I love telling my life story through die-cast airplane models, and the TAP L-1011-500s presented here allow me to share a lot of things that I hope you will find interesting and entertaining, and maybe will even resonate with many of you. After Brazil, Venezuela is home to the largest Portuguese diaspora in the world (or at least it was at one point, regardless, we have tons of them!). The Portuguese are not the only large group with foreign roots present in Venezuela, they are surpassed by the Spanish, about tied with the Italians, and followed by the Lebanese and Germans. But out of all those groups, the Portuguese probably had the most notorious influence on everyday life during the years I spent growing up in the country.  I think that it was easy for the Portuguese to keep their language and culture mostly intact in Venezuela due to their fundamental similarities with Spain's. But the cool thing is that their language and customs were different enough to make the Portuguese stand out and give them an exotic touch.  The Portuguese in Venezuela were particularly famous for owning many of the neighborhood bakeries in the major cities. Boy, do I miss the smell of fresh bread in the mornings and evenings. If you want that experience in the U.S. you have to bake your own bread at home. It was always amusing to walk into the corner grocery store to find the husband and wife behind the counter speaking Portuguese. The "Portus" and their vibrant nature just made life better in Venezuela. And they didn't only stick to the neighborhood bakeries, Portuguese families went on to own many of the major supermarket chains in the country.  Unlike other groups such as the Germans, the Lebanese, and to some extent the Italians, the Portuguese didn't exactly come to start a new life point-blank, instead, many families kept one foot on each side of the ocean, which has caused travel between the two countries to always be relatively high. For many years Lisbon, Oporto, and Funchal-Madeira have appeared on CCS's flight boards. The routes have been operated by Viasa, Avensa, Santa Bárbara Airlines, and of course, TAP Air Portugal, which still links the two countries today (LIS and FNC), even though a heightened socio-political crisis has taken over Venezuela. When a TAP flight was arriving, it was not uncommon to hear Portuguese among the crowd on CCS's observation deck.  But, it seems it is not only us, Venezuelans, who love the Portuguese. The nation of sailors seems to be a bit of a hit in many other parts of the world too, at least if one is to judge based on the popularity of the country's flag carrier's airplane models. I know, this is the part where non-aviation people start to raise their eyebrows, but trust me, we AvGeeks can tell you a lot about a country based on its aviation industry alone.  TAP's 1990s livery (which in reality appeared as early as 1984) is one of those classic European liveries that are very sought after among model collectors. Good luck trying to find an Aeroclassics A340 for a sensible price, even my Dragon Wings example holds its value decently. The same goes for the 707, the only way I could find one for under $100 was by going for one with a broken nose gear (easy fix). Do you want the 747 in 1:400 scale? Good luck...  My TAP Air Portugal collection, along with Iberia, on my Iberian Peninsula shelf: Needless to say, when NG Models, with their highly praised TriStar 500 mold, released a TAP example in 2020 it became an instant hit. Ironically, I got mine for dirt cheap ($16). Long story short, I got it from an eBay seller who was too quick to flip the model. He seems to have recognized it as rare material but rushed things (the model was still available in some stores at MSRP, albeit selling out quickly) and I got lucky: no other bidders. I have always known that this was a super special model. Not only it was an iconic aircraft type wearing an iconic livery full of sentimental value to me, but it also was a well-executed model that earned itself a well-deserved score of 29/30 from the model reviewer Richard of Yesterday's Airlines (the particular review was published on Model Airliner Magazine ). And the cherry on top was that the model was produced under license from TAP. Those of you who know me know I have a soft spot for models produced with the airline's consent. However, I never had a chance to do a proper photoshoot of it. So when I had to pack up the collection in the spring of 2024 for a move, I took the opportunity to take some photos of the model. Unbeknownst to me, a very cool series of events (with some uncool mixed in) was going to happen before getting a chance to edit and publish those photos (never published them, actually). As my collection (and the rest of the house) was in boxes, I went on to fly my last trip before the move. As it turns out, this trip took me to one of my favorite destinations in Asia, one that I don't get to go to too often: Singapore.  Singapore, like many other global cities, is home to at least one physical airplane model store. Singapore actually has two, but the most well-known by far is Airplane Models at SG. However, I had already visited it once, and since I had an imminent move, I did not want to bring more models back home. So I planned to do some non-aviation-related tourism in the city with a coworker.  But, another rare coincidence happened. I learned through Facebook that Andrew Klein, owner of Aeroclassics, was doing an Asia tour and was in Malaysia. I knew it was very likely that he was going to stop by Singapore and visit Airplane Models at SG shortly thereafter. I was right, and his Singapore stay was going to coincide almost exactly with mine.  Well, when you are a passionate die-cast aircraft collector you don't want to pass up an opportunity to meet with one of the most influential people in the hobby, the Don of die-cast as some call him, or The Dark Lord.  So the plans changed and I found myself in the Singapore metro on my way to Airplane Models at SG (again) to try and catch AK.  I ended up spending a full 3 hours at Airplane Models at SG, and did not get too bored, the place is just packed with models, and the owner has been in the business for a long time and has a wealth of information on the hobby.  Perusing through the shelves I came across this Lockness box (This Lockness brand likes to use Aeroclassics L-1011 molds... 😉). Upon closer inspection, I found out it was nothing less than a TAP L-1011-500.  