Recently I attended Airliners International 2023 and one of the treasures I found there was a 1:400 scale model of Viasa DC-10 YV-135C in their early 1990s livery. This is the fourth copy I acquire of this model; my favorite aircraft model ever. Every time I find one of these rather rare models for a reasonable price, I feel the same rush that I felt the first time. But don’t worry if you are also after one of these moderately sought-after orange-tailed gems, I am just about done hoarding them. This model is the one that got me into 1:400 scale. Before I knew what I was getting into, my goal was to get one of these as a decorative item for my bedroom. It was 2009 and these were hard sold out. They did pop on eBay every few months, but always commanded high prices in the $70-$90 range and even more (much more) in some cases. So not quite an ultra-rare model, but not an easy one to get a hold of either. After missing out on a few eBay auctions, I won one auction about nine months into the hunt. Even though nine months is nothing in terms of hunting down a rare model, at the time it felt like an eternity. As it turns out, the model was Todd Johnson’s example, he was one of the 400 Scale Hangar owners at the time, and the model had already gotten some fame thanks to his signature photos. This particular model has a unique birthmark: a small paint chip behind the wing on the right side. It is the one YV-135C, out of the four I have, that I keep on display. Lo and behold, only a few months later I got another one from one of the Waffle Collectibles collection sales for dirt cheap. I used these two models to recreate some very nostalgic scenes of Maiquetía Airport. Then I stopped looking for these until I decided that I needed to expand my diorama, and thus would eventually have enough space to fit the entire Viasa DC-10 fleet (5 aircraft). So, after a decade had passed, I found my third copy of YV-135, also from a Waffle collection sale, but for about three times the price that I had paid the last time. Still, it was considered a somewhat reasonable price for this model. I ended up getting a store credit because the model arrived with significant damage around the tail area, due to a loose stabilizer that created several scratches (a first for me). And then on the morning of the second day of Airliners International 2023, I was greeted by Paresh, the new owner of the 400 Scale Hangar, who told me that Scott from the Squatchy’s Diecast Hangar store had just set up a collection full of rare stuff on his table and that a Viasa DC-10 was there. I ran to the table and Scott offered me a deal that I just couldn’t pass. In the photo below you can see all four of them. The damaged one, which is still waiting to be painted, can be easily found. There have always been some questions about this model since it comes in an Aeroclassics box, but it was cast using the GeminiJets mold. Neither brand has ever claimed the model as one of their releases. But as luck would have it, Andrew Klein, the owner of Aeroclassics, happened to be walking by right after I purchased the model, so I took the opportunity to ask him what he knew about its origins. This model was exclusively produced for AdamJets by GeminiJets. Apparently, it is because of this that it was not included on the GeminiJets corresponding set of releases: October 2005. No one seems to know exactly why the models ended up being packed in Aeroclassics/LatinClassics boxes. But it could be a case of “it was what was available,” since the two companies shared a factory at the time, or a cost-saving alternative to the GJ flip-top boxes. What we know is that Andrew only found out that these models were packed using his boxes only after it had already been done. The LatinClassics boxes in which these models came are the only ones that I have seen with the airline logo and aircraft type printed on them. This purchase was perpetuated by Todd from GeminiJets who is very active on Instagram and was hard at work documenting the convention via social media. I’m not sure if I will ever get the fifth one to complete the Viasa DC-10 fleet, maybe I will if a deal comes my way, but I’m not actively looking for another one at this time, and I am certainly not willing to pay the prices that some retailers are asking for currently (there are a couple at $100+ online). I also don’t think I will modify the registrations (except the one that came damaged, which needs some work regardless), but rather just use composition and software to prevent duplicates to be seen on diorama scenes. By the way it is going to be a while before I have my new diorama ready, but since I am talking about it, I will share a sneak pic: Happy collecting. Jorge A. Zajia

Aviation enthusiasts and professionals, as well as the general public, came together at the Airliners International 2023 convention held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas on June 22-24, 2023. Besides being a great place to find historic aviation material and collectibles, the convention also offered the opportunity to put faces to names (or user names), meet new people, and catch up with old friends and acquaintances. In the era of social media, I find that the opportunity to interact face-to-face is one of the most important aspects of the convention. Airliners International 2023 was particularly special in that it allowed the younger generation of aviation enthusiasts to connect with the old guard, which is essential in order to keep the passion for the aviation industry alive and carry it into future generations. Between walking around the tables looking for hidden gems and talking to people, I did not take as many photos as I would have liked to, but I still managed to get a fair amount of material to capture the essence of the show. Enjoy: Buchair table: Below you can get an idea of the crowd shortly after the doors openned at noon on Thursday. In the foreground, you can see the table of the Airplane Shop, which had some decent discounts going. Next to them was one of the editors of Airways Magazine with a huge collection of long-sold-out GeminiJets, which unfortunately was not priced to sell briskly. And behind them, the GeminiJets table being manned by Todd from @toddmodels A very large cutaway replica of DC-8-51 N8008D (demonstrator) was located on one of the corners of the main hall. There was an additional smaller exhibition hall behind it. NG Models samples: Mr. Russell, one of the oldest members of the Diecast Aircraft Forum, and "member of the board" at GeminiJets: The Aeroclassics table. The 1:200 Viasa DC-8 next to the American 720 would be mine shortly after this picture was taken: Donnie from the DG Pilot store and Model Airliner Magazine. