Air Europe/British Airtours Boeing 737-200 Adv in 1/144 - Airfix updated

[Skodadriver]

Here is my latest update of an Airfix golden oldie - the Boeing 737 finished as G-BMEC of Air Europe while operating for British Airtours in 1983. Between 1983 and 1986 Air Europe and British Airways had a “swap lease” arrangement which gave BA access to Air Europe aircraft particularly in the winter months when their own aircraft were undergoing scheduled maintenance. It benefitted Air Europe by keeping their aircraft in the air when there was less demand for holiday charter flights.

 

Updating the old Airfix kit to Advanced standards was good fun. Here is a quick run down on what I did:

 

1. Cockpit roof and windscreen replaced with spare part from Zvezda 737-700 (much easier to fit than the Daco part).

 

2. Zvezda kit used as pattern to reshape the Airfix nose.

 

3. Wheel wells opened up and main well fitted with a “roof” cloned from a Daco kit using Oyumaru and Milliput.

 

4. Lowest hinge on fin/rudder filled.

 

5. Daco p/e used for pitots and other small details.

 

6. Engines replaced with LACI JT8D-15s. These are beautiful and LACI have really nailed the appearance of the Advanced engines, at least to my eyes. You also get the choice of open or closed thrust reversers. Fit to the Airfix wings is adequate rather than good but the end result is way better than I could have achieved by modifying the kit parts.

 

Paint is Halfords Appliance Gloss White and Racking Grey with metallics from Tamiya and AK Interactive.

 

Decals are a mix of Classic Airlines and Flightpath with detail decals from the spares box and an Authentic Airliners windscreen. Coroguard is also by Flightpath.

 

Thanks for looking and constructive criticism is always welcome. I haven’t decided on my next Airfix update but a Trident and an A300 do their best to catch my eye any time I’m in the loft.

 

Dave G

 

 

 

 

 

Posing with another couple of Airfix upgrades - the DC-9 and Caravelle:

 

 

The gorgeous LACI engines assembled and primed:

 

 

[Rupert]

This is a stunning update of the Airfix kit, swapping in new components and other modifications. I do not usually like hybrid schemes but this one completely wins me over with its large whiff of nostalgia.

As usual it is not just your finihed model that I enjoy but appreciation of the helpful tips that you provide. 

Vincent

[Viking]

That really is a winner Dave, those engines are amazing. Reworking the nose has also made a visible improvement, I'll have to pay attention to that with my next Airfix 737.

All the little improvements really do make the old Airfix kits worthwhile, it great to pick up some new ideas from you, as Rupert says above, the helpful tips are appreciated.

 

As for your next build, I vote you do the Trident as I'm keen to see where and how you improve it.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Vesa Jussila]

Really nice upgrade. And excellent end result.

[michael301757]

Beautiful build of a real classic, wish this kit was still readily available would love to build some more, great job.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Cheers Michael. 

[theplasticsurgeon]

Great model there,  really nice improvement an out of the box build.

 

Air Europe - there's a reminder, of MY flight from hell.

Return flight from Tenerife to Gatwick in early 1991 - just before Air Europe went bust.  Mine was a 737-300, but same livery.

Turned up at the airport on time, and checked in.

Flight appeared on the departure screens, moving up the screen as flights ahead of it departed.

No calls for our flight,  as it moves to the top of the screen and disappears.

Sudden call for our flight - a few minutes late by now, hurried boarding, then bussed out to the plane. 

Wait on the plane, with no aircon (Tenerife remember) for well over an hour.  

A tropical storm, so the doors were closed.  Even more uncomfortable inside, for another hour.

Suddenly it fires up, checks whilst rolling out to the runway.  No pause at the threshold - this flight was going like a stolen car!

And in a few minutes was back into that storm!  Really turbulent, so that cabin-crew were ordered to sit down.

Eventually it calmed down enough for the food to resume.

After that, an announcement that cabin-crew were over their hours, needing a mandatory break - so don't use the call button. 

Then about 30 minutes before landing another announcement,  that Gatwick is closed, re-surfacing work being conducted at night.

We will be landing at East Midlands.  I believe the pilots knew all this BEFORE we took off, getting us home to avoid hotel expenses.

