylon because some customers opted for a third turbo compressor.  

 

The side-by-side comparison between the 707 and Comet IV is a nice touch.  Size-wise, the Comet IV almost holds its own against the hulking 707, but one difference that really stands out is the respective size of the cockpits.  The 707's cockpit is minuscule in comparison and really comes to a sharp taper!

[SAT69]

The 707 is such a beautiful airplane and your model brings out that truth magnificently. I, like many others I suppose, wish airlines would go back to rich colorful liveries. The Olympic livery is wonderful.

[The Tomohawk Kid]

50 minutes ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Beautifully done!  I really love your work on these, and getting the engines' tilt right in all three dimensions is a feat of itself!  

 

The 707 really is a handsome aircraft, and I've built two of the Heller kits.  The engines do have a slight upward cant while the aircraft is sitting on the ground, but it's not as noticeable as on JT-3D-equipped DC-8s.  Regarding the pylon differences: the two outboard engines had no turbo compressors installed, but Boeing chose to keep the hump on the starboard pylon because some customers opted for a third turbo compressor.  

 

The side-by-side comparison between the 707 and Comet IV is a nice touch.  Size-wise, the Comet IV almost holds its own against the hulking 707, but one difference that really stands out is the respective size of the cockpits.  The 707's cockpit is minuscule in comparison and really comes to a sharp taper!

 

 

Thanks.

 

Before I started this build my knowledge of 707 extended to the opening title sequence of Hawaii Five O and a rather inaccurate BOAC travel agent model of the machine, I was given a bit back. I learnt a lot (including in your post above) and that is nearly as rewarding as a successful build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked up a couple of the Heller 72 scale 707s on Amazon very cheaply a bit back. I have the HaHen resin Conway conversion along with their Olympic, Lufthansa and BOAC decals for them. From what I have learnt that a BOAC conversion one does not just need the Conways, but its a rebuild of the wing too. Therefore, I might go for a Lufthansa Conway aircraft which is a bit more straight forward job of using the resin Conways and some other bits and bats - the other one will probably finished as another Olympic machine. Anyway that's a way off yet.

 

Tommo.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Well built, elegant, and nice comparison!

Cheers

[Abandoned Project]

Very nice. Interesting to see both the size  and the design comparison. The Comet shows its age next to the 707.

[The Tomohawk Kid]

1 hour ago, Abandoned Project said:

Very nice. Interesting to see both the size  and the design comparison. The Comet shows its age next to the 707.

 

Quite.

 

That would have been readily apparent as early as '59/'60 and was one of the points I was making in my thread starting post.

 

Tommo.

Edited August 7, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[TheyJammedKenny!]

2 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

Lufthansa Conway aircraft which is a bit more straight forward job

Unfortunately for you, no.  The Heller kit builds into a -320B/C Advanced.  All Conway-powered 707s had the same wing trailing edge, which meant some curvature as it met the fuselage (as opposed to the Advanced's perpendicular, unswept shape) on the elephant ear inboard flaps, and a different aft fuselage-wing body fairing.  You'd also need to reshape the wingtips to remove the low-drag extensions, and re-do the krueger flaps at the leading edge.  

 

In my misspent youth, I actually seriously considered purchasing that very travel agent model, but it didn't look as good as yours!  This one was without its stand, and appeared a bit beat-up.  But it also was so inviting at the time, and I desisted.  Instead, I purchased two Heller 707s when they first appeared at The Squadron Shop, and built them ten years apart (but at least I built them!!!).  

[RMCS]

Superb 

[michael301757]

Great job and a magnificent classic livery, well done.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Cheers Michael.

[Graeme H]

Great work as always, the fuselage on the Comet in the overhead photo distorts the fact that it is very much smaller.