I didn't know that another TAP TriStar, besides the NG one, had been produced in 1:400 scale. Later I found out the model was part of the initial Lockness batch in June 2019, shortly before I came out from a 6-year collecting hiatus. While I knew that I already owned a copy of the better release (Sorry AK), it was still a TAP L-1011-500. A TAP TriStar! On the Aeroclassics mold, a brand whose owner was standing right there next to me. A great airplane model collecting moment for sure.  But the dilemma was still there. "Do I get this model? I already have one... I don't need any extra models lying around with my imminent move... But it's a TAP L-1011... And, if worst comes to worst, I can probably sell this to someone else in the Western Hemisphere. After all, the model is extremely well priced." So I got the model, I just couldn’t resist a TAP TriStar 500. And this one was an Aeroclassics one so it made for a great conversation with Mr. Aeroclassics himself, who by the way, was kind enough to take me on a tour of the Singapore food scene after we left Airplane Models at SG. As it turns out, Andrew was very familiar with Singapore, and it was a truly great experience for me. Eventually, I made my way back home to Houston and all hell broke loose with the move (don't you love moving?). To top it all off, the hurricane season did not disappoint. Well, little did I know that after the move - and all that went with it - was done, I was going to find myself finally pulling the trigger on something that I have been thinking about for some time: Starting up a formal airplane model shop ( www.yankeevictor400.shop ). As it turned out, the first order I dispatched was the Aeroclassics L-1011-500 that I had found in Singapore a few months before. It wasn't the first order I received, but it was the first one that included only items that I had in stock and ready to ship.  But, of course, I didn't let the model go without first taking a comparison photoshoot with its NG counterpart: Not much to say here, it is understood that the NG model is superior in many aspects, but as I have amply exposed in the text above, the Aeroclassics one still is a TAP Air Portugal L-1011-500, and that alone is enough to also make it a sought after piece by many.  One thing that stood out to me during the photoshoot was the wing length. In one shot I used the Aeroclassics one as the reference for the frame, and then the wings of the NG one did not fit inside the frame (you can easily tell what photo I'm talking about). This was pointed out by Richard Stretton in his review of the first Pan Am L-1011-500 by NG. The -500 wings are slightly longer than the -1's, but someone did not bother to accurately replicate this. Contestant Number 1 Contestant Number 2 Airline: TAP Air Portugal Airline: TAP Air Portugal Aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar Aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar Reg: CS-TEG "Eça de Queiroz" Reg: CS-TED "Bartolomeu de Gusmão" Brand: NG Models Brand: Aeroclassics (Lockness) Scale: 1/400 Scale: 1/400 Release Date: May, 2020 Release Date: June 2019 The NG version is a little masterpiece, it goes without saying, but what a special model the Aeroclassics example turned out to be. Besides making for a great evening in Singapore full of airplane model talk, it also became the first model shipped out by the Yankee Victor 400 Airplane Model Shop . Not to mention that I enjoyed owning the model for a few months very much.  Rescuing that model from being buried under the piles and piles of models at Airplane Models at SG and making it accessible to the global market was also a very rewarding experience. Airplane Models at SG had the model so well priced that it was easy for me to make a small profit without having to charge an outrageous price for it. A real win for everyone involved as far as I am concerned.  It goes to show that as much as this hobby is about the continuous search for the perfect model for some, it is also about bringing back memories and fulfilling the passions and inspirations of many others. CS-TED with the bare metal belly that Aeroclassics accurately gave to the model at Rome-Fiumicino in 1990: And CS-TEG in one of the few photos showing a TAP TriStar at Caracas-Maiquetía. 1994: CS-TEG is part of my personal collection and it is not for sale now, and CS-TED didn't last two days listed. But there are many more models on the Yankee Victor 400 Airplane Model Shop . Go and have a look, you might find something you'd like. Use code yv400grandopening for a 13% discount on all orders until the end of 2024.

NASA's SEAC4RS study, which stands for Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys, was conducted in Houston, Texas between August 1 and September 30, 2013. More info here . Several aircraft participated in the study collecting atmospheric samples. For aviation enthusiasts, it was quite the show. Even though Ellington Field in southeast Houston is home to several cool NASA aircraft, SEAC4RS brought some interesting visitors from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. I was lucky to be working at Ellington Field at the time, but anyone in the Houston area could watch the aircraft flying some unique patterns. My favorite one was the Electra (N426NA) spiraling up from low altitude over the morning traffic near downtown. On August 22, 2013, NASA hosted a press conference, and I managed to get a pass as a photographer. A friend and I published a short article about the event on the now-defunct SVZM Spotters site. One of the most iconic aircraft that participated in the study was N817NA, a heavily modified Douglas DC-8-72, originally delivered as a -62 in May of 1969 to Alitalia. It also flew for Braniff as N801BN before joining NASA in 1986 as N717NA (it got re-registered later). N817NA landed at Palmdale, California three days ago (April 1, 2024) after finishing its last mission in Asia. As the aircraft readies for its retirement, I thought it would be appropriate to dust off some of the photos I took of it in 2013. Enjoy: All the subsequent photos show NASA DC-8-72 N817NA on August 22, 2013 at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas: If you would like to share photos from this article, please credit them to Jorge A. Zajia