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet: Texan Airplane Store: Day Two: A larger crowd on Friday morning. Some extra tables were set up also. You can see YouTuber Noel Philips on the left edge of the frame. He did a seminar later in the day. These airplane tails seem to always be present at these shows. "Mr. Inflatable Southwest 737 hat" in the background. Ms. Aimée Bratt. Retired Pan Am Flight Attendant and author. Also a familiar face in the airline-collectible show circuit: There were plenty of aviation slide films: These KLM houses are also always present: West Coast Die-cast table: The Grayland Station table had some nice 747 posters for sale: Mr. Scott from Suqatchy's Die-cast Hangar talking with Todd from GeminiJets: Squatchy's had the best 1:400 collection sale in terms of variety and prices. Unfortunately, they arrived a day late due to a flight cancelation. It is a bit sad to see Herpa Wings, once the most prominent brand of small-scale precision aircraft models, fade away from the mainstream. Enhanced Aircraft Models specializes in enhancing stock die-cast aircraft with extra details such as lights and antennas. You can find their products on eBay. LA-Center table: The younger crowd scrutinizing NG sample molds late on day 2. While some more people come to check out the NG samples, Paresh (400 Scale Hangar), and Connor (Model Airliner Forum/Redriver Aviation) sit with Dan (West Coast Die-cast), to let their legs rest after a lot of walking and standing. And that was the last picture I took of the show floor on the second day before I grabbed that empty chair myself. Shortly afterward I helped Dan pack up for the night and everyone headed out to dinner in small groups. I stopped by for a bit during day three to say goodbye and pick up some last deals but did not take any photos. As stated earlier, there was much more on the show floor than what I captured with my camera. Not to mention the seminars, tours, and dinner gatherings. All in all, it was a lot of fun and a nice break from the computer screen. If you have the opportunity to attend one of these conventions, don't let it pass! Jorge A. Zajia

Recently, Phoenix Models announced the release of three British Airways 747s in 1:400 scale. A -136 (G-AWNP), a -236B (G-BDXO), and a -436 (G-BNLC). The Phoenix 747-100/200 and -400 molds in 1:400 scale are widely criticized. Some of the faults that have earned the molds their bad rap are well documented by Richard Stretton in an article on his site Yesterday's Airlines. But, are those faults enough of a reason for collectors to blindly ignore every 741/2/3/4 model that Phoenix releases in 1:400 scale? And, can't similar faults be found on other 1:400 scale molds that are not criticized as widely as the Phoenix 747s? Hopefully, you will have your own answer to the first one of those questions after reading through this write-up. As far as the second question goes, I honestly don't know the answer, nor do I plan on trying to find it, but I thought it would be good food for thought. Out of the three recent British Airways Landor c/s releases by Phoenix Models I added two to my collection (the -136 and the -236) during a visit to Airplane Models @ SG (highly recommended!). I did pass on the -436, but mainly due to a printing issue that I saw on a picture, and taking into account that I already had a very nice example of the same type/livery combo. So, how do the -136 and -236B produced by Phoenix look? Well, obviously they looked good enough to me as I ended up dropping some cash for them, but here I will offer some comparison shots for you to make your own conclusions. Unfortunately, I started collecting 1:400 scale models in 2009, which means that by then all the BA Landor 747s that had been produced in 2004 using the BigBird mold (the gold standard for 747s in 1:400 scale) were effectively out-of-reach. However, I was actively collecting in 2012 when InFlight400 released a pair of BA Landor jumbos. On that opportunity, I did purchase a -236B (G-BDXI). Here I will share some pictures of the InFlight400 model so that we can compare the new Phoenix releases with it. The InFlight400 classic 747 mold (also used by Aviation400 and Witty Wings) is actually a short-lived improved version of the BigBird mold, and it is considered the absolute best 747 mold that has ever seen the light in 1:400 scale. So in that sense, it is a great reference to evaluate what is considered the worst 747 mold in 1:400 scale. However, the InFlight400 releases suffered from quality and finish issues. The finish on the Phoenix releases is actually very good. So with all that out of the way let me lets take a look at the models. All photos were taken under the same lighting, at the same focal length, with the same exposure settings, with the camera in the same exact position, with the models placed almost on the same spot, and received no post-processing other than auto-sharpening (fixed settings). Profile From this angle, you can see that while the Phoenix lines around the nose are not as refined as they should, they don't look half as bad when the cockpit windows are properly placed, as they are on these two models (thankfully!). You can also see that Phoenix placed the nose landing gear a bit aft of where it should be. I'm thinking they might have done this to prevent the nose wheel from not touching the ground, or the model sitting nose low. Those are fairly common problems with 1:400 747s, and coincidentally my InFlight400 BA Landor 742 suffers from this, as you can see in the photos. If that is indeed the reason Phoenix mispositioned their 741/2/3/4 NLG, then they solved a problem by creating another one, unfortunately. Finally, you can see the Phoenix wings hanging far too low. But I actually don't think this is that big of a problem, as I actually think that real 747 wings tend to hang lower than what most 1:400 747s portray. Phoenix certainly went too far in this