Model Airliner Magazine Issue 7 April/May 2018

THE DIECAST FLIER - FIRST ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

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ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018

SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT 1937-1949

AIRPORT SPOTLIGHT F.L.O. AIRPORT

MODEL REVIEWS...

GEMINIJETS ALASKA ERJ-175 NG MODELS AIR CHINA B757F GEMINIJETS LUFTHANSA A350-900 INFLIGHT200 IRON MAIDEN B747-400

AMSTERDAM AVIATION COLLECTORS FAIR 2018 REVIEW ALL THE LATEST RELEASES IN ALL SCALES THE ONLY MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO MODEL AIRLINER COLLECTORS

CONTENTS Nathan Bennett, Editor-In-Chief.

Welcome to Issue 7 of Model Airliner Magazine.

In this issue, we delve back into the archives and present you with some of the original articles that appeared on our sister site, The Diecast Flier. This is to celebrate the one year anniversary of The Diecast Flier.

You can find our first 1/400 scale model review by Richard Stretton on GeminiJets Lufthansa A350-900, as well as our first 1/200 scale review that appeared on The Diecast Flier and featured Inflight200's Iron Maiden B747-400 by Cyrus Cambata. If you are new to our magazine, I invite you to visit our website and take a look at our back issues page.

As always, we are interested in hearing from you and would welcome any ideas or articles you wish to submit for consideration in a future issue.

You can get in touch with us by visiting the contact page on our website at www.modelairliner.com or via email at info@modelairliner.com! Thank you for reading Model Airliner Magazine!

Nathan Bennett Editor-In-Chief -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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LATEST NEWS

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SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT 1937-1949

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1/400 SCALE REVIEW

GEMINIJETS LUFTHANSA A350-900

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SPOTTER'S DECK

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1/400 SCALE REVIEW

NG MODELS AIR CHINA CARGO 757

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AMSTERDAM COLLECTORS FAIR

2018 REVIEW

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AIRPORT SPOTLIGHT- F.L.O. AIRPORT

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1/400 SCALE REVIEW

GEMINIJETS ALASKA ERJ-175

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1/200 SCALE REVIEW INFLIGHT200

Editor-In-Chief:

Nathan Bennett

Senior Editor:

Donald Gardner

Design & Art Direction:

Nathan Bennett

IRON MAIDEN ED FORCE ONE

Contributors:

Richard Stretton

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2018/19 MODEL SHOWS

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WIN A MODEL

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MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES

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MANUFACTURER'S CORNER WITH

MODEL AIRPORT NETWORK

Andy T. Payne Thomas Luttenberg Cyrus Cambata Published by:

Delta Golf Publishing LLC

Cover Photo Credits: Andy T. Payne San Francisco Airport

F.L.O. Airport Andrea Floridia Every effort is made to ensure all the information in this publication is accurate. All views and thoughts are solely made by Model Airliner Magazine except within an interview or feature where the views are solely of the interviewee or contributor in question. © Copyright 2018 Delta Golf Publishing LLC. Model Airliner Magazine Issue 07. All rights reserved.

Unauthorized redistribution or duplication of this publication is prohibited.

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LATEST RELEASES HERPA 1/500

MAY/JUNE 2018 RELEASES

Airbus A330-900neo F-WTTE Airberlin Airbus A320 "Last Flight" D-ABNW Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300 Air France Airbus A380-800 Air France Airbus A320 France 1998: Netherlands/Italy F-GFKU Air France Airbus A340-300 France 1998: Brazil / Columbia Condor Boeing 767-300ER "Sunny Heart" colors Corendon Dutch Airlines Boeing 737-800 PH-CDH Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900ER N834DN Eurowings Airbus A330-200 "Las Vegas" D-AXGF FlyBe ATR-72-500 G-ISLK Iberia McDonnell Douglas MD-88 "Torre de Hercules" EC-FGM La Compagnie Boeing 757-200 F-HCIE Lufthansa Regional (Cityline) Bombardier CRJ-900 "25 Years CRJ" D-ACKD Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental "Starhansa" D-ABYM "Bavaria" Malaysia Airlines Airbus A350-900 "Negaraku Livery" 9M-MAC Mango Boeing 737-800 ZS-SJO Rossiya Boeing 777-300 “Sochi” EI-UNL Thai Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner "Phattana Nikhom" HS-TWA Transavia Boeing 737-800 "Peter Pan" PH-HSI Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 "Pamukkale" TC-JOA United Airlines Boeing 747-400 "747 Farewell Flight" N118UA

HERPA 1/400

MAY/JUNE 2018 RELEASES Aeroméxico Connect Embraer E170 XA-GAM S7 Airlines Embraer E170 VQ-BBO

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LATEST RELEASES HERPA 1/200

MAY/JUNE 2018 RELEASES Airbus Airbus A350-1000 F-WMIL Airberlin Airbus A320 "Last Flight" D-ABNW Austrian Airlines Vickers Viscount 800 OE-LAH "Anton Bruckner" Bangkok Airways ATR-72-500 "Angkor Wat" HS-PGK "Apsara" Eurowings Europe Airbus A320 Eurowings Holidays OE-IQD Luftwaffe Transall C-160 - LTG 61 / Air Transport Wing 61 "50th Anniversary" 5048 Norwegian Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-CKMU "Babe Ruth" Swiss International Air Lines Bombardier CS300 "Swiss Romandy / Fichtre" HB-JCA Tupolev Design Bureau Tupolev TU-144S CCCP-77101 US Air Force Lockheed Martin U-2R Dragon Lady - 5th RS "Black Cats", Osan AB, Korea 80-1098 US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C - 93rd Fighter Squadron "Florida Makos", 482nd Fighter Wing, Homestead AB "35th Anniversary" 88-0404 Vim Avia Boeing 777-200 VP-BVA Vim Avia Airbus A319 VQ-BTK Vim Avia Airbus A330-200 VP-BDV

HERPA 1/100

MAY/JUNE 2018 RELEASES Amaszonas Uruguay CRJ-200 Amaszonas Paraguay CRJ-200

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LATEST RELEASES GEMINIJETS 1/400 MARCH 2018 RELEASES

Air China B737 MAX-8 B-1396 Austrian Airlines F-100 “Goodbye Fokker” OE-LVE Delta A350-900 N502DN Delta CS100 N101DN

EVA Air B747-400 B-16411 “Final Flight” Emirates B777-300ER A6-ENJ S7/Sibir A320neo VQ-BCF Vietnam Airlines B787-9 VN-A862

GEMINI200

MARCH 2018 RELEASES Aer Lingus A320 EI-DEK Aeromexico B737-700(W) EI-DRD Avianca A321neo N759AV Delta B757-300(W) N585NW American GSE Delta GSE

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LATEST RELEASES GEMINIJETS 1/400 APRIL 2018 RELEASES

Air Koryo IL-62M P-885 Air Transat A330-200 (2018 Livery) C-GTSN American B737 MAX-8 N324RA CHINA EASTERN BAe-146-300 B-2712

GEMINI200

APRIL 2018 RELEASES American Eagle ERJ-175 N416YX China Eastern B737 MAX-8 B-1383 Delta CS100 N101DU Gulfstream G650 N651GJ S7/Sibir ERJ-170 VQ-BBO

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Delta A330-300 N823NW Malaysia A350-900 9M-MAB Sichuan A320neo B-8949 United Express ERJ-175 N163SY

