Authentic Airliners 1:144 Embraer ERJ-145 KLM Exel

[Malair]

My latest build is the 1/144 Authentic Airliners ERJ-145 kit with the KLM Exel Livery.

 

The ERJ-145, developed by the Brazilian company Embraer, made its first flight in August 1995. The aircraft was originally designed as a regional airliner with a capacity of approximately 50 passengers and is essentially an extended version of the EMB-120 but with jet engines. Since then, it has undergone various variants and improvements, including the ERJ-135 and the ERJ-140, to meet the diverse needs of airlines worldwide. With a maximum takeoff weight of around 24,000 kg and a maximum flight range of over 3,000 kilometers, the aircraft can handle a wide range of routes.

The Embraer ERJ-145 has played a significant role in the regional aviation industry since its introduction. The aircraft is often used by regional airlines and charter companies to transport passengers between nearby cities and regions. Due to its compact size and efficiency, the ERJ-145 is ideal for servicing routes with lower passenger volumes, where larger aircraft might not be economically viable. Additionally, the ERJ-145 is also widely used for business purposes, such as corporate flights and aviation services for companies. Its ability to fly quickly and land at smaller regional airports makes it a favorite choice for business travelers seeking flexibility and convenience.

Since 2016, the ERJ-145 series is no longer in production. However, with 1,231 units built and its proven track record of reliability, efficiency, and comfort, the Embraer ERJ-145 remains an essential part of many aviation fleets around the world.

 

Just like the EMB-120, KLM Exel also flew the ERJ-145.

Air Exel, established in 1991, was intended to be a major player in regional and charter flights within Europe. In the 1990s, a partnership with KLM was formed, and Air Exel operated under the name KLM Exel. KLM Exel served various destinations that were not always profitable for larger aircraft.

The airline played an important role in expanding connectivity within Europe, particularly to smaller cities and regions that were not always served by larger airlines. This brought more flexibility and convenience for travelers, and also supported tourism and local economies in these destinations.

However, despite the promising start, KLM Exel soon faced financial challenges and increasing competition in the aviation sector. The costs of operations proved to be high, and profit margins were slim, making it difficult for the company to remain profitable. This led to the eventual demise of KLM Exel in 2004, when it was discontinued due to financial problems.

 

The kit is from Authentic Airliners and is excellent, as always. I used the Authentic Airliner metallic decal sheet for the cheatline (which I think matches the real colour pretty well). The white KLM logo's and registration are from a leftover F-RSIN decal sheet (which are a little bit to light unfortunately). The windows are from Authentic Airliner decals. The rest of the decals are made by me, with some of the details from the Nazca decal sheet. Display bases made by me.

 

At any rate the pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested: Top of the fuselage is Pantone 299C (which is the same KLM uses), wings are Boeing Grey, Engines and fuselage are RAL9010 (which is a little bit too yellow I think. Next time I wil try and use RAL9016) and the stabilizers are Tamiya TS-26 White.

 

My next project will be the BPK 1/144 CL605 Qatar kit.

 

Thanks for reading and see you next time!

 

[Adam Poultney]

Always nice to see airliners here. Great model

[Turbofan]

Hi Martijn,

What a little cutie!

What with your subtle weathering and trade mark photography it's another winner!

I bet Werner never expected his metallic decal sheet would be used for a cheat line!

Looking forward to the Qatar CL605.

Cheers,

Ian

[Vesa Jussila]

Nice to see this built. Really nice build.

[David H]

It looks just beautiful!!

[Skodadriver]

Excellent as always Martijn. Thanks for sharing.

 

Dave G

[Malair]

Thank you all for the nice words!

 

On 31/05/2024 at 22:06, Turbofan said:

I bet Werner never expected his metallic decal sheet would be used for a cheat line!

Hi Ian. No, I don't think so either haha.

But I do really like his metallic decal sheets. They work wonders when you want to make slight metalcolour variations. And because they are very thin, the fact that it is a decal is hardly noticeable. 

[Viking]

Wow, another stunner!  

 

Cheers

 

John

[kapam]

That’s beautiful, especially in the KLM livery!

What a fine looking airliner!
Thanks for posting it here.

👏👏👏

[Malair]

Thanks for the nice words guys, that means a lot 😀

[Mig88]

Nicely done!

 

Miguel

[Gimme Shelter]

so this is very  nice and great to see built - I pondered on buying one of these a few years back at Authentic Airliners trade stand at the UK Nationals. So is this a one piece resin fuselage and resin sub-assembly type kit? I have their 747-400 which is a big solid cast, suspiciously looking like the Revell kit but with modifications/perfections.

[Malair]

Many thanks to both of you as well

 

20 hours ago, Gimme Shelter said:

So is this a one piece resin fuselage and resin sub-assembly type kit? I have their 747-400 which is a big solid cast, suspiciously looking like the Revell kit but with modifications/perfections.

This is indeed a one piece resin fuselage. The kit in general is (as always) excellent!

I have the 747-400 as well as the 747-200 from Authentic Airliners also. Great looking kit! I was never a big fan of the Revell offerings. They will take up a lot of spacethough, so I'm holding them off until I get a bit more room haha