area though. There are other details that could be discussed, such as pylons, etc. Port Nose The Phoenix examples, by virtue of being 2023 releases, enjoy a higher level of detail such as radome outline and antennas. As I mentioned before, they also have a fresh-looking finish, though not quite as neat as NG, for example. I'd like to point out that from this angle my InFlight400 example seems to have too high of a wing angle (dihedral), which exaggerates even more the lack of dihedral on Phoenix's 747s. By looking around my collection I would say that the dihedral found on original BigBird cradle-wing-mount examples is not as pronounced. Starboard Aft Fuselage Not much to say here on my part. Top Down View From this angle, another problem with the Phoenix mold becomes apparent: The junction between the wing leading edge and the fuselage is streamlined like it was on the -400 (and late production -300s), which is incorrect for 747-100s and 200s. Honestly, this detail had not downed on me until it was pointed out by fellow collectors. Early Herpa 747-200s also suffer from this. I'm guessing Phoenix might have done this in favor of their 747-400F, which uses the same fuselage as the -100/200 (short upper deck), but the regular -400 wing. An unwarranted amount of laziness on Phoenix's part if my assumption is correct, but hey, at least Phoenix 747-400Fs (not BCFs) might actually be better than what we thought! Color Comparisons There are as many different shades of the British Airways Landor pearl grey top as there have been models released with the livery. At first glance, one can easily tell that the Phoenix ones look too light. This becomes evident when placed next to a GeminiJets -436 release from 2013 (G-CIVI), which is my favorite BA Landor model by the way. However, when placed next to an NG Models L1011 that was released in late 2022 (G-BHBR), the recent Phoenix releases seem to be pretty much in line with NG, though not exactly the same tone. Looking at my full 1:400 collection of British Airways aircraft in the Landor livery the inconsistency of the pearl grey top is evident, even among releases by the same manufacturer in one case. The opinions among collectors as to which manufacturer got it right are equally as varied. I personally think that GeminiJets 747-436 G-CIVI is the closest one to the real thing, but in the end, they all look like scale models of British Airways aircraft in the Landor livery alright to me. Livery As far as I can tell, Phoenix did an excellent job researching the livery of G-AWNP as it looked in the 1990s. This includes the Royal Mail logo located next to the reg. on the port side, and printing the correct aircraft name for that era "Hanningfield Water" on the correct position. The only thing that I noticed is that there is a mast on the far aft lower fuselage missing from the model. There is no hole for it either, so it is an omission by Phoenix and not a missing part. Thanks to Barison82 over at the Diecast Aircraft Forum for this great article that helped me figure what where the correct livery details for this aircraft. G-BDXO also seems to have had its livery largely well replicated, with the minor exception that, according to the only two pictures I could find of the aircraft wearing "The World's Biggest Offer" titles, the Royal Mail logo should have been under the port reg. and not next to it, as it is on the model. This one does have an additional mast on the bottom aft fuselage but seems to be in the incorrect place. Am I Happy with Them? You bet! As you can see, my British Airways Landor collection is limited to four general aircraft types. These are the British Airways aircraft that visited my home country, Venezuela, wearing the Landor livery, with the exception of the L1011s -1. Out of those aircraft, the only ones that I got to see in real life (and have some pretty cool memories of) are the 747s, mainly the -400s. But because of the way things have unfolded in 1:400 scale, I ended up with a relatively high number of L1011s in my Landor collection, and while I loved to see all those Landor tails next to each other, it was odd to see the TriStar being the most prominent aircraft type given my particular connection with the livery. In an attempt to add more 747s to my Landor collection, and make it more appealing to my eyes, I went ahead and purchased that very old British Asia Airways 747-436 by GeminiJets that you can easily find there. And then I also made a fantasy custom using a JC Wings blank 747-400 with GE engines. With the addition of the two short-upper-deck Phoenix 747s my BA Landor shelf has become so much more pleasant to my eyes. Are There Any Other Options? Turns out that not many at this time. But let's see what else could I have done: 1) Pay $500 to this guy on eBay for a 19-year-old BigBird 747-400, which - with the erroneous font prominently displayed - doesn't even live up to its perceived status of being a premium model. Even if I was such a spendthrift, that will only get me one (1) more 747 for my BA Landor collection. 2) I could just abstain and wait until, if ever, a new top-notch British Airways 747s in the Landor livery gets released. Turns out I don't find any of the options above exactly appealing. I am okay with waiting, but not with abstaining while at it - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The reality is that there are no good options for collectors wanting to add 747s in the British Airways Landor c/s to their collections, and the same is true for other airlines with iconic classic liveries. Too bad that this is largely because a certain brand is using its leverage in the industry to strongarm other brands and prevent them from releasing the very classics that we can't get enough of in 1:400 scale. Just because they get a boost on their ego when they see their ten-year-old releases go for absurd prices on the second-hand market. But I digress... Jorge A. Zajia