LATEST RELEASES INFLIGHT200

FEBRUARY 2018 RELEASES Air New Zealand Boeing 737-200 ZK-NAE Alitalia Airbus A330-200 EI-DIP Ansett Australia Airlines Airbus A320-211 VH-HYJ Australia - Air Force KC-30A (A330-203MRTT) A39-004 China Southern Airlines Airbus A330-200 B-6057 Iran - Air Force Lockheed P-3F Orion 5-8701 KLM DC-8-63 PH-DEF

NAC Boeing 737-200 ZK-NAK Polished Northeast Airlines Convair 880 N8493H Olympic Boeing 747-200 SX-OAB Polished Thai Airways International Sud SE-210 Caravelle III HS-TGF USA - Air Force Boeing E-3B Sentry (707-300) 79-0003 Northwest Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 N787NC Western Airlines DC-10-10 N908WA "Maui-No Ka Oi"

INFLIGHT200

MARCH 2018 RELEASES American Airlines Boeing 727-200 N727AA Polished CSA - Czech Airlines Airbus A320-214 OK-LEE Flying Tigers “JumboJet” scheme DC-8-63F N779FT Iran Air Concorde EP-SST Jet2 Airbus A330-243 G-VYGL LOT Boeing 737-8 Max SP-LVA

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National Boeing 747-400 N952CA Qatar Airways Airbus A350-900 A7-ALZ "OneWorld" SkyTeam Vietnam Airlines Airbus A350-900 VN-A897 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 Max N8717M United Airlines Boeing 737-200 N9038U

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LATEST RELEASES JC WINGS 1/400

FEBRUARY 2018 RELEASES Korean Air A330-200 “Pyeong Chang 2018” HL8227 Xiamen Airlines B787-9 “UN GOAL Livery” B-1356 Xiamen Airlines B787-9 “UN GOAL Livery, Flaps” B-1356 Oman Air B737 MAX-8 A40-MA Airbus A321neo “Unbelievable Fuel Eff” D-AVXA Airbus A321neoLR “Flying Longer Range” D-AVZO Airbus A350-1000 “2018 Asia Demonstration Tour” F-WLXV

Airbus A350-1000 “2018 Asia Demo, Flaps” F-WLXV China Southern B777-200 B-2054 China Southern B777-200ER B-2056 Shenzhen Airlines B737-800(W) B-5771 Aer Lingus MD-11 N272WA Qatar A350-900XWB One WorldA7-ALZ Qatar A350-900XWB One World, Flaps A7-ALZ

JC WINGS 1/200

FEBRUARY 2018 RELEASES

Japan Transocean B737-800(W) “Sakura Jinbei Jet” JA06RK Korean Air A330-200 “Pyeong Chang 2018” HL8227 Air Hong Kong/DHL A300-600F B-LDA Sands Corporation L1011-500 N388LS American Eagle ERJ-145LR “200th ERJ” N643AE OMAN AIR B737 MAX-8 A40-MA Xiamen Airlines B787-9 “UN Goal Livery” B-1356

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Sichuan Airlines Tu-154M B-2625 Air Canada B727-200 (Red Strip Livery) C-GYNE Airbus A350-1000 “2018 Asia Demo Tour” F-WLXV Airbus A350-1000 “2018 Asia Demo Tour, Flaps” Ryanair B737-200 EI-CKP Qatar A350-1000 (One World Livery) A7-ALZ Qatar A350-1000 (One World Livery, Flaps) A7-ALZ

LATEST RELEASES JC WINGS 1/200

MARCH 2018 RELEASES Fuji Dream Airlines ERJ 170-200STD JA12FJ ANA B777-200ER “TOKYO 2020 JET” JA741A Iran Air A300-600 EP-IBB Swissair MD-81 Brown Cheatline HB-ING Boeing B767-200 (House Livery) N767BA Thai Airways B787-9 HS-TWB Juneyao Airlines A321(S) (Sharklets) B-1808 Cargolux B748-F “City of Zhengzhou” LX-VCJ

Hong Kong Express A321(S) (Sharklets) B-LEA Scandinavian Fokker 50 LN-RNC Finnair MD-83 (Old Livery) OH-LMG Air France B727-200 F-BOJE KLM B737-400 “World is Just a Click Away” PH-BDS Vietnam Airlines A350-900XWB Sky Team Livery VN-A897 Vietnam A350-900XWB Sky Team, Flaps VN-A897

JC WINGS 1/400

MARCH 2018 RELEASES KLM B747-200B PH-BUD (Delivery Livery) Fuji Dream Airlines ERJ 170-200STD JA12FJ ANA B777-200ER “TOYKO 2020 JET” JA741A ANA B777-200ER “TOKYO 2020 JET” Flaps JA741A ANA B777-200 “777 Tail” JA81797 ANA B777-200ER (2020 Titles) JA745A

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Singapore DC-10-30 “California Here We Come” 9V-SDA Hong Kong Express A321(S) “Reward U” B-LEJ China Eastern MD-11 B-2173 Air Europa B787-9 EC-MSZ Swissair MD-11 (Brown Cheatline) HB-IWI China Southern B737-800(W) B-5738

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LATEST RELEASES PHOENIX 1/400

MARCH 2018 RELEASES Thai B777-200ER HS-TJV Boeing B777-200LR Blue House Livery N60659 Boeing B777-200LR Blue House Livery N6066Z Boeing B777-200LR “Zhenghe” N6066Z PIA A330-300 New Livery 4R-ALN Korean Air B748-I HL7644 EVA Air MD-11 ANK Joint Livery B-16101

EVA Air MD-11 Old Livery B-16102 EVA Air CARGO MD-11F B-16112 El Al B787-9 4X-EDA JAL B777-300ER “PGA Tour Champions” JA731J JAL B777-300ER JA741J Korean Air A330-200 “Pyeong Chang 2018” HL8227

PHOENIX 1/200

MARCH 2018 RELEASES Korean Air A330-200 “Pyeong Chang 2018” HL8227

PHOENIX 1/400 APRIL 2018 RELEASES

Etihad A380-800 “Louvre Abu Dhabi” A6-API Etihad A380-800 “TMALL” A6-APE Virgin Atlantic A340-600 “A Big Thank You” G-VNAP Xiamen Airlines B787-9 “UN GOAL” B-1356

Hainan Airlines B787-9 Gold, Panda B-1343 Hainan Airlines B787-9 Gold, Panda, Skytrax B-1343 ANA B777-200ER “Hello 2020 Jet” JA741A

PHOENIX 1/200 APRIL 2018 RELEASES

Thai B787-9 HS-TWA Etihad A330-200 HAPPY 11,11 A6-EYD Virgin Atlantic A340-600 “A Big Thank You” G-VNAP Etihad A330-200 "TMALL", English A6-EYH ANA B777-200ER “Hello 2020 Jet” JA741A

ARD 1/200

FEBRUARY 2018 RELEASES BEA De Havilland DH-106 Comet 4B G-APMF Swissair Sud SE-210 Caravelle III HB-ICS POLISHED KLM Boeing 747-200 PH-BUB “Donau”

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MODEL AIRLINER MAGAZINE SPECIAL FEATURE

SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT 1937-1949

Article and Photos by Andy T. Payne

Not too many dioramas can claim to model a real location with two terminals, 4 hangars, and a cargo space in less than 3 square feet. Fortunately, I found one such example existed around 80 years ago...