Compañeros entusiastas de la aviación y coleccionistas de aviones a escala, les presento a la tienda de modelos a escala YankeeVictor400 Airplane Model Shop ( YankeeVictor400.shop . .shop, no .com). Muchos me conocen por medio de la comunidad online de coleccionistas de aviones a escala y como el dueño del sitio web YankeeVictor400.com , pero para aquellos que no me conocen, basta decir que soy un entusiasta aeronáutico muy apasionado, y gran parte de mi vida gira en torno a la aviación.  No es de sorprender entonces que cuando tomé la decisión de crear un negocio pequeño, rápidamente me decidí por crear un sitio web dedicado a la venta de modelos de aviones a escala. Ya de por si mi carrera en la industria aeronáutica me ha enseñado que una de las ventajas de convertir la pasión de uno en negocio es que incluso cuando el cielo se pone gris aun puedo decir "podría ser peor, al menos estoy rodeado de aviones." Estoy lejos de ser el único amante de la aviación que convierte su pasión en negocio. Yo sé muy bien que la industria que sirve a este hobby está compuesta principalmente por nosotros los mismos los coleccionistas, y se de muchos entusiastas como yo que ya desde hace tiempo se dedican a la venta, distribución, e inclusso fabricación de estas joyas que son los modelos a escala. Entonces, ¿de qué forma exactamente pretendo contribuir? Principalmente, ¡ofreciendo aun más modelos de aviones para todos! La industria aeronáutica sigue creciendo cada día, al igual que la población global. Siempre y cuando hayan aeronaves surcando los cielos, en la superficie terrestre habrán entusiastas coleccionando modelos de dichas aeronaves, y alguien tendrá que estar allí ayudándolos a satisfacer su pasión. Por otra parte, también planeo incorporar varias cosas que, a lo largo de mis años como coleccionista, he logrado identificar como elementos clave que caracterizan a las mejores tiendas de modelos a escala. Entre esas cosas están: Un sitio web fácil de utilizar en diferentes dispositivos. Comunicación clara y eficaz, y la habilidad de ofrecer soluciones razonables cuando ocurre algún percance con una orden. Utilizar empaques que puedan proteger a los productos de forma eficaz durante el envió. Esas son las áreas en las que hemos estado enfocando gran parte de nuestros esfuerzos en esta etapa inicial. En general he estado satisfecho con los resultados, pero como cualquier nuevo emprendimiento, habrá obstáculos que superar. Debido a eso, les pido que por favor tengan paciencia mientras agarramos velocidad, y que nos hagan saber si encuentran algún problema para poder solucionarlo.  Una consideración es que mi trabajo principal hace que me la pase viajando gran parte del tiempo. Afortunadamente, tengo varias manos en el hogar dispuestas a ayudarme a servirles a ustedes, pero va a tomar algo de tiempo aprender el negocio y refinar su manejo en equipo.  Otra importante característica que las mejores tiendas de modelos a escala poseen, es tener una amplia gama de productos para la venta. Pero ya que ese es uno de los aspectos más cotosos de este tipo de emprendimiento, me llevará algunos años expandir el catalogo de productos al punto de estar completamente satisfecho. Mientras tanto, me complace arrancar ofreciéndoles una modesta, pero variada, selección de modelos de las marcas InFlight200, GeminiJets y Panda Model, así como de sus marcas filiales. Ha sido un placer trabajar con cada uno de ellos durante los inicios de la tienda. Pero también hay algunos otros productos disponibles. Ya que yo mismo llevo bastante tiempo coleccionando modelos de aviones, de vez en cuando necesito reestructurar mi colección, lo que significa que muchos de mis modelos personales también estarán disponibles para la venta en la sección "Collection Sale." Allí de vez en cuando podrán encontrar algunos modelos difíciles de conseguir; algunos prácticamente nuevos.  ¡Estén atentos mientras nuestra línea de productos sigue creciendo poco a poco! Conexiones regionales en la era de la globalización. Cuando era niño (quiero decir, más joven), me encantaban los días en los que salíamos de compras y hacíamos una parada en la tienda de modelos a escala. Hoy en día eso es algo que muy pocas personas pueden experimentar, ya que la mayoría de las tiendas de hobbies en estos tiempos son tiendas de internet.  A pesar de que me encantaría poder montar una sucursal física a la que a las personas locales les guste visitar un viernes en la tarde luego de una ardua semana de trabajo, o el sábado por la mañana con la familia, o que los entusiastas aeronáuticos que estén de paso por la ciudad no se quieran perder, simplemente no es posible para mi hacer algo así por ahora - ¿quizás cuando me retire de mi trabajo principal? Mientras tanto, una cosa que puedo hacer para crear algún tipo de conexión con la región en la que la tienda se encuentra basada es ofrecer envíos gratuitos a todas las órdenes dentro del estado de Texas (esto también ayuda a compensar por los impuestos que hay que cobrar para ventas dentro del estado). Y ya que estamos hablando de envíos, les informo que todas las ordenes dentro de Estados Unidos de $120.00 o más califican para envío gratuito utilizando el correo federal (USPS); otras opciones pagas de envío también seguirán estando disponibles. El monto mínimo para que una orden califique para envío gratuito probablemente ira subiendo a medida que el negocio agarre tracción, así que sáquenle provecho mientras se pueda. También se ofrecen envios internacionales.  Para cerrar. Solo me quedar decir gracias por haber leído hasta este punto. Ahora a seguir disfrutando del maravilloso mundo de los modelos a escala, mientras al mismo tiempo ayudo a otros a hacer lo mismo. Como promoción inaugural les ofrezco el código yv400grandopening para obtener un 13% de descuento en todas (absolutamente todas) las ordenes que sean completadas antes del final del día el 31 de Diciembre del 2024. Para futuras ofertas y promociones por favor suscribirse a la lista de contactos.  Miren como luce la tienda en sus inicios: Al trabajar con Panda Model (solo 1:400), InFlight200 (solo 1:200), y GeminiJets (1:200 y 1:400) se nos hace posible ofrecer opciones para los coleccionistas de las dos escalas más populares hoy en día. Esta combinación de marcas también nos permite ofrecer una buena combinación entre aviones clásicos y modernos, y hasta algunos tipos de aviones de origen oriental.  ¿Han encontrado alguna vez uno de sus paquetes a la intemperie bañados por la lluvia? Yo si... Todos nuestros modelos son enviados con algún tipo de protección contra el agua (papel de burbujas, o bolsas de polietileno) a parte de material amortiguador a su alrededor (bolitas de goma espuma, más papel burbuja, o papel de envíos). Aunque no puedo garantizar que nunca ocurrirá algún percance con un envío, si puedo asegurar que por nuestra parte se hará todo lo posible para mitigar ese tipo de situaciones. También, dense cuenta de como hay toallines y diferentes tipo de guantes al alcance. A mi no me gusta tocar mis propios modelos con las manos desnudas, mucho menos los modelos de mis clientes.