Just like it is for many other aviation enthusiasts, the British Airways Landor livery is one of my all-time favorites. This year there has been quite a bit going on in the die-cast world around this iconic livery with a lot of releases and announcements (most of them rather controversial) You can click here if you want to see how the early 2023 Landor 747-100 and -200 released by Phoenix turned out. On a personal level, one of my first purchases of 2023 put an end to a multi-year hunt for a 1:400 scale British Airways Concorde in the Landor livery (GeminiJets G-BOAB). And as if that wasn’t enough, a few months later I found the only other BA Landor Concorde in 1:400 scale (Herpa G-BOAE). With all this happening I think it is a good time to share my thoughts on why the British Airways Landor livery is liked so much by many. His name was Walter Landor, a genius of corporate branding and the creator of Landor Associates (today Landor & Fitch). The company is behind some of the most iconic corporate images around the world. In the commercial aviation industry dozens of flag carriers ow their public image to Landor. But among all of the airlines that have, or have had, the name Landor attached to their liveries and corporate images, British Airways is probably the one that stands out the most. In 1984 British Airways as we know it today was only ten years old, though its roots can be traced back for about a century, and it was then when the airline resourced to Landor associates in search of a new corporate image. A few years later, in February 1987 (only a few months before I was born) the airline was privatized, and a rapid growth campaign that was already underway intensified. As a result, I grew up during a time in which British Airways was doing the same and proudly displaying its eye-catching Landor livery and corporate image. British Airways' Landor livery consisted of a midnight blue belly that extend right up to the bottom of the passenger windows line, where it met with a pearl grey that covered the entire top of the fuselage. Along the midnight blue belly ran a long subtle “brilliant red” line that culminated on the lower forward fuselage with the Speedwing logo. The company titles were located on the upper forward fuselage, just above the passenger windows. The tail design consisted of a quarter of the Union flag with the British Airways Coat of Arms prominently displayed on the top section of it. In spite of the rather dull pearl grey top cover, the contrast with the midnight blue belly, and the accent given by the brilliant red of the Speedwing gave a fresh and lively touch to the otherwise profoundly elegant livery. The livery seemed to have been tailored for the 747. The aircraft’s main deck window line position in relation to the nose cone was such that the split between the blue belly and grey top cut right through the middle of the radome, making the livery look particularly sharp when applied to the jumbos. The British Airways titles stood prominently, framed by the enlarged forward fuselage area resulting from the jumbo’s upper deck. The livery looked its best on the 747-400, whose longer upper deck allowed the titles to be enlarged. The livery was also well suited for other widebody aircraft, though I have always thought that the #2 engine of the DC-10s did get in the way of the tail artwork. On narrowbody aircraft, while still stylish, the livery didn’t always fit as neatly as it did on the big boys, particularly the 747s. An exception to this is, of course, Concorde, which due to technical reasons had to wear a mostly white adaptation of the livery that suited the aircraft perfectly. It is by far the best attire that Concorde ever wore. Luckily, those of us outside of Europe were mostly exposed to British Airways' long-haul fleet, which meant that we got used to seeing the Landor livery displayed on the aircraft on which it tended to look its best! Sadly, in 1997 British Airways started to phase out the Landor livery with the introduction of the Utopia World Tails and eventually standardized the fleet with the Chatham Dockyard artwork, which was one of the World Tails designs of the Utopia campaign. The Chatham Dockyard livery is not ugly, but I find it underwhelming and fails to stand out in the same way the Landor livery did. For me, the Landor livery inspired a lot of respect and admiration due to its elegance. But its freshness also made it look approachable and inviting. British Airways’ Landor livery fitted perfectly the image that I had of the United Kingdom as a nation with a long history and a significant influence worldwide. I would not have expected the aircraft of the country’s flag carrier to look any other way. I think Landor did well in creating a corporate image that perfectly encapsulated the essence of the airline and, to me, it will always be the firm’s masterpiece. Jorge A. Zajia

Hola, Les doy la bienvenida a Yankee Victor 400. Como su nombre lo indica, este sitio tiene que ver con la aviación venezolana y el numero 400. Y efectivamente se trata de un sitio que agrupa una colección de fotos de modelos de aviones a escala de aerolíneas venezolanas, así como de aerolíneas de otros países que han visitado Venezuela. El número 400 se deriva de la escala 1:400, ya que para la fecha es la escala más representada en la galería de este sitio. Siempre he encontrado el coleccionismo a escala como unos de los pasatiempos aeronáuticos más nobles que existe. Las representaciones en miniatura son una forma muy conmovedora de honrar a estos enigmáticos y hermosos aparatos voladores que nos cautivan a los amantes de la aviación. Los modelos de aerolíneas venezolanas siempre han sido difíciles de conseguir, especialmente porque por muchos años fueron casi inexistentes. Precisamente por eso es que considero que vale la pena crear un sitio como este. Para así poder reunir y preservar para la posteridad una cantidad sustanciosa de material fotográfico e información sobre este tema. Este es mi segundo intento de crear un sitio web sobre modelos a escala Venezolanos. El primero se llamaba Viasa400, y como su nombre lo indica solo contenía modelos de Viasa. Pero ya que poco a poco se han ido produciendo más modelos venezolanos, y más aerolíneas del país han ido apareciendo en el mundo de los aviones a escala, he decido crear un sitio más adecuado para albergar todo este nuevo y creciente material. Por ahora la galería esta compuesta enteramente por las fotos que se encontraban en Viasa400, pero la colección de fotos se expandirá rápidamente. Es más, probablemente cuando usted lea esta historia, ya la galería contenga más que solo Viasa. Saludos,