Meet San Francisco Airport. In a small 2 ½ square feet is the terminal and maintenance area of land based aircraft between 1937 and 1949 in the scale of 1:400. Pan American had their own separate terminal near Seaplane Harbor, but I’ve taken the liberty of merging it with the land plane terminal.

History What is now today San Francisco International Airport was originally called, in 1927, Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco, and later renamed in 1930 San Francisco Airport.

Early growth for the airfield was slow and unsteady, but by the mid-1930s it had secured daily scheduled flights and traffic was growing steadily.

The original administration building, which also functioned as a terminal, was replaced in 1937 by a Spanish Colonial Revival terminal funded by the Public Works Administration. For a few years, the administration buildings sat alongside each other, which is specifically represented in the dio-

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rama. During the Second World War, San Francisco Airport became a USAAF training center, but also served carriers bumped from Oakland, and of course its own flights. Before the war was ended, the tower was renovated with an angular window setup and a new interior.

As for the original airport, Hangar 1 burned down in 1955 taking a Southwest Airways Martin 202 with it. After serving as the executive terminal, the 1937 Administration met its end in the latter half of the 1960s, along with the rest of the hangars.

In the late 1940s, traffic began to be measured in the millions and it became apparent that it was necessary to increase the apron. By 1949, two piers were added to the terminal, which is the ending of my diorama’s time-frame. Eventually this expansion was inefficient and a completely new Central Terminal (now Terminal 2) opened in 1954.

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 11

Diorama The diorama itself was made in 2015 but since then it has been almost completely rebuilt. The original attempt at the 1937 Administration Building was replaced in 2016 by the current 3D printed model, along with a 3D printed 1927 (original) Administration Building. Soon after, Hangars Three and Four were added, and original base-board was completely replaced. In 2017, the interior of the hangar trio was completely redone and so was the roof of the 1937 terminal. This model was displayed at the September SFO Airline Collectibles Show.

The greatest challenge is the lack of readily available aircraft. Generally speaking, the diorama can exist in one of two timeframes, pre-WWII (1937-1941), or post-WWII (19451949), and the problem is only magnified in the former. Not even a single DC-3 has been released to cover preWWII years! Therefore, customs have to be made. I have about a dozen models which are part of the diorama, but only a handful can be used accurately. The rest are stand-ins for types not made in 1:400, or in a later scheme.

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In the pre-WWII layout, DC-3s are the norm, but one can also see a Boeing 307, DC-2, Lockheed Lodestar, Boeing 247, and a couple Pan American Flying Boats.

plan on also experimenting with 3D printed airliners, especially for the latter half of the 20s.

In the post-WWII layout, DC-3s are still used for local service airlines, but United and American both operate the latest DC-6s, while TWA and Pan Am fly Lockheed Constellations. The DC-4 is flown under the colors of Pan Am, TWA, and American. BCPA, Philippine Air Lines, and Pan American provide international service.

In a small footprint, San Francisco Airport fills a large niche in the history of commercial aviation. It brings into light an all too often ignored segment of commercial aviation: flying before 1950. I hope to see one day a few more models in my timeframe, and for a greater interest in the “early days.” Until then, it will remain a unique diorama with equally diverse models from the Glory Years of Commercial Aviation!

Movements are conducted using a timetable compiled from all scheduled airlines, circa 1947. There are around 200 daily movements, with over half as United, followed by TWA with a mere 20, and Western and Southwest Airways (later renamed to Pacific Air Lines) both tied for third with 16.

Plans for the future This year I have great plans for this little diorama. Overall, I would like have a greater emphasis in the late 1920s to 1937. For Hangar 1, I would like to add the original rooftop lamps and beacon platform. Aircraft-wise, I am working on some DC-3 customs in the liveries of Pacific (Gilmore), Southwest Airways, and United. I

Conclusion

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THE DIECAST FLIER'S FIRST 1/400 SCALE REVIEW

Lufthansa Airbus A350-900 [D-AIXA] GeminiJets 1/400

Article and Photos by Richard Stretton

The Diecast Flier's First for the basis of my first Diecast Flier re1/400 scale review was writ- view. Let’s get started… ten by Richard Stretton and THE REAL THING featured Lufthansa A350-900 release by GeminiJets.

Lufthansa took delivery of their first A350The A350 Counts to 10: Lufthansa Gemini Jets A350-900 Welcome to the first of hopefully many model reviews partnering Yesterday’s Airlines with “The Diecast Flier”. In these reviews I will do something that until now I’ve avoided – reviewing individual models rather than the model moulds or the history of airline operations. There’ll still be some of the latter two areas in these reviews but this new partnership gives me the opportunity to take a closer look at models that I often wouldn’t usually purchase.

As those of you who are familiar with my site and collecting habits already probably know I don’t buy many Gemini Jets anymore – in fact of the 226 models I have purchased in 2015 and 2016 only two have been GeminiJets. That isn’t to say that Gemini don’t make great models, they do – sometimes. In general though Gemini’s output of mainstream modern airlines and airliners rarely fits my collecting criteria.

However in this review I’ll be looking at both a mainstream airline and modern airliner in the form of GeminiJets recent 1/400 scale release of the new Lufthansa Airbus A350-900 D-AIXA. My wife is half German so this is a rather fitting release 14

900, D-AIXA, on December 19, 2016 and was the second European operator to do so (after Finnair) and the tenth A350 operator globally. The frame, cn 74, had first flown on November 29 as F-WZNC. Lufthansa’s order for A350s covered 25 A350-900s with seven to be delivered this year.

Lufthansa’s A350s are fitted in a 293 seat configuration with 48 Business, 21 Premium economy and 224 Economy class seats. Though delivered in December Lufthansa Technik is fitting out Lufthansa’s A350s with premium economy seats and other features such as a self-service area for business class passengers. This delayed service entry of the first aircraft on long-haul routes until February 10, when D-AIXA was used on the Munich-Delhi route as flight 762. The first ten of the 25 A350s will be based at Munich, replacing A340-600s. Lufthansa actually slipped in the type’s first commercial service on February 9th, operating LH350 – a roundtrip between Munich and Hamburg, where Airbuses’ Finkenwerder plant is located.

The first ten A350s will all be in service by the end of 2018 with deliveries of all 25 not complete until the end of the first quarter of 2023. This is a fairly leisurely schedule but no doubt takes into account Lufthansa’s tentative restructuring of recent years and the pushback it has

received from staff, especially the pilot union.

The second Lufthansa A350 is scheduled to enter service on March 14 flying between Munich and Boston. It’s a shame to see twinjets replacing quads but Lufthansa’s simple but stylish scheme is worn well by the A350, which in my opinion is a much more attractive jet than the 787.

THE MODEL The format for my reviews is to split them into three key areas: • The mould of the aircraft • The paint and livery • Printing and quality control Each can get a maximum score of 10 for a section giving a maximum combined total score of 30.

THE MOULD First things first, as with most of Gemini Jets mould back catalogue this is really a JC Wings mould. In fact as far as the two brands go nowadays they are effectively interchangeable since GeminiJets are made in the JC Wings factory. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since combining both manufacturers back catalogues gives a huge range of moulds which can be used and JC Wings seems to spend a lot of money upgrading the moulds too.

Putting them together is another issue but we’ll discuss that in the quality section.

This A350 mould is as you’d expect fairly recent and I think it is superb. The nose beneath the cockpit may not be 100% perfectly shaped but it’s really very close and leagues ahead of many of the moulds available for other types in 1/400 (I’m thinking Phoenix A300/A320/737/747400s, Gemini A330/A380/737/747-400s).