[Skodadriver]

Excellent job Tommo, well done. Love the pairing with the Comet! Have a round of 

 

Dave G

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Another lovely job there Tommo 

[The Tomohawk Kid]

12 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Unfortunately for you, no.  The Heller kit builds into a -320B/C Advanced.  All Conway-powered 707s had the same wing trailing edge, which meant some curvature as it met the fuselage (as opposed to the Advanced's perpendicular, unswept shape) on the elephant ear inboard flaps, and a different aft fuselage-wing body fairing.  You'd also need to reshape the wingtips to remove the low-drag extensions, and re-do the krueger flaps at the leading edge.  

 

In my misspent youth, I actually seriously considered purchasing that very travel agent model, but it didn't look as good as yours!  This one was without its stand, and appeared a bit beat-up.  But it also was so inviting at the time, and I desisted.  Instead, I purchased two Heller 707s when they first appeared at The Squadron Shop, and built them ten years apart (but at least I built them!!!).  

 

Ah... OK, thanks For that it is very useful.

 

I don't really want my next project to be a major kit bash, so its shuffled down the build pile a couple of projects or I may just build it straight as an Olympic one. I dug the HaHen conways out last night, other than being a supberb piece of castings they do come with instructions how to convert the wings.

 

I was very lucky with the travel agent models, it was only the faintest of acquaintances, who was clearing out his fathers loft and he gave me a ring to see if I wanted anything before he skipped it as he knew I had an interest in travel and aviation. His father had owned a travel agency and the loft was piled high with travel literature and window displays, his father seemingly threw nothing away - peeking out the back was the B.707, I asked could I have it, he said yep! He didn't want anything for it but I gave him £30. I have on and off tried to do some research to find out more, manufacturer et al. what I have determined leads me to think it probably dates from '59/'60 and is cast from solid aluminuim which means its heavy. Since I have had it I have only seen one other for sale (I hasten to add I have not been looking either) and that one was pretty beat too, it sold in excess of £300! My contact does not recollect seeing it his fathers shop and he thinks it is possible it went into straight into storage and has been out of daylight for nearly all of its life and is near perfect condition.

 

Tommo.

[The Tomohawk Kid]

9 hours ago, Graeme H said:

Great work as always, the fuselage on the Comet in the overhead photo distorts the fact that it is very much smaller.

 

Thanks.

 

Yes, it does a bit. But, in hindsight given Comets width over B.707 the disparity between the two in terms of capacity is probably not as big as I alluded to up thread.

 

Tommo.

Edited August 8, 2020 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Viking]

Lovely job on both Tommo, they make a great paining.  Maybe I am biased, but the 60's & &0's had such a great variety of aircraft and classy cheatlined liveries like this.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

[mitchem]

Well worth the wait after your original Comet posting ! 

 

I was lucky enough to fly on an Olympic 707 from Athens to Johannesburg (via Nairobi) in 1973 - Happy memories

 

mike

[TheyJammedKenny!]

9 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

cast from solid aluminuim which means its heavy

Indeed it was!  There was no way I could conceive of putting plastic landing gear on that thing.  You are most fortunate to have this piece of art in your collection, as I suspect is is worth much, much more than 300 quid.  

 

But returning to the 707--yours is really beautiful, and you should be most proud of it.

[Lightningboy2000]

Beautiful elegant 707. Very nicely built & painted. Interesting side by side comparison with the Comet. 

 

Martin

[Eric Mc]

2020 should have been an Olympic year. Your two builds have ensured it is 😀

[The Tomohawk Kid]

10 hours ago, mitchem said:

Well worth the wait after your original Comet posting ! 

 

I was lucky enough to fly on an Olympic 707 from Athens to Johannesburg (via Nairobi) in 1973 - Happy memories

 

mike

Way cool.

 

Tommo.

[woody37]

Lovely build Tommo, it looks great, particularly with the Comet next to it

 

[The Tomohawk Kid]

I forgot to give another shout out to Tamayia Bare Metal Silver it covered really well and looks and scales really well on AA's uber smooth casting and detail. Highly recommended!

 

Tommo.