Hello, I would like to welcome you to Yankee Victor 400. As the name indicates this site has to do with Venezuelan aviation and the number 400. Effectively, this site holds a collection of photos showing scale airplane models of Venezuelan airlines, as well as airlines from other countries that have visited Venezuela. The number 400 comes from 1:400, which is the scale most prominently represented in the site’s gallery to this date. I have always seen scale model collecting as one of the most captivating aviation-related hobbies that exists. These miniature replicas are one of the most sublime ways to honor the enigmatic and graceful flying machines that captivate us aviation lovers. Venezuelan airline models have always been a rarity, mainly because for many years they were almost non-existent. It is precisely because of this that I believe creating a site like this is worth it. So that a considerable amount of photographic material and information on the niche topic of Venezuelan die-cast models can be concentrated and preserved for posterity. This is my second attempt at creating a website about Venezuelan scale models. The first one was called Viasa400, and as the name indicates in only contained Viasa models. But since little by little more Venezuelan models have been produced, and more airlines from the country have entered the die-cast world, I decided to create a more adequate site to store all this new and growing amount of material. For now, the site’s gallery consists mainly of the pictures that were on Viasa400. But the photo collection is going to grow rapidly. In fact, chances are that by the time you are reading this the collection already contains more than just Viasa photos. Regards,

The planets have aligned and I get to share with you an overview of some fresh-from-the-oven releases! Things that came together for me to be able to write this up: 1) Aeroclassics release set for April 2023 included many subjects that fit my criteria and some that could be pushed into the collection with little effort – I had not purchased any new Aeroclassics since last year, though there is a quasi-constant drip of their long sold-out, sought after releases finding their way to the YV400 home. Aeroclassics is also the most prominent model brand in my collection by far, so I’m glad to give them my business once more! 2) I happened to be at home and ready to receive my order – This is a rare opportunity that I must capitalize on, as I spend about 50% of the time miles away, so I have a 50% chance of missing out when new models arrive. Then of course I must earn the right to unbox them after I come back by first taking care of (or pretending that I am taking care of) the honey-do list. 3) The models are within my standards and expectations, hence no need to send any of them back! Though I had to take one or two deep breaths. It's all good! One of the things I love about Aeroclassics is that they announce their releases only after the models have arrived at (most of) their retailers, so there is no need to deal with pre-ordering (we can talk about pre-orders vs. in-stock later). The downside though, is that the popular releases tend to sell out very quickly, and once they are gone, they are gone! While this practice creates a lot of excitement and fun (only when you don’t miss out) around "that time of the month," and it is a decades-long tradition of the Aeroclassics experience, it is this very practice that instigates a lot of the second-hand market shenanigans so prevalent in the world of 1:400 scale (we can also go deeper into this topic later - but I am happy to report that the seconds market seems to be in a valley right now - Yes!). Aeroclassics usually announces their releases on the Friday of the first full week of the month, but for April 2023, the announcement was pushed back to the last Friday of the month due to a factory move that seemingly created some distribution delays. To avoid licensing issues, over the years Aeroclassics have adopted an operational scheme that consists in them essentially outsourcing their molds to a number of different, largely untraceable, company names in China. Out of the eleven 1:400 models announced on April 2023 I got three. If you have read anything put out by me, you likely already know my collecting criteria. If so, feel free to skip this paragraph. But if this is the first time that you come across one of my writings, allow me to fill you in. For me collecting 1:400 scale aircraft models is first and foremost about nostalgia and honoring the joyful past. Therefore, many of the aircraft models I collect are of subjects commonly seen in my home country of Venezuela in the 1980-2000 time frame. I also collect many aircraft that I used to see /fly on during childhood travels between Venezuela and the U.S. during the 1990s. To me, the memories associated with an aircraft/livery combination tend to be more important than the level of perfection of the model, up to a point. With this out of the way, let’s jump into the model talk! My Aeroclassics (and brand names that also use their molds) acquisitions for April 2023: 1) Delta Air Lines Boeing 727-232 Adv. N476DA in the Widget Livery: This one was released alongside a Delta Shuttle example in the same livery registered N414DA, and they were explicitly advertised as Blue Box releases. It should come as no surprise that out of the three major passenger airlines in the U.S. DAL is the one that safeguards their brand and trademarks the most, and model manufacturers seem to be very familiar with this. Delta is an airline that was absent from my 1:400 collection until recently. While Delta had a long history of operations in Venezuela (Delta’s first international destination in South America, and one of their first ones overall, was Caracas in 1953), for some reason I don’t remember much about them from what to me were the “glory days” of commercial aviation in the country. The model that started the Delta branch of my collection was NG’s L1011-1 N725DA in the widget c/s. It is an aircraft that I have no particular association with, but it is a true masterpiece of precision, and probably the most accurate model in 1:400 scale that I own. That model appeals entirely to the rivet counter inside of me (yes, I can count rivets sometimes). Then I found a GeminiJets MD-80 in the widget livery also, and that is an aircraft of which I have fond childhood memories. So when Aeroclassics, I mean Blue Box, announced N476DA the way had been paved already for it to enter my collection switfly. While there were some things that one could certainly point out about the livery execution, by and large, the model was looking really nice, and very quickly it became apparent that it was going to be a hot seller; it was. The Delta widget is an iconic contemporary classic livery, and it looks so good on the 727-200 (by the way, Delta was the larger operator of the type). I can also draw a link between some pleasant memories and that aircraft/livery combo. But what really made this release special was that feeling of managing to get a copy of an Aeroclassics, I mean Blue Box, hot seller right before it sold out in the first 24 hours. That is something that I had not gotten to experience in a while! 