The undercarriage is correctly scaled, delicate and finely made, with excellent legs and correctly sized tyres. This contrasts with the Phoenix mould, which has seemingly oversized gear legs and tyres. The engines are well off the ground and tightly fitted to the pylons – again superior to the huge ground huggers on the Phoenix mould, which literally are touching the ground on some releases. I hadn’t noticed before that the engines are hollow,

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with beautifully defined fan blades fitted, meaning you can see all the way through them – a nice touch. The aerials and satnav dome are well sized and tightly fitted.

If only Gemini and JC Wings could do this kind of thing with their narrowbody moulds, which are too often fitted with oversized gears and antennae. On the minus side the engine exhaust cones are not the correct shape – more on these later.

There are a few other small compromises which may annoy some and a comparison with the Phoenix A350 shows the different choices the manufacturers have made.

The JC Wings / Gemini A350 comes fitted with only two of the five antennae. It is missing the two underbelly ones and the most rearward. They are very small and I can understand the omission, however they are fitted to the Phoenix mould. In addition the small mid-length fuselage top comms bumps are only outlined and not elevated out of the fuselage as on the Phoenix. Personally I prefer the overall mould look to be better and there’s no point in favouring a mould which may have extra details but fails to get major things correct. As such I much prefer this JC Wings / GeminiJets mould to the Phoenix, which in fact I steer clear of. Having said that the engine issues and lack of some aerials keep this from elevating to true greatness.

SCORE – 9

PAINT & LIVERY Lufthansa is very conservative when it comes to its livery, despite the relatively radical shakeup of its business model over recent years. It’s a simple Euro-white scheme but it looks good on almost anything (perhaps it wouldn’t look good on a Deux-Ponts!). So it really ought to be dead easy for our model manufacturers to get this scheme correct since it’s mainly a deep blue tail, plus logo, simple Helvetica blue titles and a grey belly. That

didn’t stop Phoenix recently bungling their Lufthansa A340-600, which had a very dark grey belly, but how have Gemini done?

According to Lufthansa themselves (see here) these are the correct colours for their scheme: Yellow (Pantone 1235) Blue (Pantone 2766) Pantone Cool Gray 4-11 Now I have to admit colour is not my strongpoint but comparing the model to these I haven’t got any complaints.

Gemini has made 28 Lufthansa models in 1/400 so you’d expect them to How’s the white base? Without other Lufthansa models to compare to its hard to say, but neither me or my Mrs. could determine any difference between the wing tops and fuselage so at least it’s uniform. It may be a bit too dull, but it doesn’t really bother me – though it might if I had a full LH fleet. One area where the colour definitely isn’t correct is the engine exhaust cones. A deep blue on the real thing they are silver on this release. Engine component colours are a common error point in this scale but this one is quite obvious.

Another place where components aren’t correctly coloured is the undercarriage legs and hubs. They should be silver but are light grey. Again not idea.

There is another livery area where the model isn’t perfect too. The extremely fine Lufthansa logo on the inner and outer side of the winglets is well rendered but oriented incorrectly. The crane is pointing noseward at about an 11 o’clock angle compared to the real thing which is more like 9 o’clock.

SCORE – 7

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PRINTING AND QUALITY CONTROL This is an area that Gemini and JC Wings have been struggling with recently, with models coming with scuffs and fingerprints etc. Even worse they have also been arriving with wings unattached and printing damaged. I should say that Donald at DGPilot (https://www.dgpilot.com/) checks his models prior to sending so as you’d expect there are no glaring flaws.

In fact I have to say that the printing quality of this model is superb all round with amazing details.

I’m particularly impressed with the details on the doors and around pitot tubes – excellent work. I have been over this model with a magnifying glass and, while I admit that is sad, it has shown a couple of probable, if very light, finger prints. One is a feint finger end sized circle on the port side around the maindoor. It’s most obvious near the ‘Airbus A350-900' wording.

The other is a very fine smudge just under the windowline on the starboard side near the wingroot. These are both very fine and hard to see with the naked eye. As

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such I feel very picky pointing them out – then again this is meant to be a detailed review and it’s not a cheap model!

I also notice that the Star Alliance symbol on the starboard side is very feint at its top – almost like it’s been slightly rubbed off – this is more obvious. The model is well put together, except the nosegear does have a slight but noticeable rotation to the left. You can just make it out in the above and below photos.

These small detail issues are perhaps just unsolvable with the way the models are made, but given Gemini’s recent price hikes they aren’t as easily waved off as they used to be. Nevertheless on this model they are minor and in general this A350 passes the quality check for me.

Hell it has both wings attached so beats my other A350 using this mould (which is admittedly a JC Wings release)!

SCORE – 7

CONCLUSION I have to say I am surprised how much I like this model, which is well outside my collecting criteria. When I first got it I thought it was awesome, but taking a much closer look little detail flaws have appeared, which have limited its final score. Even so they don’t harm the model too much and as long as yours comes with everything attached and no giant fingerprints I think it’s a keeper. If I had a larger LH fleet and the white colour is a real issue I might reconsider my opinion, but since I don’t I’m more than happy to add it to my collection.

FINAL SCORE – 23/30

SCORING CHART

K C E D S ' SPOTTER Welcome to our Spotter’s Deck. We realize that many aviation enthusiasts are photographers as well so we wanted to showcase their talents! Enjoy the photos from Thom Luttenberg taken at Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Want to be featured in our Spotter’s Deck?

Submit your photos to info@modelairliner.com!

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ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 17

FREIGHTER FUTURE: 1/400 SCALE REVIEW

Air China Cargo B757-200F [B-2841] NG Models 1/400

The 757 has always been my favourite modern jetliner - an almost perfect combination of beauty, capability and power.

In 1:400 scale it has not been particularly well featured, mainly I guess since production was drawing down just as 1:400 production was gearing up. The old Gemini mould was perfectly serviceable for the early 2000s but is definitely showing its age nowadays, especially with the undercarriage. Phoenix attempted to update it but just made it worse so it is a pleasant surprise to see a new company, NG Models, produce a new 757.

THE REAL THING The 757 made decent sales in China, compared to the size of the Chinese fleet during the 1990s. In particular Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, China Southwest and China Southern came to rely on the type as a mainstay of their fleets.

As the type has gradually slipped out of passenger service with the majors it has gained a secondary life as a freighter. Its size, range and power make it a decent fit as the next size up from a 737 and excellent for the small packet market, which is booming in China thanks to sites like Ali Baba and Taobao.

As a freighter the 757 has some pedigree.

Customer built 757 package freighters entered service in 1987 with UPS but they were the only customer, with production totalling only 80 units. The combi variant of the 757 sold far worse and in fact only a single frame was built, for Royal Nepal Airlines. Nonetheless as 727 freighter fleets came up for replacement and new 18

Article and Photos by Richard Stretton

package markets opened up in Asia, towards the end of the century, the 757 was available for the first passenger to freighter (P2F) conversions. The first aircraft were from British Airways fleet as BA's 757s were progressively sold to DHL. These conversions were undertaken by Boeing Wichita and involved the removal of passenger facilities, strengthening of the main deck and the addition of a port side main deck cargo door. Since then conversions have also been undertaken

by Israel Aerospace Industries, Precision Conversions and ST Aerospace Services.

