And yet again, another recent release of an American Airlines model in the Vignelli livery, this time by good old Aeroclassics, comes to join a previous Dragon Wings version in my collection.
As of the writing of this article, American Airlines is the most represented airline in my 1:400 collection. They had an enormous presence throughout the Americas when I was growing up, and I flew extensively on them. Hence, AA jets from the 1990s in the Vignelly livery satisfy multiple criteria in my collection. Keep'em coming!
Contestant Number 1:
Aircraft: American Airlines Boeing 767-223ER
Reg.: N303AA
Brand: Aeroclassics
Release Date: January 2024
Contestant Number 2:
Aircraft: American Airlines Boeing 767-223ER
Reg.: N301AA
Brand: Dragon Wings
Release Date: 2000-2001 (DiMA)
Together
Real AA 762
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Thoughts
Even with all the room for improvement it has, the Aeroclassics one is easier on my eyes. The Dragon Wings 767-200 mold is not as handsome as its bigger brothers (-300/-400). This is common with DW, the smaller the type, the poorer it looks, generally speaking. Keep in mind that in 2000 that was the standard in 1:400 scale, and the only thing that DW models could be compared with back then would have been Herpa Wings 1:500, which were noticeably inferior.
Overall the DW is a good mold, but the unrefined nose, which in this model is accentuated by the cockpit windows placed too low, takes a lot of points away from it.
It is what it is with Aeroclassics. Very nice model, but there are a few areas that I will talk about below. Also, there are some QC issues in the form of paint patches and glue blobs. Also, there is a bizarre fuselage deformation on the sides above where the wings are fitted. The model seems squished.
Landing Gear: The Achilles heel of Dragon Wings models has always been their crude landing gear, and this model is no exception. Aeroclassics' landing gears have also historically been criticized, especially their lack of tire hubs. The 767-200, nonetheless, is one of the few Aeroclassics molds that have been fitted with some rather nice tire hubs. However, it results in the nose gear tires looking oversized. Ah, the irony!
Engines: For practical purposes, 767-200s have two engine options: General Electric CF6 and Pratt & Whitney PW4000. They look almost identical from the outside. American Airlines 762s were equipped with GE engines. Looking at the models in this article, seems like DW cut the nacelle too short. That leaves AC having the "most" correct engines as they seem to resemble the GEs better. However, AC engines are extremely unrefined. Ah, the irony! again!
I hope you found this model comparison entertaining and informative.
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