2) Pan Am Boeing 727-235 N4738 in the Billboard plus Cheatline Livery Marketed as a Pan Am Model Company (PAMC) release. Pan Am was a very prominent airline in Venezuela and its image remained alive in the country for several years after its bankruptcy in 1991, as Avensa - which had been partly owned by Pan Am between its foundation in 1943 until 1976 - and its subsidiary Servivensa continued to use Pan Am liveries and logos until their own demise in 2003. There was also Pan Am memorabilia always laying around in our house and I got to see their 727s at my home airport just before their bankruptcy, and afterward – along with other types of their fleet – parked at MIA. I already had two Pan Am 727s in my 1:400 collection, and it took me a while to find both of them, so I just couldn’t let a newly released Pan Am 727 go by, even though the livery is rather obscure. This actually is the first Pan Am 727-200 that gets released in 1:400 scale while I am actively collecting. The model has received some criticism, particularly because the blue looks too dark. Indeed, it is a bit too dark, but to me, it is within standards. It fits the image of a Pan Am 727 – in that c/s – that I have in my head. The model, or at least my example, has a couple of minor printing issues. My example also came with a slightly deformed engine #2 exhaust, which is what bothers me the most, but trust me when I tell you that I have my reasons to let this go. In the past, I have returned models because of similar shortcomings. However, this model gets away with its deformity on the tail cone largely because of its location (easy to overlook). This one was a popular one, a lot of people were talking about it, and seems like many have bought it. However, it is still available. I personally think it would have performed a lot better if was wearing one of the more popular, less-niche, Pan Am liveries, even if the livery execution was not perfect (look at the Deltas). 3) Aerolíneas Argentinas Airbus A340-313 LV-CSD. This one was announced as an Aeroclassics release, but you won’t find the Aeroclassics name anywhere in the box. Instead, any unsuspecting individual will be led to think that a company called “Big Bus Models” is behind it. In contrast with the previous two models, this one does not really fit my normal collecting criteria. Also, the livery is anything but sloppy. This one is sharp! I’ll mention a couple of QC observations later. So, Aerolíneas Argentinas has an important place in my collection (though I don’t have a lot of their models), but their current-liveried fleet is just too modern to remind me of the “good old days,” and I did not get to fly in any of their A340s, nor did I photograph them, etc. so that's why this particular model wouldn't normally fit in my collection so easily. However, I had recently gotten the Aerolíneas A332 LV-FVH in the Qatar World Champions livery by Phoenix Models. The Phoenix A332 technically does not fit my criteria either, but it got away due to the historical importance of its livery, and the event it commemorated. But didn’t really have any other model to display it with. I know the Aeroclassics A340-300 mold is superb, so this new release from them came in handy at the right time to give my Phoenix A332 some needed company! So, while the model doesn’t really fit in my current criteria like a glove, meaning that it scores low on sentimental value, it fits the bill pretty well in terms of being a nice work of art. As far as I can tell, the livery is spot on and the printing is solid. Therefore, I am thankful that from that standpoint it is a winner! It will go nicely next to the Phoenix A332, which is also pretty sharp. In fact, I think the Aeroclassics A340 is better than the Phoenix in terms of livery application. Now, it is understood among the collectorate that some brands have been sliding in terms of quality control for a few years now, and for some reason seem to be struggling to bring things back to what they once were. Aeroclassics is one of them. Now let me be clear, contrary to what it might seem initially, the criticism Aeroclassics gets in this (and other) area (s) is actually a good thing. It means that a lot of collectors care about the brand, and seeing it slipping pains them. As sharp as this Aerolíneas A343 is, it is not immune to the QC issues I am talking about. My example has a pretty bad paint smudge but luckily is on one of the wings leading edges, so it really has no effect on the livery, and it is extremely easy to overlook. In the end, I am pleased with my April 2023 Aeroclassics (and associated brands) acquisitions. I reckon that I had to lower my expectations to avoid disappointment (not too much though) and count on luck to some extent. But that is easy to do when the main driver is passion and not the search for the ultimate 1:400 airliner replica. And, of course, there is a lot of brand loyalty involved here. At the end of the day, Aeroclassics is the reason I collect 1:400 scale. Jorge A. Zajia