A miserable extra few minutes flying north, and I remember following the M1 thru the window - before we landed, and it was a bitterly cold night.

The airline hijacked 3 of the ropiest school buses ever seen, for the 3 hour drive back down the M1/M25 to Gatwick.

Arriving there around 0300, to everything being CLOSED.  No question of compensation - they had got us back to our ticketed destination.

 

[Maginot]

That looks great. I recall (vaguely) seeing these aircraft, perhaps this very plane, when I worked at Gatwick in the mid 1980s.

[mitchem]

On 10/21/2022 at 12:19 PM, Skodadriver said:

Excellent transformation of a very old kit Dave.

 

I'm afraid that I've lost count of the number of Airfix 737s that had the misfortune of passing through my hands.....let's just say that they were all classified as "Learning experiences" 

 

 

All winners IMHO

 

 

 

On 10/21/2022 at 1:57 PM, Viking said:

I vote you do the Trident as I'm keen to see where and how you improve it.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

...and I'm going to have to vote for the A300 John. (Hope Dave has been ignoring the recent political circus, as he could very well end up building the Cessna  )

 

mike

[Paulaero]

That's a great bit of work, some real nostalgia  where are those engines available from ??

 

[Challenger350Pilot]

Beautiful job on this baby Boeing, Dave…as always. Beautiful livery, too. Wow. 

[Sky Keg]

Lovely and a great looking trio.  

 

Mike

[airdaniel]

Oh yeah. This bird still a lovely bird in all the way and perfectly finished. Like Rupert said above, all of them pushing me to a nostalgia. Love them all!!

[Skodadriver]

Thanks for the comments and likes everyone, much appreciated 

 

On 10/21/2022 at 1:29 PM, Rupert said:

This is a stunning update of the Airfix kit, swapping in new components and other modifications. I do not usually like hybrid schemes but this one completely wins me over with its large whiff of nostalgia.

As usual it is not just your finihed model that I enjoy but appreciation of the helpful tips that you provide. 

Vincent

Thanks Vincent. I don't usually build hybrid schemes but I wanted something quick and easy because I wasn't sure how the engines would go and I didn't want to waste effort on an elaborate livery just to have the model go belly up. I had the Air Europe decals in my stash but I knew John Viking had done a wonderful Air Europe B732 and I couldn't compete with that hence the decision to go for the "swap lease" livery.

 

On 10/21/2022 at 1:57 PM, Viking said:

That really is a winner Dave, those engines are amazing. Reworking the nose has also made a visible improvement, I'll have to pay attention to that with my next Airfix 737.

All the little improvements really do make the old Airfix kits worthwhile, it great to pick up some new ideas from you, as Rupert says above, the helpful tips are appreciated.

 

As for your next build, I vote you do the Trident as I'm keen to see where and how you improve it.

 

 

Thanks John. I'll build both the Trident and the A300 eventually, assuming I live long enough. The temptation for the A300 is the recent Orion sheet from Two Six. The Trident is a lot more work and I will draw heavily on your write-ups, particularly since I'm planning a 1E in Channel livery. If it happens at all it will be sometime next year.

 

On 10/22/2022 at 8:52 PM, Paulaero said:

That's a great bit of work, some real nostalgia  where are those engines available from ??

 

Thanks Paul. Here's the link to the LACI website. They offer a range of goodies including open cowl engines and various flaps, slats etc. If you haven't already seen it, check out the fabulous Tu-134 by @airdaniel who used LACI flaps. Just a couple of points to bear in mind. Firstly the parts are all kit-specific so make sure what you order is definitely for the kit you're building. The JTD8-15s for the Airfix 737 are item 144088. Secondly, some of the open cowl engines are sold singly. Don't assume you will receive two engines unless the website says so.

 

Dave G

[Alex1978]

Another winner here Dave.

The modifications really make a difference.

I really love Airfix's 737 kit.Its old but a very nice basemodel to work from.

I still have several in my stash with all kinds of liveries.

I wish Airfix would rerelease them again in their Classic Airliners range again,together with their DC-9 and A300.

 

And I must check out the LACI website

 

Thanks for sharing

Alex

[Back in the Saddle]

Great build Dave, looks fantastic!👍