As the Chinese airlines began to replace their existing 757 fleets with interminable numbers of A321s and 737NGs many of their aircraft have been converted. Most of Air China's 757s, that it had acquired when it took over China Southwest in 2003, have gone on to SF Airlines however a trio were converted to 757-200SFs and joined Air China Cargo. B-2841 is a 1994 built frame converted to a freighter in December 2013. Nowadays in China 757SFs are in service with China Cargo, SF Airlines, China Postal Airlines and YTO Express - in fact of the major cargo airlines only China Southern Cargo does not fly 757s.

THE MODEL The format for my reviews split them into three key • The mould of the aircraft • The paint and livery • Printing and quality control

is to areas:

Each can get a maximum score of 10 for a section giving a maximum combined total score of 30.

THE MOULD Despite the age of the old GeminiJets mould aside from the landing gear it is still an excellent mould. A new 757 mould is most welcome, mainly because the Gemini version gets used so rarely; however even with the bar set quite high by its predecessor NG Models have successfully leapt over it with this new 757.

The fuselage shape is excellent, particularly the nose shape and wingroot area.

The latter is a really nicely countered design with an exceptionally tight fit for the wings. If criticism can be found within the fuselage it is only where the tailcone is perhaps too pointy. The end of the real thing is actually square cut before the point is reached.

Gemini and Phoenix 757s that were their biggest problems so how does the NG Models gear compare. I hadn’t realised that the 757 had such a complex nosegear leg. This and its sheer length make it difficult to realise in 1:400 but NG Models have triumphed. The gear legs are excellent – thin and detailed.

The only thing keeping this mould from a 10 are two other aspects of the gear.

Firstly the wheelhubs should be detailed and not solid grey. More importantly the nosegear door although the correct length is not tall enough. This actually has a surprising impact on the aircraft’s appearance.

tling. For those who consider the Air China scheme to be obsolete and a through back to the 1970s the Cargo scheme will not change your mind; however the use of a completely different and artistic cursive font for the CARGO titles is pretty wild by normal Air China standards.

Pleasingly NG Models have used the same colour palette as everyone else who makes Air China models (aside from Phoenix that is), which means the blue is a rich dark colour, the red is red and the black is black.

The model has all four aerials present and they are well sized and fitted, even the very small one ahead of the vertical stabiliser.

SCORE – 9

The rest of the scheme, simple as it is, is completely accurate. The cheatlines narrow and rise towards the nosecone as they should, the intricate Chinese character titles look great and the font of the CARGO titles is accurate. NG has made it look easy, as it ought to be, to reproduce a very common scheme in 1:400 scale.

THE PAINT AND LIVERY

SCORE – 10

The wings, engines and especially the engine pylons are also first class efforts.

Of course it was the nosegear of both the

Unsurprisingly Air China Cargo’s livery is effectively the same as its parent airlines except with the addition of CARGO ti-

MODEL AIRLINER

So although not 100% perfect this mould is approaching perfection and the nosegear door issue should be easily fixable.

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 19

PRINTING AND QUALITY CONTROL Printing detail becomes all the more important on freighters. I own the Phoenix version of this model and ignoring the appalling nosegear one of the other disheartening things about is the lack of windows. Yes I know that as a freighter the windows are not strictly present, but as an ex-passenger frame they are still there albeit blocked out. You can still see the window outlines clearly on the real thing and on the NG Models release, but not on the Phoenix.

The large side cargo door is also present and comes complete with its rather complex lower side. In fact the printing overall is of an excellent quality and sharpness.

Only at the nose is the nosecone not detailed. I have to admit I am not 100% sold on the shape of the upper margin of the cockpit windows either. At some angles

20

they look a little flat along the upper rim of the second to last window to the outside.

The inside of the engines and the fanblades are pleasingly dark, however the join area around the horizontal stabilisers should be grey not white. Another strongpoint of the model is the build quality.

All the pieces are fitted perfectly and the model is a joy from this perspective.

SCORE – 9

CONCLUSION I doubt that an Air China Cargo 757 is close to the top of the list of requested 757s (United Saul Bass and Air Europe for me) for many collectors but nonetheless this model proves that the new moulding from NG Models is a winner.

I look forward to acquiring more, the only negative points being how hard they are

to acquire and their relatively high cost.

I should also mention that the model comes in an excellent tin box with Styrofoam insert giving the whole package a highly desirable air of quality.

It is fabulous to see new manufacturers producing moulds that can be pivoted towards a Western market and a semi-classic one at that.

FINAL SCORE - 28/30

SCORING CHART

AMSTERDAM COLLECTORS FAIR 2018

Article and Photos by Nathan Bennett

On February 25th 2018, the Amsterdam Collectors Fair made its long awaited debut! Fair organizer Patrick Van Rooijen and his team pulled out all the stops in getting the event up and running. They certainly did not disappoint and I am very happy to say that the Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair will become one of the premium shows for aviation enthusiasts worldwide. Model Airliner Magazine was proud to serve as the Official Partner of the fair. We recently chatted with Patrick about his vision for the event! You can catch his interview in Issue 6 of Model Airliner Magazine if you missed it!

Up, up and away!

On behalf of Model Airliner Magazine, I was booked to head to Amsterdam for the show. My journey started at my local airport in Birmingham, UK (BHX).

I arrived armed with a suitcase full of the latest issue of the magazine plus all back issues to promote at the event.

I checked in and after a short while at the departure gate I boarded my ride to AMS which was a Flybe Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 in the their latest purple livery (G-PRPH). We pushed back on time and made the long taxi for a runway 15 departure. Just when I thought everything was going smoothly we made a slight turn off the taxiway only to return to the gate. It transpired that one of the passengers decided she did not want to fly anywhere, so we had to let her get off. After the usual security checks and a quick refuel we were finally on our way. The pilot did a rolling take off straight from the taxiway onto the runway and a quarter of the runway later we were airbourne!

After leaving the airport I made my way to the free shuttle bus which was to take me direct to the Vandervalk Hotel - perfect being that it was the venue for the Collectors Fair!

Once checked in and settled into my room I made my way down to the lower floor where the show was going to take place. I was astounded by the size of the room!

It was like a full size soccer pitch with tables awaiting the vendors!

After spending time chatting with Patrick and his team, I headed out for some late supper and then retired in my room for the night. I awoke at 6am in the morning to set the table up and prepare for the days events!

The AMS 2018 Collectors Fair team!

50 minutes later we touched down smoothly at Amsterdam Schipol Airport.

MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 21

And so it begins...

After setting up the table, I made my way around the room to chat to fellow vendors and friends I met at previous shows. It was great to see Carl Macquade from the Coventry Aviation Collectors Fair there as usual.

The Model Airliner table was situated perfectly at the front of the hall and right next to the main Herpa stand. It was nice to spend time and chat to Thomas Borgmann from Herpa!

Once the main doors opened up at 10:30am the crowd began to flood in! I love being a 'people watcher' and was fun to see what goodies and models collectors would be passing my table with handfuls of 1/400 and 1/500 models whilst others struggled past with their 1/50 scale beasts!

It was lovely to chat to collectors from across Europe for a change as the shows we attend in the UK are mainly locals. It is beautiful that collectors alike can all come together in one room and share

The Model Airliner Magzine table all set and ready to go!

the passion of these wonderful models we dedicate our lives too.

Some new releases from Herpa in 1/500 scale.

Over 1000 people attended the show giving Patrick and of course the hotel manager a reason to do it all again next year! You can see details about the 2019 show on page 24 of the magazine.