The prefix for aircraft registered in my home country, Venezuela, is YV (Yankee Victor if we use the phonetic alphabet). Little did I know when I was growing up that years later I would find myself flying for a regional airline in the U.S. whose IATA code was also YV: Mesa Airlines. This was reflected on many of the registrations of Mesa aircraft, which used to end in YV (N…YV). By the time I landed a Mesa we didn’t have any aircraft with the YV included in their reg. left. We had N...MJ (for Mesa Jet), N...FJ (for Freedom Jet, *remember this name*), N...LR (for Larry Risley, the quasi-founder), and the United Express E-175s that I had the privilege to fly based out of my current hometown airport, IAH, had tail numbers that conformed to the Continental Airlines sequence. However, we all were familiar with the YV IATA code. Years before flying for Mesa, a good friend and myself put stickers on our bumpers with the Venezuelan flag and the YV prefix. While working for Mesa I was asked more than once at the employee parking lot if I was so proud of the company to have a Mesa Airlines sticker on my car (or something along those lines, haha…). By the way, I still have that car, but I keep it in a different city as I am no longer based out of IAH. The sticker is still there, perpetually baked onto the paint thanks to more than a decade of sun and rain. Recently a precious model landed in my collection, a Mesa Airlines Fokker F70, and it has a YV (sort of) registration on it! N528YV. It is a model of one of the two F70s that Mesa operated back in the 1990s for America West under the “Express” banner. The other one was registered N527YV, and they were the only two F-70s to ever enter airline service in the U.S. A new airline division was created to operate these aircraft: Desert Sun Airlines. The reason the new airline was created was to circumvent obstacles presented by the respective pilot unions. This was not the first time Mesa would create a new airline for these purposes as in 2002 Freedom Airlines was also created for similar reasons, although Freedom’s story is by far much more controversial. I told you to remember that name. During my time at Mesa, I had the pleasure to meet and fly with a handful of former Desert Sun Fokker F70 pilots. They all were very proud and spoke fondly of the F70. Since the Desert Sun operation only included two airplanes, very few pilots were needed (8 or 10 I believe), so in a way, you could say that they were the U.S. regional airline version of Concorde pilots, haha… Jorge A. Zajia

American Airlines 727-200s in the 1990s livery are a favorite of many collectors from North America and surrounding regions. The very attractive airframe, combined with an iconic - and not less attractive - livery, is associated with a period of great success for American Airlines in which it positioned itself as the largest airline in the world in terms of the number of aircraft. During that time the airline also had a particularly comprehensive route network covering most of the western world. Here I present to you two models representing that aircraft/livery combo: GeminiJets Boeing 727-227 N718AA and Dragon Wings Boeing 727-223 N866AA, both released circa 2000 (wow!) Both molds are well-regarded and similarly good. As you can tell, my GJ example has the cockpit windows a bit high, while the DW one has them a bit too low (how about in the middle – oh well…) I prefer the GJ version myself. I thought at first that the position of the U.S. flag on GJ's N718AA was wrong, but I have subsequently found pictures showing the aircraft wearing the flag as portrayed by the model. Also, note the GJ font is "taller," which seems slightly more accurate. Again, like with the cockpit windows, maybe somewhere in the middle would have been perfect. Check out the pictures below and decide. Photo of N718AA with the U.S. flag in the same position as in the GJ model. Photo of N866AA Finally both of them together. Again, both are very good overall. The angle used to take the photo below helps dissimulate the cockpit windows issues. Since these were released, Aeroclassics and JC Wings have both also released AA 722s in the same basic livery, albeit earlier versions of it (namely, with a different composite panel on the intake of engine #2, and Astrojet titles in the nose area). Jorge A. Zajia

Many moons ago my mother-in-law, who is responsible for having kickstarted my ANA/Japanese collection, gave me an ANA L1011-1 in the Mohican livery by Blue Box (JA8515). When this happened Blue Box L1011s were already somewhat hard-to-find. However, when I was asked what model I would like from Japan, I decided to try my luck and half-jokingly requested the exotic livery/type combo. Much to my surprise, the model showed up a few months later inside a care package. Fast forward a decade and some change and a new manufacturer, NG Models, is in business and producing the best L1011s that 1:400 scale has ever seen. An updated version of the ANA Mohican was released by them (JA8501), but I initially passed on it because I already had the Blue Box one, and I had other model priorities at the time. But about a year after its release, I paid a visit to ARD and there was one left on their shelves. By then the model had become sold out in most U.S. retailers (I looked from time to time) so I decided it was time to pull the trigger. And that’s how the old and new generation of Mohican L1011s in 1:400 met, and now happily sit next to each other on my Asian shelf. While I was unpacking the NG one, I also reorganized the shelf to make space for some new additions. So I took the opportunity to photograph both of them. Obviously, the NG mould is much more refined, but I have to say that they are both pretty good overall! Check them out: Jorge A. Zajia

For a comparison between a Phoenix 747-200 and the same model on the Big Bird mold please visit: Viasa 747s in 1:400 - Part 1, PH-BUG Recently Phoenix Models announced a set of releases that included many 747s 100, 200, and 400 series wearing some of the most sought-after liveries in 1:400 scale. The list includes the following subjects: Air India (Polished belly) Boeing 747-200 VT-EGA Air India (Polished belly) Boeing 747-200 VT-EFU British Airways Boeing 747-100 G-AWNP (Landor livery) British Airways Boeing 747-200 (Landor livery with “The World's Biggest Offer” titles) G-BDXO British Airways Boeing 747-400 (Landor livery with “The World's Biggest Offer” titles) G-BNLC Japan Airlines (JAL) "Aloha Express" (Polished belly) Boeing 747-200 JA8149 The Phoenix Models 747-100/200 and 747-300/400 (referred to as PH74 mold from now on in this article) are regarded as the worst series of molds available for the type in 1:400 scale. At the same time, there has been a drought of classic 747s in the scale for