Fellow aviation enthusiasts and airplane model collectors, allow me to introduce to you the YankeeVictor400 Airplane Model Shop ( YankeeVictor400.shop , not .com) Many of you know me as an active member of the die-cast airplane model collecting online community, and as the guy who owns the YankeeVictor400.com  site, but for those of you who don't know me, it shall be enough to say that I'm a passionate aviation enthusiast, and almost every aspect of my life revolves around the aviation industry. When the opportunity to venture into the world of small businesses presented itself, it didn't take long for me to settle on starting up an airplane model online store. After all, as my professional life has taught me, one of the gifts of turning one's passion into a business is that when reality strikes one still gets to say "Hey, it could be worse, at least I'm surrounded by airplanes." I'm far from being the only aviation lover who has taken their passion across to the business side of the house. As a long-time airplane model collector, I know that the hobby remains largely a collector-run industry, and I know there is no shortage of fellow collectors and enthusiasts engaged in retailing the lovely gems that airplane models are. I'm sure some of them are thrilled to see one of their customers turn into a competitor ;). So, what do I exactly plan on bringing to the table? For one, more airplane models for everyone! The aviation industry continues to grow, as well as the global population. As long as there are aircraft in the sky, there will be aircraft model collectors on the ground and someone will need to be there to help them fulfill their passion. Additionally, I plan on bringing many of the things that, over the years as a collector myself, I have been able to identify as key elements that set good airplane model stores apart, which include: A user-friendly website that is easy to use across different platforms. Good service in the form of transparent and timely communication, and the ability to provide reasonable solutions to customers when issues arise. Ensuring products are sent out in packaging that can keep them as protected as reasonably possible from rough handling and the elements. Those are the areas where we are focusing our initial efforts the most. I have been pleased with the results so far, but as with any new venture, there are growing pains. For that, I ask that you please be patient if you encounter any hiccups during these early stages, and report any shortcomings to us so that we can fix them.  One challenge is the nature of my main bread and butter, which requires me to be gone for extended periods. Luckily, I have a few extra hands around here eager to help me serve you, but there is a learning curve involved and the system needs to be fine-tuned over time.  Finally, good airplane model stores are characterized by having a wide range of products available. This is also the costliest and one of the most demanding aspects of this type of business venture, as the line between growing the inventory and keeping the business financially viable during the early stages is a tricky one to walk. Because of that, it will probably take me a few years to build up the product catalog to my satisfaction.  In the meantime, I am pleased to start things off by bringing to you an admittedly modest, but quite varied catalog of models from InFlight200, GeminiJets, and Panda Model as well as all the other brands that are associated with them. It has been a pleasure working with each one of them. They all have been very professional, which has made the stocking-up process pretty straightforward.  But there is more, as a long-time collector I do need to prune my personal collection from time to time,  which means that some of my models will be available on the site as well under the good ole "collection sale" section. There you might find some rare ones, some of which are in mint/never-displayed condition. Stay tuned as the line of products expands slowly but surely! A sense of locality in today's globalization. When I was a kid (meaning younger), I loved to take trips to the local model shop. Today it is not easy to experience that, as the majority of collectibles/hobby shops are online based.  As much as I would like to set up a physical store that locals would look forward to visiting on a Friday afternoon after a long week, or on a Saturday morning with the kids, or that any AvGeek visiting the city wouldn't want to miss, it is simply not feasible for me to do something like that right now - maybe when I retire from my main job (?).  In the meantime, one thing that I can do to create some sort of connection with the region in which the store is based is to offer free shipping on all orders in the state of Texas (this also helps offset the state tax that we need to collect for in-state sales ). While on the topic of shipping, all U.S. orders of $120.00 or more qualify for free USPS Priority shipping, but other -paid- shipping options will also remain available. The minimum order value to be eligible for free domestic U.S. shipping will likely go up a bit with time, as the business gains traction, so take advantage of it while it's there.  International shipping is also available. Wrapping up There is not much more to say other than thank you if you read to this point. I look forward to continuing to enjoy the wonderful hobby of collecting airplane models, while also helping others do the same.  As an inaugural promotional offer, the code yv400grandopening will give you a 13% discount and will be valid for all (all as in every single one) orders placed before December 31, 2024. Join the mailing list for subsequent codes and promotions. Check out the first iteration of our home-based operation: Panda Model (1:400 only), InFlight200 (1:200 only), and GeminiJets (1:400 and 1:200) enable us to have something to offer to collectors of the two most popular scales in the hobby. Between them, there is also a decent balance between modern and classic, western and eastern aircraft. Have you ever found a package out in the rain with its contents wet? I have... All of our models will be shipped with some sort of water protection barrier (poly bags, or bubble wrap) in addition to the surrounding shock-absorbing material (packing peanuts, more bubble wrap, shipping paper, etc.). While I can't guarantee that there won't be any issues, I can assure you that we will do our best to mitigate them. Also, notice we have plenty of microfiber lens cloths and different kinds of gloves readily available. I don't like touching my models with bare hands, much less those of my customers.

When you're looking for a 1:400 Ilyushin IL-76 on eBay, the ones made by Aeroclassics and Wittywings are often far above retailprice. This bothered me as this aircraft has been high on my wishlist for quite some time. Recently I found a cheaper alternative, which is this Cubana IL-76 by DelPrado, which you can find for less than €50 every now and then. Most of you probably never heard of this brand, let alone have one of their models in your collection, so what is this brand? Is the quality any good or is it better to save your money for an Aeroclassics / Wittywings release? Find out in this review! Please keep in mind that the Aeroclassics model will be called IL-76, even though it's meant to represent a Beriev A-50. What brand made this model? DelPrado is a brand that can be found on all kinds of scalemodels; aircraft, trains, cars, ships and hand-painted minifigures. This IL-76 comes in orange packaging, which includes the plastic blister with the model and a booklet about 100 years of aviation history. This particular model is nr. 15 of the "World Aircraft 100 Years Story" series. Unfortunately mine only had the plastic blister with the model. You can find this exact same model in black packaging by Model Power. I don't know what the relationship between these two brands is, but they definitely worked together. On the back of the Model Power box you can find all the models they produced for their "Airliner" collection, which includes a 1/250 TWA Boeing 307 Stratoliner. I have this model, but again in the DelPrado blister. It is rather strange to me how they have all these interesting moulds, but only used