Airfix - Boeing 737-200 TAP Air Portugal

[Diogo Monteiro]

This model was a summer love. In July I've bought it to an old guy for just 10€. It was my perfect shot to build a 737 for my collection with the colors of my beloved TAP Air Portugal. In mind that I didn't finished my VARIG yet (and also my DC-10 from Lufthansa), I decided not to loose this opportunity and since it was an easy one to do I've started to do it, since I was alone in town because of the summer holidays. 

 

Knowing by hand decals for this plane existed, I've also order them from V1 Decals from Canada. Ben was really helpful and they arrived in one week! 

 

 

As you can see the picture from above, TAP's painting from the 80's/90's is very simple: White with a silver belly. And here is the guy! CE-TEO delivered brand new for TAP in July '83 and seen here in the beautiful Zürich Airport in May '95. This will be the exact plane I will do because it was the only registration available. So hands on work! 

 

 

 

In a first glimpse, the model looked very easy to do, without much detail. The two parts of the wings were very easy to attach to each other, among cabin and cargo doors. 

 

 

As usual, I've also puttied the windows in order to have that smooth surface to decals sit later on. I first sanded it and later on putty and after it got dried time to sand again. At the first look on this picture after the first sanding part there weren't much gaps on it. 

 

 

After applying the putty in the fuselage and sand it, I've attached the wings and the cockpit windows. Funny fact they broke in two pieces in my hand with the glue on the kit already. So I needed to do it in parts and in the end everything worked out very well. Due to this I needed to also put a bit of plastic putty on the cockpit gap and once again sand. And sand again. 

 

 

The airplane looked way more robust by now and the independent wing parts that alone looked very basic and out of shape started to gain some nice look as a whole now. I put the fuselage a bit aside and I've went to the elevators. Since they had a little gap between them and the fuselage, I've sanded a bit the part that attach them onto the fuselage and after that voila. No more gaps. I've painted them with a light grey (Vallejo 71 046). By the pictures this one was the most similar to the original color. 

 

 

After the grey got dried, I've masked them and I've painted the leading edges with a chromatic color just like I've saw on the pictures! 

 

 

I will repeat the process on the center belly as well in the wings. But first, I will apply the first layer of primary and then moving to the final paintings! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by Diogo Monteiro
NIL

[stringbag]

It's a lovely colour scheme, much nicer than the current livery.  I'm looking forward to seein this one.  👍

 

Chris.

[Andy Young]

Looking good! It’s nice to see a classic 737 build. Following this one with interest!

 

Cheers, Andy

[Diogo Monteiro]

12 hours ago, stringbag said:

It's a lovely colour scheme, much nicer than the current livery.  I'm looking forward to seein this one.  👍

 

Chris.

When I was born, this was the painting scheme that was in use. Its my favourite one without doubts. I remember in 2005 when the current one was introduced, no one liked it. Absolute no one. 16 years later the opinions changed. I person do like the new one. Its fresh, modern and it doesn't have that boring scheme of Eurowhite tail. 

 

Classics are classics! No matter what! 

[Diogo Monteiro]

One hand here and one hand there, that's how I've been trying to take the best of my free time for modelling! Since my last post regarding this 737 I've been doing some progress. The engines are done, painted in aluminium and the main fuselage is almost done: 

 

 

With this picture I can say that I've should had put more putty in the door, or sand it better, but since the decal door has a silver frame around it, I hope it will not be noticed. For me, I wouldn't mind to start to apply clear varnish, but there's something missing here. I didn't took a picture of the belly, but a part of the belly painting is missing. Some things never change, and my problem with curves and finding a point to make symmetries is one of them. The lower part of the fuselage, is painted in aluminium and the central part is with light grey (the same grey in the wings) as you can see here: 

 

 

The thing missing regarding the paint job in the belly is the central light grey part, which follows the airplanes curves and shapes. In the Airfix 737 model (at least in mine) the shapes of the airplane are not that defined and precise and also there's no lines to guide me. So the belly is just completely painted in aluminium for now. I will reform the last curve in the back and try to see more pictures or techniques to apply in the central part of the plane. The rest is done