2018 SHOW DETAILS: PEOPLE ATTENDED: 1030 TABLES: 210 EXHIBITORS: 144

The Herpa display run by Editor of Wings World Thomas Borgmann.

Some more new releases from Herpa in 1/500 scale.

22

ow and

of the sh partners d u ro p were . agazine tombola irliner M the show f o rt a Model A p as ay prizes gave aw

Nathan Bennett getting ready for the 2018 AMS Show!

Daniel DomĂ­nguez and Alberto Hurtado travelled all the way from Mexico for the show!

MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 23

A A C F

msterdam m

viation

ollectors air

2nd International Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair www.aviationfair.com

Date: Sunday February 24, 2019 Time: 10.00 a.m. - 17.00 p.m.

Location: Van der Valk Hotel Schiphol A4 www.hotelschiphol.nl

After the enormous success of the 1st Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair we are very happy to welcome you again at the 2nd edition of this fantastic event, the first major Aviation Collectible show in 2019, don’t miss it!! it • 200+ tables with models, books, safetycards, slides, instruments, postcards and airline/airforce memorabilia, offered for trade by exhibitors from all over the world.

• All in one large exhibition room (more than 2000 m2) in an excellent hotel on the east side of highway A4.

• Only 10 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, for those who wish to combine the fair with some airplane spotting.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with us: be part of this great event!!

The location is easy to reach by: 1. Car, free parking the first 24 hours at the hotel. For visitors free parking is also available on both sides of the A4. When parking on the west side, please take the bridge to the east side.

2. Free hotel shuttle bus from Schiphol Airport (bus stop A9‐A13, every 40 minutes).

1. Public transport (Arriva busline 361 and 365 from Schiphol Airport).

Entrance fee : € 2 amsterdam@aviationfair.com : facebook.com/aviationfair

24

FIRST AIRPORT SPOTLIGHT FROM THE DIECAST FLIER

F.L.O. AIRPORT | 1/400 SCALE Here’s a look back at the first diorama featured in our Airport Spotlight Series developed by collector Andrea Floridia. The series features diorama layouts developed by collectors and aviation enthusiasts across the globe!

Current Location: Stresa, Italy, Scale: 1/400 Largest Aircraft at F.L.O: A380 DF = Diecast Flier | AF = Andrea Floridia

DF: Can you tell us when you began to develop an interest in aviation?

DF: Favorite aircraft that is part of your diorama collection?

AF: When I was young I was always fascinated with large trains, airplanes and ships. In 2008, I began collecting 1:400 scale aircraft after returning from a trip to Thailand.

DF: What is your favorite airport?

AF: Thai Airways B747 HS-TGT, a model that required years of searching before I could find one. It was an expensive find via eBay auction.

AF: I don’t have a favorite, however I find Charles de Gaulle fascinating because of its structure. In England I would say Manchester International Airport just because of the variety of aircraft. Everything from the A380 to standard 737s can be seen there. I also love Corfu Airport in Greece as the approach into the field is amazing. Both Manchester and Corfu are great for plane spotting.

DF: How many aircraft are based at F.L.O. Airport?

AF: Currently, I have 1,152 models in my collection, but F.L.O. Airport can only handle a capacity of 24 planes.

Gates 1-17 serve passenger airlines, while gates 18-24 serve cargo air carriers.

DF: What different types of products did you use in the development and creation of F.L.O. Airport?

AF: Lego bricks, balsa wood and small plastic plants.

MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 25

DF: One of the most interesting things I noticed about your airport is its lighting. Can you give us an insight on how you developed and installed lighting for your airport diorama?

AF: After planning and completing the initial design stages for the diorama, I drilled a wood panel for each LED bulb. The bulbs are simple files of LED lights (white and blue). I know they are not exact colors in reality, but it was my first project six to seven years ago.

It was also very difficult to find LED lights with flat heads.

DF: You’ve also managed to create realistic and stunning visuals with your airport that make it seem as if aircraft are actually departing and arriving? How do you simulate these visuals?

AF: I use Gimp a program similar to Photoshop, but for Mac (clone option). To edit a picture of course, it takes a lot of passion, patience, and time as well. In the winter months I have a lot of time.

DF: Can you tell us how you designed and constructed the F.L.O. Airport?

AF: The construction of the airport took several months, as it’s built on a popular panel. Initially, I drew the layout in pencil to have a good idea of the final project. I then created all the holes for lighting and painted the ground tarmac lines white, red and yellow. Next, I installed the lights from under the panel. This was followed by the addition of the two terminals. One was a GeminiJets terminal which was already built. I personally constructed the second terminal with balsa wood and Lego bricks. I also used these materials for the control tower. At the end of the layout, I installed variants of plastic trees around the airport perimeter and green fields adjacent to the runway.

DF: Are there any future expansion plans for your airport?

AF: Not at the moment, but I continue to take pictures of my collection for our Facebook group.

DF: Thank you very much for your time!

Visit the FLO Airport on Facebook at www.facebook. com/FloAirport

Want to be featured in our Airport Spotlight Series?

Send a photo of your diorama to info@modelairliner.com 26

1/400 SCALE REVIEW

Alaska by SkyWest E-175 [N182SY] GeminiJets 1/400

The E jet line of larger regional jets spanning the Embraer 170 to the 195 has been a major success for the Brasilian manufacturer with over 1,370 sold. However they are still heavily under-represented in 1:400 scale with only GeminiJets / JC Wings and Herpa having moulds. Neither manufacturers have used them very widely, although recently a new mould for the second biggest selling family member, the E175, has been created. Here I take a look at the second release from Gemini using it.

The Real Thing The last decade has seen major changes in the operation of regional services by Alaska Air Group. Before 2011 it uniquely amongst major US airlines still operated all its commuter services via a wholly owned subsidiary, Horizon Air, which even more unusually kept its own identity. This began to change in mid-2011 when Horizon lost its identity and divested itself of its regional jet fleet of CRJ-700s only to see them switch out to an external operator in the form of SkyWest Airlines, one of the oldest and largest remaining regional airlines with a history of operating franchise services for United and Delta.

The relationship between Alaska and SkyMODEL AIRLINER

Article and Photos by Richard Stretton

West has gone from strength to strength since then and in November 2014 it was announced that from July 1, 2015 services would expand from Alaska’s growing Seattle and Portland hubs to serve Milwaukee and Oklahoma City from the former and St Louis from the latter. These new routes would also use a new type – the 76 seater Embraer 175 outfitted with 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach. SkyWest had ordered 7 E175s under a capacity purchase agreement with Alaska.

Alaska at the time said:

E175s for operation with Alaska however so far in the battle to support Alaska’s expansion it is SkyWest that has been performing better.

This aircraft, N182SY, was delivered on August 8, 2016 after flying for the first time on July 15. Currently SkyWest operates 109 E175s (65 for United, 19 for Delta and 25 for Alaska) but is also the launch customer for the E175-E2 with 100 aircraft on order for delivery from 2021.

“The E175 is new for the Alaska brand and fills a specific need to serve 'long, thin routes' – destinations that are too distant for our regional aircraft, but currently don't have enough customer demand to fill a mainline jet” By late 2017 SkyWest was operating 20 E175s for Alaska. In fact there can be little doubt that SkyWest has benefited from troubling times at Horizon Air. In September 2017 SkyWest ordered a further ten E175s to operate for Alaska that the CEO of Horizon called “disheartening”. This is partially due to ongoing pilot manning problems at Horizon that have seen its own orders for 33 E175s delayed. Horizon remains bullish that it will still take all its ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 27

The Model The format for my reviews is to split them into three key areas: • The mould of the aircraft • The paint and livery • Printing and quality control

nosegear tyres are tiny – smaller even than the units Aeroclassics uses on its A320s.