them once. Other aircraft in this collection are: L-1049 Super Constellation, DC-3, Dornier Do. X, L-1011 Tristar, Fokker 50, TU-144 and many more. The scales vary a lot and are sometimes a little weird; the Dornier Do. X is 1:375 for example. Operational history of the aircraft This IL-76 was delivered in 1984 to Cubana as CU-T1258 but was reregistred CU-C1258 in 1996 and then CU-C1419 in 2000. In 2001 it recieved an overhaul in Ukraine and operated for Aerocom between 2002 and 2005 as ER-IBE. It was then sold to the Angolan Air Force as D2-FCO, withdrawn from use in 2014 and scrapped at Luanda (Angola) in 2015. Mould review Normally I don't consider the mould in my reviews as it's already done by others like Yesterdays Airlines. For this model it's a little different, because at first it may seem similar to the Aeroclassics mould, but it's noticably different in almost every aspect. So let's compare them to see what the quality is like. First the fuselage, specifically the cockpit area. Check these images as reference: Cubana and Aeroflot . Both are inaccurate; the DelPrado mould has the correct pointy nose, but the cockpit area is too flat and it has a large forehead. Aeroclassics' nose is too blunt and the forehead seems a little too large, but this because the cockpit windows are too small. The bulge for the navigator compartment seems fine on both, although just a little bit too small on the DelPrado. The wingjoint design is different on these moulds and to be honest, I don't know which one I like more. Aeroclassics has the wings and wingbox as one big piece, meaning there is a noticable seam with the fuselage, while on the DelPrado model the wingbox is partly moulded with the fuselage, meaning there is a seam on top and below the wing. If you like taking pictures from a low angle, where the top seam is not visible, then DelPrado is a clear winner, but when displayed in a cabinet, Aeroclassics has my preference. The gears are even more different than the wingjoint. The nosegear on the Cubana model should be more to the front but seems fine on the Aeroclassics model. The main landing gear of the Cubana is fixed in place by a screw, similar to the old Aeroclassics DC-9-10's. When removing this screw, you find another screw inside the fuselage which holds the wings. Quite fun to take it apart, but be careful to not rip off any paint. Aeroclassics' main landing gears are miles ahead. There is more detailling and they were very smart with the seam on the back, as it's positioned where the large rear doors of the IL-76 move up and down. This is not the case on the DelPrado model, where you can see the printed outlines going over the seam. One plus for DelPrado is having a standhole, which only fits their own stands. Aeroclassics has no standhole for their IL-76's. Delprado Aeroclassics The Aeroclassics Aeroflot IL-76 in these pictures is actually a Beriev A-50, which has a modified connection between tail and fuselage for a tail gun (and is not present on the Aeroclassics model), but for a regular IL-76 it's accurate and thus a fair comparison. Since the tail is a seperate piece, there is a seam, but barely noticable. Surprisingly, the DelPrado has its tail moulded together with the fuselage, how often do you see that in 1:400 scale? The DelPrado's horizontal stabilizers are plastic while being metal on the Aeroclassics mould. Both are pretty much identical in terms of shape and size, just a tiny height difference. DelPrado left, Aeroclassics right The wings have flaps and ailerons moulded in on both moulds, this is much better on the Aeroclassics mould. However, the inner flap extenders are missing, so there are six on each side instead of seven. DelPrado has seven extenders on each side, but the flap detailling is less accurate. DelPrado left, Aeroclassics right The engines are pretty much identical in terms of shape, but on the DelPrado mould the engine and pylons are one piece, while for Aeroclassics there is a seperate piece for the pylon, engine and exhaust. For both models the engines are too low, which you can see by comparing it to the height of the blue Aeroflot cheatline. Mould conclusion Both moulds have their differences and flaws. For me, the Aeroclassics mould is better overall; gears, cockpit, tail, flaps and ailerons are better and since my models are most often displayed in a cabinet, I prefer the wingbox aswell. The DelPrado IL-76 has a more accurate pointy nose and some may prefer the wingbox design. The only big issue for me is the cockpit shape. If you are a casual collector who does not look for the best possible accuracy, you will be fine with both, especially when taking the price difference into consideration. Model review Now we know the pros and cons of the mould, let's take a look at the artwork and QC using the same template as for my other model reviews. There are 6 parts that will be given between 1 and 10 points, 1 being the lowest and 10 being perfect. In the end the average of these scores will be the final score. Accuracy of colors The Cubana IL-76 model has a red and blue livery with grey belly, wings, engines and horizontal stabilizers. The blue color should be a little darker, but everything else is good. The wheel rims should be green, but they didn't bother with it on the model. Score: 8,5 / 10 Livery The Cubana livery also has a thick and thin cheatline. At the front the black anti-glare panel goes too far down, which means the thick cheatline ends too early. At the rear the thick cheatline curves upwards too early, making it too wide at the bottom of the tail. This gives the blue parts a more square ratio instead of rectangular. It also has the orange wingtips and blue color on the engine pylons, but those blue parts are too small. Score: 7.5 / 10 Logos, titles and stickers While so far the model scores pretty good, from now on it will be less positive. Starting off with the Cubana titles; The font is good, but they are too small and should be more forward. The color should be dark blue, like on the tail, but are printed black on the model. Score: 6 / 10 Other details Here it's even more bad news. The registration is too small, printed black instead of blue and there should be more white space inbetween the letters and numbers. The registration is missing on the wings. The Cuban flag is printed quite well, but should be a little higher and closer to the cockpit windows. The front door is placed well relative to the nosegear, while it should be more forward together with the nosegear, I will not deduct points as I think it's better this way. The navigator windows all point upwards and don't connect so well with the grey nosecone, which itself is also not painted straight. A window underneath the wings is missing and the large rear doors don't go upwards too much, they should go into the thick cheatline as can be seen here . There is a little bit of detailling around the model which I appreciate, as otherwise it would look too much like a toy. Score: 3,5 / 10 Paint and printing QC It would not make sense to score the QC of paint and printing, as this model is 20 years old. One noteworthy issue is that they forgot to put silver paint on one of the engines. Score: - / 10 Mould QC The seams are tight and much better than some models we see released today. There is a mould seam visible on top, which they didn't sand properly. While some parts are not very accurate, the quality control is very nice and I don't see any other issues. Score: 9 / 10 Conclusion The total score is 34,5 / 5 = 6.9, which is a little higher than I expected. Just like with the mould, this model is totally fine for people who are happy to have an IL-76 for a lower price and look at models from a little distance. The mould is totally acceptable and for lots of people the printing is good enough. If you made it all the way to the end of this article and think "this quality is too low, but I still want an IL-76", then try your luck by posting on Facebook, the forums or visit an aviation fair. - Mark Retrohangardiecast on Instagram Mark22 on MAF, 400SH, DAC and DIMA Want to collaborate or let me review your product? Send me a message via the channels mentioned above! All pictures are mine (unless stated otherwise) and may not be used without my permission!

When I first heard about Phoenix working on the IL-96-400 mould, I was very excited. There are very few liveries they can make, but three are already available with two more on pre-order. After some hesitation about which one to get, I bought the Atlant-Soyuz which is now displayed among the other Ilyushins and Tupolevs in my collection. This is actually my first new Phoenix purchase in about two years, so lets take a look at how the quality is in 2024. Operational history of the aircraft First lets take a quick look at the history of this particular aircraft. The IL-96-400 is basically an IL-96M (which is a stretched IL-96-300) equipped with Russian avionics and engines. The RA-96101 was delivered in 1997 as an IL-96M, carrying four PW engines and was used as testbed. During this time it was wearing the recognizable classic Aeroflot livery. Around 2008 it was modified into a IL-96-400T, meaning the western PW engines were replaced by Russian made Aviadvigatel PS-90A1. It started operating for Atlant-Soyuz, which was a Moscow-based airline that seized cargo operations in 2010. The red-white-blue livery didn't last long, as the aircraft was painted into the colors of Polet Flight in the spring of 2009. Unfortunately this service was also for a short time, because it has been in storage at Aerodrom Pridacha since 2013. Current sattelite images on Google Maps only show a couple IL-96-300's, so it's unknown to me whether it's moved or scrapped. Review As usual there are 6 parts that will be given between 1 and 10 points, 1 being the lowest and 10 being perfect. In the end the average of these scores will be the final score. Accuracy of colors The colors are simple as they represent the red-white-blue from the Russian flag. On some pictures the blue color seems a little more faded (and thus lighter), but to me the model shows what it looked like with fresh paint, so no reason to deduct any points. Score: 10 / 10 Livery The livery containts a red belly at the front with the blue color taking over towards the rear. The front half of the engines are blue, the wingtips red and the tail represents the Russian flag. Phoenix did a great job here as I can't find any major issues. Something you could notice is that the blue and red color seperate exactly at the wingjoint while on the real thing the red color should be lower at this point. However, I think this is because the wingbox of the mould is not fat enough, meaning you can't really fix it in the arwork without compromising somewhere else. The only clear issue I could find is the blue color being too close to the horizontal stabilizers. Everything else is pretty much perfect. Score: 9,5 / 10 Logos, titles and stickers There are some complex titles and logos. The Atlant-Soyuz titles at the front are in English on one side of the fuselage and Russian on the other side. The "ATLANT-SOYUZ" text and logo are very well done, but the smaller red titles should be fatter and a little more darker. The sticker with the horse is very detailled and Phoenix replicated it nicely. The Russian flag has the grey shade behind it, which has a very slight offset to the top-right. Near the cockpit there are "Ilyushin Finance Co." titles, again in English on one side and Russian on the other. All letters should be capitalized, so a minor issue there. The IL96-400T text is accurate, being written as "IL96·400T". The registration can be found on the top and bottom of the wings and the rear of the fuselage. The font and positioning are both good. Score: 9 / 10 Other details The IL-96-400T has one aerial at the front and a small bump in the middle. Phoenix printed the latter, which in my opinion is fine. The cargodoor could have had one or two additional details as it looks a little empty now, but overall there is plenty of detailling on the fuselage and engines with nothing to complain about. Phoenix is relatively cheap (here in Europe at least), showing that you don't need to pay premium prices to get nice detailling. There is some detailling on the top of the wings, which I assume is similar to the "NO STEP" markings you see on other aircraft. I couldn't find a picture of the Atlant-Soyuz livery that has these, but here: https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/6/4/3/1574346.jpg?v=v40you you can see the RA-96101 that clearly shows the marking being on the front side, not the rear. Score: 9 / 10 Paint and printing QC Overall the paint looks good, some tiny smudges here and there but nothing really bad. The only noticable issue is the front door being a little messy, which is something I missed when checking the model at the store. Score: 9 / 10 Mould QC Being a brand "new" mould there shouldn't be any major issues and this is indeed the case for this model. No noticable gaps or assymetricly placed parts. The main landing gear points inwards a little and some wheels are too far apart (I can't push them closer). Overall I'm satisfied with the QC. Score: 9 / 10 Conclusion The total score is 55,5 / 6 = 9.3, which is the second highest of my reviews so far. Despite looking like a simple livery, Phoenix did a good job with replicating the more difficult elements. I'm also very happy that they made this mould; not only because I like Ilyushins, but also because it shows that manufacturers are willing to invest in moulds that have very few options to release and that they actually use it. NG and JC/GJ should take notes, as they seem to forget about half of their mould catalogue. - Mark Retrohangardiecast on Instagram Mark22 on MAF, 400SH, DAC and DIMA Want to collaborate or let me review your product? Send me a message via the channels mentioned above! All pictures are mine (unless stated otherwise) and may not be used without my permission!