They are marginally too small for the real thing. Gemini’s choice to ignore the aircraft’s aerials is also odd, when JC Wings adds them to its models. The lower rear underside one exists as it is attached to a long strake along the fuselage but the other four aerials are missing.

Each can get a maximum score of 10 for a section giving a maximum combined total score of 30.

Even with some issues I still like this mould and hopefully we’ll see a wider use of it.

The Mould

SCORE – 8

I have been quite impressed by these little Embraer moulds made by JC Wings, but used by Gemini also. The shape of the nose is difficult to do in such a small scale but it is well represented here, albeit perhaps the transition from cockpit to radome isn’t graduated enough.

Unlike the larger E-jet family members the E170 and E175 both sit high at the nose and the mould shows this well. The fuselage is excellent and so are the wings.

Particularly nice is the shape of the winglet tips. Unfortunately the wings, as nice as they are, are fitted slightly too low to the fuselage, which has an impact on the engine ground clearance.

Other issues with the mould mirror those of its larger brother, the Embraer 190, which I have reviewed before. The

28

Paint and Livery Alaska Airlines unveiled what it called ‘the most substantial update to its brand in quarter of a century’ on January 25, 2016.

As you would expect when unveiled there was plenty of flowery branding language about what it all meant. For example around the new wordmark: “The clean lines and italics of our updated wordmark represent the performance and precision our customers have come to expect when they fly Alaska, from our pioneering 20-minute baggage guarantee to our industry leading on-time performance” Chester remains on the tail but has been updated making him simpler so he renders better online and adding ‘pops of colour’. Overall, like the Southwest Air-

lines rebrand, the changes have been well received and represent a nice refresh of a classic scheme without losing the original identity. If only Lufthansa had been paying attention like this!

The new scheme features a deep blue base plus a mix of lighter blues ‘breeze, midnight, atlas and calm’ and ‘tropical green’.

Even though Alaska has simplified the Eskimo in the livery the scheme is actually still quite intricate but Gemini have excellently reproduced it on this model. In bright light the main blue colour may be a little dark but overall I think the colours used and accuracy of the placement of livery parts is very good.

Moving forward and the titles are excellent. I had thought that Gemini had missed the tiny ‘Operated by’ above the small SkyWest titles under the cockpit windows but using a magnifying glass I can see they are present. The only thing missing is the registration ‘182SY’ on the nosegear doors. It would be very small but I have seen printing on elements this size before so it can be done.

SCORE – 9

Printing and Quality Control

the entire rear fuselage.

Unlike the earlier JetBlue E190 I reviewed I am pleased to say that Gemini has printed the cockpit windows in the correct position this time! It makes such a difference and along with the usual high standard of printing Gemini and JC provide produces great results. In fact the printing of the underside of the model is some of the most detailed I have seen in 1:400 – impressive considering the size of the model.

Also the undercarriage is a mess on this model. This can be clearly seen from the front of the model. The starboard side maingear isn’t fitted well and so the tyres do not both touch the ground. The nosegear tyres are also poor. They are so small that the worker has had trouble fitting them to the gearleg. The left tyre is barely attached but I’m too scared to try and fix it. Aeroclassics has proven with many moulds (One-Elevens, Convairs etc) that very small nosegears can be done well but this is not a good example.

Alas the workers in the factory have conspired to damage one of the best Gemini models I’ve seen in ages. The most obvious problem is the large underside strake aerial. It appears almost absent on the model and when you turn it over you just see a long groove on the belly. This isn’t because it is missing, at the front you can see the aerial peaking out, but because it has been jammed so far in as to effectively disappear. From the side you should be able to see the aerial running along nearly

better QC yourself, however it does point to a worrying trend for sloppiness that is not just a GeminiJets problem. The models are not cheap and they should come at least properly put together.

FINAL SCORE - 23

SCORING CHART

SCORE – 6

Conclusion If only this model had been better put together it would be scoring a very creditable 27 or 28. As it is a 23 is a disappointing total. It is still an ok model and hopefully you can pickup an example with

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MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 29

THE DIECAST FLIER'S FIRST 1/200 SCALE REVIEW

Ed Force One Boeing 747-400 [TF-AAK] Inflight200

TF-AAK is a Boeing 747-400 that was originally delivered to Air France in March of 2003 as F-GITH. It flew with Air France until storage in 2015, when Air Atlanta Icelandic acquired the airframe and it entered service in early 2016. Up until this point, the plane lived a normal life as a commercial wide body airliner flying around­the world. However that would soon change when it became a flying tour plane.

The infamous rock band, Iron Maiden, led by Bruce Dickinson, chartered the airplane for their Book of Souls World Tour in 2016. The tour spanned 35 countries and Dickinson, who is a commercial airline pilot himself, would pilot the plane.

The plane was christened as Ed Force One to honor Dickinson and his aviation accomplishments, as well as the band’s mascot Eddie.

Inflight200 models are considered to be some of the best in the industry with their excellent molds, graphics, and impeccable attention to detail. This limited edition of the Inflight200 model of Ed Force One is no exception to these high standards produced by Inflight.

The first thing you will notice about this model, is its size and weight. The model is 13.75” long with a wingspan of 13”, and is made from solid die-cast metal. It comes neatly packaged in a Styrofoam box, with a cardboard sleeve that covers the box.

Included with the model, is a sharp looking, solidly built stand, that requires some assembly and landing gear pieces. The landing gear on this model is in the fixed position, unlike some of the other brands 30

Article and Photos by Cyrus Cambata

and model types that allow the gear to be interchanged from inflight configuration, to a landing or ground configuration.

This is an option that would later change in the Inflight line up, as its newest 747s have the magnetic gear and gear doors to interchange between the two configurations. I like this detail as its gives the model a whole new look with the gear in the retracted position.

Let's get down to the model...

The overall mold of the Boeing 747 shows great workmanship and attention to detail. Inflight200 is known for their superior molds, and the 747 is no doubt, one of the best on the market for die-cast aircraft collectors. Inflight200 has perfected many aspects of the 747, including the famed 747 nose. That iconic symbol of the 747 from the cockpit section, down to the nose, is a thing of beauty on this model.

Inflight has definetely gotten it

model. Inflight has definitely gotten this

right with the 747 model. Other manufacturers either have a nose that is too stubby, or often times droopy just below the cockpit section. The wing and fuselage meet in the center with little signs of manufacturing. There is a slight gap between the body and wing assembly underneath the second emergency exit door on the main level, but it is subtle enough and blends nicely with the contours of the overall airframe. It really is hard to come across any flaws with this mold.

The painting and livery of this model are also excellent and true to the original form. The Iron Maiden font and size cut nicely through the windows on the upper deck and the promotional logos and names of the tour cities are perfectly placed. The fine detail that went into the promotional logos, engine decals and tail proves that a lot of thought and planning went into this model. The level of detail overall is incredible as well, going all the way down to the red warning stripes on the lower fuselage antennas.

The overall craftsmanship of the model is excellent, as previously stated in this review. It really is hard to find any flaws with this model. The overall quality of both the model, packaging and box is top notch.

My only complaint about the packaging would be the cardboard sleeve that goes over the Styrofoam box which has a tendency of being a tight fit. Over time, repetitive removal from the box could lead to wear and tear, especially around the edges. That is, however, a relatively minor detail considering all aspects of this model.

MODEL AIRLINER

Grading: I will be grading this model as well as future reviews based on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being flawless and 1 needing lots of work. Items I will be grading include, the overall mold and design of the frame, the paint and livery and printing and quality control. A perfect model will receive a score of 30 points.

Inflight has shown they really have the mold on their 747 line up down to perfection. It will get a perfect 10 from me.

The paint and decal process on this model were excellent as and I will assess a solid 9 out of 10 for the fine craftsmanship shown by Inflight.

The quality control and printing of this model will get another solid 9 from me.

So with that being said, this Ed Force One, Inflight200 model will get an impressive score of 28 out of 30.

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 31

2018/19 MODEL SHOWS ON APPROACH April 22nd, 2018 - LGW London Gatwick Aviation Enthusiasts Fair 10.00am - 4.00pm, Pease Pottage Hill, Tilgate Drive, Crawley, RH11 9BQ, United Kingdom May 5th, 2018 - 3rd Annual Detroit Aviation & Airline Collectibles Show 9.00am - 3.00pm, Detroit Willow Run Airport, Detroit, United States of America May 6th, 2018 - Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts Fair 10.30am - 3.00pm, Kempton Park Race, Staines Road East, Sunbury-On-Thames, TW16 5AQ www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk July 11th-14th, 2018 - Airliners International DCA All day, Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Washington DC, United States of America Sept 9th, 2018 - Berlin Aviation Exchange Market 10.00am - 4.00pm, Flughafen Schonefeld, Berlin, Germany Nov 3rd, 2018 - Aviation Weekend Frankfurt Schwanheim 10.00am - 5.00pm, Tunrhalle Frankfurt Schwanheim, Germany Nov 25th, 2018 - Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts Fair 10.30am - 3.00pm, Kempton Park Race, Staines Road East, Sunbury-On-Thames, TW16 5AQ www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk February 24th, 2019 - 2nd International Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair 10.30am - 4.00pm, Van Der Valk Hotel, Schiphol, Amsterdam, Netherlands. www.aviationfair.com

32

WIN

This issue we are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Gemini Jets Bombardier CS100 model in 1/400 scale courtesy of Model Airliner Magazine.

Gemini Jets Delta Air Lines Bombardier CS-100 GJDAL1701

You could get your hands on this very model!

To win this fantastic release all you have to do is answer the following question: What type of engines does the C-Series have? a) Pratt & Whitney b) General Electric c) Rolls-Royce

Send your answer and full name to our email: info@modelairliner.com We will draw out the winner at the beginning of May 2018.

All entries will be kept confidential and your email address will not be shared. We will draw out a winner from a hat, the good old fashioned way! The winner will be announced via email at the beginning of May 2018. Postage costs are covered by Model Airliner Magazine. Model is brand new. Returns are accepted however we will make sure all is in good working order before posting the model out to the winner. Return postage is to be paid for by the winner.

MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 33

You can keep up-to-date with all the latest model news and reviews, manufacturer interviews and more on our sister site The Diecast Flier and our Facebook page! Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @diecastflier!

www.thediecastflier.com | www.facebook.com/diecastflier/

DREAMJETS 1/500 scale plastic Jetways.

$12 USD per box of 2 For larger orders email: sales@glitter-dragon.com

34

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MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 35

MANUFACTURER'S CORNER

MODEL AIRPORT NETWORK Name: Zach Ganton, Founder Company: ModelAirportNetwork.com Instagram: @custom_airport_buildings URL: www.modelairportnetwork.com MAM = Model Airliner Magazine | ZG = Zach Ganton

MAM: When was the Model Airport Network founded?

ZG: Four or five months ago, I decided to build my own Model Airport Terminal. I posted a picture of it on an Instagram page I created to showcase flight simulator pictures. My pictures gained popularity very quickly and people wanted to buy my buildings. I started to promote my buildings on social media more often, and they gained recognition very quickly. From there I decided to launch my own product line.

MAM: What products do you have available to diecast aircraft collectors?

ZG: Everything related to airport infrastructure including things you need to create your own airport such as mat foils, control towers, hangars, as well as cargo and passenger terminals. I’ve also ventured out and decided to sell different parts of the terminal so, customers can customize the terminal layout as desired.

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MAM: What scales do you offer your products in?

ZG: We sell mostly 1/400 and 1/500 products. In the future we may expand to 1/200 scale items.

MAM: Can you take us through the design and construction process for one of your airport buildings?

ZG: When a concept comes to mind, I design the parts in a 3D CAD program. I then send the designs to a CNC manufacturer who cuts the parts from plastic sheets. The parts are then sent to me, where I assemble the buildings and add other design elements before shipping them to my customers. I also create many other airport “objects” that are 3D printed by another person I work with.

MAM: How long does it typically take from design until a product is ready for delivery to a customer?

MAM: What materials are your terminals constructed of?

ZG: For custom terminals, it takes up 2 hours to design, followed by another 2-3 hours to assemble. (4-5 hours total). I usually tell customers that custom projects take around a week before they are ready to be shipped.

ZG: We utilize PVC plastic, which is durable and flexible.

This makes the product easier for shipping and less likely to break. I submit a CAD design, and the CNC machine uses a robot to produce the terminal.

MAM: When did you first become interested in diecast aircraft collecting?

MAM: Most popular product?

ZG: I've loved toy airplanes since my early childhood.

When I was in college I started buying Gemini Jets and Phoenix collection models. My wife now buys me one for every birthday and Christmas. They are by far my favorite gifts!

ZG: Custom terminals are the most desired product among our customers. Every customer wants something that is unique and different. Most of our customers want to showcase their terminals. When showcasing your models in photos and social media, it is definitely key to have a unique terminal as your backdrop.

MAM: What was your first model?

MAM: Future expansion plans?

ZG: I was home during the holidays and my mom gave me a box full of models I collected as a kid. I found a Daron Northwest 747 that I think was my first model. I got into GeminiJets after buying a 1/200 scale Air Jamaica A340 at a flea market years ago.

ZG: I have a lot of experience in design which has helped me with the terminal. I can pretty much design any sort of custom diorama layouts. I’m also willing to accept custom design requests. I would love to add cargo shipping terminals, hotels and office buildings to our product line.

We’ll be offering parking garages in the near future.

You can find more product information at www.modelairportnetwork.com!

MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 37

MODEL AIRPORT LAYOUTS BROWSE OUR WIDE SELECTION OF 1/400, 1/500 and 1/200 AIRPORT MATS Professionally printed onto 200GSM Satin Paper and shipped rolled in a tube.

VIEW THE CURRENT LAYOUTS ON EBAY UK. SEARCH USERNAME:

Bmediauk

SOCIAL MEDIA

This issue’s featured model aircraft related social media group....

Group name: Diecast Airplane World Platform: Facebook Current members: 1,379 (as of 10th April 2018) Admins: 4 Summary: A group dedicated to collectors who want to share their collection via pics.

Search ‘Diecast Airplane World’ on Facebook to find the group.

The group is a closed group which means you will be vetted before being allowed to join.

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MODEL AIRLINER

ISSUE 7 | APRIL/MAY 2018 | 39