For my reviews I normally look at the model, write what's good and bad and end with a final score. This time it will be a little different, because I will compare the model with the artwork, check what feedback they used or ignored and determine whether an issue is related to QC. Please keep in mind that this article is about the Hangar Club release, which is a TU-154M, unlike the regular Aeroclassics release, which is a TU-154B. If you are interested in becoming a member and get access to these very limited models, let me know with a comment below or send a message on any of the forums. Operational history of the aircraft This TU-154M was delivered to SKA Slovak Airlines in January 1998 as OM-AAA and then flew for Abakan-Avia under the same registration. In the summer of 2004 it was taken over by Pulkovo and got painted into the blue livery that this Club model wears. Pulkovo merged with Rossiya in October 2006 and in 2007 the aircraft recieved the large red Rossiya titles, while keeping the blue colors. Its final operator was South East Airlines in August 2011, but two years later it was put into storage at Saint-Petersburg and eventually got scrapped. The artwork Now lets take a look at the first version of the artwork, which was made in January 2024, and check what they did with the feedback I provided. I was quite pleased with how everything looked. The colors, titles, details and registration are placed pretty much perfectly, so no complaints here. There were still plenty of improvements, so let's go by them one by one and see if and how they fixed it. Picture by Pertti Sipilä: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/193516/RA-85834 1) Firstly the font of the registration. As can be seen in the pictures above, the "RA", "5" and "4" are clearly off. Which is weird, because for the small TU-154 sticker underneath the cockpit windows they already used the correct font. The factory fixed the "RA" and "5" on the wings, but not the "4" and nothing changed for the registration on the engine. On the regular Aeroclassics Pulkovo TU-154B (RA-85552) everything is correct though, so this is another example of inconsistency from the factory. 2) The blue color already looked decent, but a little too dark. Using some references I showed what the blue color should look like and they got it pretty much spot on. When looking for Pulkovo TU-154's on internet, you will find other tones of blue aswell, but this one is the most common. At first I thought the old GeminiJets release was way too light, but there are pictures where it matches quite well. Was it just the camera? Who knows... 3) In the artwork there were no raingutters above the doors. In my feedback I marked each door that should have one and they did exactly that. They didn't just put one above each door, which I expected them to do, so I'm happy to know they can fix things the correct way and not take the lazy route. I hope it's visible in the pictures 4) Add the silver square element above the engine. Not sure what it is, but it's present on the model. They added it on both sides though, which is incorrect. It's also placed too far forwards. See the pictures above to see what I am talking about. 5) Add a thin curving line underneath the red sticker, behind the cockpit. Something you will barely notice, but more details is always better. The old GeminiJets version has this too, so it would be embarraring when a 20 year old model has more detail. 6) Two pitot tubes underneath the red sticker were added. Aeroclassics normally doesn't add these for their Tupolevs as far as I know. It's no secret that NG has much better fuselage details on their TU-154's, but something simple like this is already enough to make me want to buy it. Without tiny details like these, the fuselage would feel so empty and the model appears cheap. 7) The red light on top of the vertical stabilizer was missing in the artwork. Again a small detail, but it's such a simple thing to add. Maybe 20 years ago it would have been acceptable, but in this day with 2024 prices it's the minimum amount of detail you may expect. Unfortunately not all of my feedback was used: 1) No door handles, which could have been a simple grey line. Now the doors look empty, so I hope that future models will have at least something to make them somewhat competitive with Phoenix' TU-154's. 2) No registration number on the nosegeardoors. The numbers would have been so small that I doubt the AC factory could print them straight and readable, so maybe it's better like this. Conclusion My expectations were low, as the factory messes up quite often, which made me worry that this sought after model (for me) would be another victim. Luckily they got the most important things right, but still it has some obvious flaws that could and should have been fixed. If this was a regular review, it would score a ~7 out of 10, which is not bad at all. Thanks to Andrew for letting me check the artwork of the TU-154's and allowing me to share the artwork poster. I'm very happy that someone made this livery as it was high on my wishlist and I don't expect Phoenix or NG to make this livery anytime soon. - Mark Retrohangar Diecast on Instagram Mark22 on MAF, 400SH, DAC and DIMA Want to collaborate or let me review your product? Send me a message via the channels mentioned above! All pictures are mine (unless stated otherwise) and may not be used without my permission! Sources: Pertti Sipilä https://www.airhistory.net/photo/193516/RA-85834 Kas van Zonneveld https://www.airhistory.net/photo/363936/RA-85834 Eduard Brantjes https://www.airliners.net/photo/Pulkovo-Airlines/Tupolev-Tu-154M/910024

If you follow YankeeVictor400 on Instagram (@yankeevictor400) you might have recently seen a post showing something a bit different from the usual content. When you are an avid airplane model collector you start to develop an appreciation for miniature replicas of other objects. The toy in this article is not a replica per se, as it does not attempt to resemble a real object, but it is extremely well made. My son loves Elmo and cars, so when I came across it on a fortuitous visit to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka I knew I had to get it. When we finally opened the box back home in Texas, I realized what a little masterpiece of a toy this was. I decided to take some photos before it succumbed to the hands of a toddler, which it quickly did, unfortunately. The car received the same photographic treatment that my most cherished airplane models usually get. Enjoy:

La vida de este aparato fue bastante simple, pero eso no impide extraer interesantes anécdotas de su historia. El avión, un Douglas DC-8-53, fue entregado a KLM el primero de mayo de 1961 - exactamente hoy hace 63 años, y no lo planeé. En ese entonces llevaba la matrícula holandesa PH-DCK y el nombre Admiral Richard E Byrd (reconocido aviador pionero Estadounidense). En junio de 1976 avión pasa a manos de Viasa bajo arrendamiento, y recibe la matrícula venezolana YV-132C. La cooperación de Viasa y KLM fue extensiva, lo que hace que la lealtad que KLM mantuvo por muchos años hacia Douglas (y luego McDonnell Douglas) haya sido reflejada en la composición de la flota que Viasa tuvo durante los setenta y ochenta. Viasa devolvió el avión en marzo de 1984, pero este nunca volvió a servir con ninguna otra aerolínea o en alguna operación comercial. Cuatro años mas tarde fue desguazado en Miami. Otras matrículas que el avión portó incluyen N9605Z y N4980Y. La primera utilizada por Douglas para los vuelos de prueba, y la segunda por la International Air Leases Inc., empresa que se encargo de su desguace. La matrícula YV-132C luego fue utilizada en un Boeing 727-287 que Viasa operó entre diciembre de1995 y noviembre de 1996. En mi colección poseo dos réplicas de este avión en la libra de Viasa, uno en escala 1:400 y otro en escala 1:200. Ambos producidos por Aeroclassics. Foto del avión real el primer día de la década de los ochenta en el Aeropuerto Intercontinental de Houston (IAH) por George Hamlin. Foto contiene enlace a la fuente:

DC-10-30 YV-135C por LatinClassics en escala 1:400 El avión real fue entregado a Viasa el 26 de julio de 1978. Junto al YV-136C y YV-137C, fue uno de tres DC-10 que se compraron a raíz del boom petrolero causado por el embargo de la OPEP en el 73. Con esos tres aviones la flota de DC-10 llegó a cinco, ya que otros dos originalmente de KLM se operaban desde el 73/74. Este avión se accidentó en Buenos Aires - Ezeiza el 26 de noviembre de 1993 tras aterrizar en medio de un chubasco. No se perdieron vidas, pero el avión nunca volvió a volar. Luego del accidente el YV-135C fue reemplazado por un DC-10 ex-Iberia que recibió la matrícula YV-139C. El modelo a escala porta la librea con los tres tonos de azul que Viasa implementó a finales de los ochenta. Fue producido por GeminiJets para la difunta tienda AdamJets. Sin embargo, el empaque utilizado corresponde a la serie LatinClassics de la marca Aeroclassics, lo que hace que aveces el modelo sea asociado con dicha marca. Disfruten: Click here for the English version of this tale

DC-10-30 YV-135C by LatinClassics in 1:400 scale. The real airplane was delivered to Viasa on July 26, 1978. Together with YV-136C and YV-137C, it became one of three DC-10s acquired in the aftermath of the oil boom brought up by the OPEC embargo of 1973. With these three airplanes, the DC-10 fleet grew to five, as two other original KLM airframes had been operating for Viasa since 1973/1974. This aircraft suffered an accident at Buenos Aires - Ezeiza on November 26, 1993 when it overran the runway after landing amid inclement weather. There were no fatalities, but the airplane never flew again. An ex-Iberia DC-10 with registration YV-139C joined Viasa to replace YV-135C. The scale model sports Viasa's thre-shades-of-blue livery from the late 1980s. It was produced by GeminiJets exclusively for the defunct store AdamJets. However, the models were packaged in boxes intended for Aeroclassic's LatinClassic series, which is why the model is often associated with Aeroclassics. Enjoy: Haga click aquí para la versión en Español de esta historia

To highlight their exclusivity in aerospace circles, it has been said that there were fewer Concorde pilots than astronauts during the years the supersonic airliner was active. But very little is said about another group of aerospace professionals that was even more exclusive: The Flight Engineers of Southwest Airlines. Southwest has - almost - always been a 737-only operator. In fact, they have consistently been the largest 737 operator in the world for several years, and have operated more than 1200 aircraft of the type (not at once). The fleet uniformity has been one of the many factors that have contributed to Southwest's success. But during two different periods in 1979 and the mid-1980s a different type of Boeing aircraft briefly wore the Southwest livery, the 727-200. The 737 is designed and certified to be flown by two pilots, whereas the 727 requires a third person in the cockpit: a Flight Engineer. This is why being a Southwest Flight Engineer was such a distinction among the flight crews of well-established airlines. Southwest operated a total of seven 727-200s. The first one was a 727-291 originally delivered to Frontier in 1968 as N7276F, and acquired by Braniff in 1972, which re-registered it as N406BN. Braniff leased the jet to Southwest in 1979 as part of an anti-trust settlement. Yeah, Southwest earned itself a few enemies in the Dallas area during the seventies. N406BN was used by Southwest for 10 months on what was their busiest route at the time: Dallas-Love Field to Houston-Hobby. Later, in the mid-eighties, the 727-200 joined the Southwest ranks once more. This time, six 727-227s leased from People Express were used on new longer flights for which the 737-200 did not have the legs. These airplanes were sort of a stopgap while the airline waited for the more capable 737-300. Okay, so that was the aviation history part of this article. Now let's move on to the airplane model collector bit. Here I have two -tiny- 1:400 scale replicas of N406BN, Southwest's first 727-200. The first one was produced by a brand called Aeroclassics in 2009, and quickly sold out. Recently, another brand, the more mainstream GeminiJets, released N406BN in 1:400 scale again. Since the two models attempt to replicate the same airplane in 1:400 scale, they should be identical, right? Not quite, not even close in fact. You see, scale models are works of art, so when two model brands attempt to replicate the same airplane, we get two different artistic representations of the same subject. Just like artists, diecast airplane model brands have their unique signatures. Let's look at photos of the two models, and compare them. Is one better than the other? Can we learn any peculiarities about this aircraft through these scale models? Can you spot all the differences!? Southwest Airlines 727 Aeroclassics vs. GeminiJets Real Deal Images linked to source: Thoughts Much has been said about the accuracy of the colors of both models. N406BN was notorious for wearing a slightly greener version of Southwest mustard color that differentiated it from the rest of the 737 fleet. Aeroclassics seems to have exaggerated this a little bit. It has been pointed out that GeminiJets went with the standard Southwest Mustard Rocket colors worn by current 737s on their representation of N406BN. To me, that seems to be the case. The color issue is not that big of a deal to me, as the real airplane could look like either model in real life depending on the lighting. A bigger issue that I had not noticed until I started comparing the two models is that Aeroclassics omitted the two most forward passenger windows on the port side, and placed the Southwest titles too far back, aligned with the titles on the starboard side. In reality, the Southwest titles were justified with the 1L and 1R doors, which are staggered. GeminiJets got it right. One last thing on the livery artwork, Aeroclassics depicted a grey access panel below the reg. on the port side, which is not present on the real aircraft. The GeminiJets model enjoys antennas (one at least) and modern printed details. I also like the overall shape of Gemini's 727 better, especially the nose section. Two things I prefer about the Aeroclassics example are the shape of the number 2 engine intake and the size of the nosewheel tires. Ironically, the GJ 727-200 mold used to be comparable to the Aeroclassics one in those areas, but things have evolved for the worse. As you can see in the photo below, older GJ 727-200 nosewheel tires were less detailed but better sized. Also, while the horizontal stabilizer seam on the tail has been eliminated, its overall shape suffered, including the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer and the characteristic tail engine (#2) intake. So, is one of the two representations of N406BN better than the other? That's for you to decide! I like the GeminiJets "refreshed" version better, but the Aeroclassics one remains a valid option, I think. Special thanks to George Hamlin for allowing the use of his photos of N406BN in this article.