some time now, at least on a decent mold. Furthermore, opinions have historically been radicalized in the world of 1:400 scale model aircraft collecting, with some collectors strongly advocating for an ever-increasing level of quality – and seeing those that settle for subpart molds as an obstacle in their way. While those that are easily pleased claim that the highly critical “ruin the hobby” for them with their seemingly never-ending dissatisfaction. And of course, those that fall somewhere in between the two groups. Needless to say, this batch from Phoenix, which includes many grails (particularly the BA Landor trio), in a highly criticized mold, has stirred the pot a bit. I have to say that the discussion has remained civil, which is good, given the fact that we have been enjoying a peaceful stretch in the hobby, let’s keep it going! Every Collector has Different Expectations I would assume that by now most collectors are familiar with the shortcomings of the PH74 mold, and have already made up their minds in regard to these releases: - Some will just ignore them, and not touch them even with a ten-foot pole. - Some will see beyond the critics, buy them and enjoy them anyway. - Some will wait and evaluate things such as their particular financial situation when the models hit the stores, how the liveries turn out, and how quickly are the models selling out, etc. Then there are some collectors that might be struggling with deciding how to go about these releases. Boeing 747s wearing iconic liveries are hard to resist, but everyone is saying to stay away from that God-awful PH74 mold, what should I do? This last group is who I have in mind as I write this article. Expect a Very Vocal Response Advising You to Stay Away from These Releases Passions will be high in the wake of this announcement, and the anti-PH74 group will likely be very vocal in expressing their disgust with the batch and will try to steer you away from buying any of these Phoenix 747s. They do have a valid point as the PH74 mold is indeed very poor, and unarguably the worst of all the 747-100/200 and -300/400 molds that are available today. So, when an iconic livery that many people want is released on that mold, the model is bound to trigger intense frustration in the anti-PH74 group. This batch is particularly irritating to them because it includes not one, but three BA Landor jumbos, in addition to other beautiful classics from Japan and India. However, never forget that because a mold is not the best in its category, that does not mean that none should buy it. It is Important NOT to Fall Prey to Peer Pressure Seems like both groups include many well-known collectors in the 1:400 online community, but one of the most prominent anti-PH74 advocates is the owner of the site Yesterday’s Airlines: Richard Stretton. Yesterday’s Airlines has become a household name in the hobby thanks to the tireless work that Richard has put into it. And the site really does offer an unmatched amount of high-quality and well-researched literature on the hobby, as well as – for the most part – very objective and unbiased mold and model reviews. I have personally used Yesterday’s Airlines many times before when deciding on buying a model. I also enjoy reading Richard’s articles in my free time and consider him an inspiration for my own site. However, in the previous paragraph, I said that Richard is objective “for the most part” because at the end of the day, he is a very passionate collector – like you and me – and emotions invariably get in the way sometimes. One topic that seems to make Richard particularly emotional is precisely that of the PH74 mold. He has publicly acknowledged that he would like Phoenix to straight up stop making 747s, and people to stop buying them. So, while the PH74 mold does leave much to be desired and its critics are by and large well-deserved, I think it is important for each collector facing a dilemma on whether to buy or not to buy a PH74 to understand the information that is available to them, and use it wisely to make their own decision, but don't let the community make that decision for you. At the end of the day, it is you who will regret getting or not getting a given model, and not the people affecting that decision with their online opinions. It is Mostly an Online/Social Media Problem I think it is important for all of us to remember that the majority of diecast model collectors are not active on online forums and on social media platforms. So for these collectors, it is a bit simpler of a dilemma: they either buy what they like, or not. The whole “what are people going to comment if I post a photo of this model?” argument is out of the table. Boy, it must be nice to be one of those collectors… What are our Alternatives Anyway? Let’s take a look at what 747-100/200/300/400 molds are currently available on 1:400 scale: JC Wings owns and seems to have access to the GeminiJets 747 classic and -400 molds, as well as the former BigBird molds. Both molds are superior to the current PH74, but the latter is considered the gold standard for 1:400 747s; excluding the -8 series. However, there are some problems: First, JC Wings/GeminiJets have indicated with their actions that they do not have any desire to fulfill the demand for classic 747s on 1:400 scale. Second, those molds, while better than the PH74 mold, are also dated and have plenty of room for improvement. In fact, I will go on a limb and argue that, beyond the beautifully shaped nose of the BigBird 747s, their molds are not all that much better than the PH74 mold. For a comparison between a Phoenix 747-200 and the same model on the Big Bird mold please visit: Viasa 747s in 1:400 - Part 1, PH-BUG So, again, what are our alternatives? Well, NG Models is likely to be the next manufacturer to step up and fill the “classic jumbo void,” and they seem to be getting closer to that goal with their recent release of the 748i and 748F samples. However, the problem that I see is that NG is trying to please everyone and is struggling to do so. With that in mind, it might take a while before NG comes to the rescue in the classic 747 1:400 business. I could, and hope to, be wrong. Hey, and what about Aeroclassics?! With China open back again Andrew Klein could very well pull some tricks and, say, borrow some blanks from Johan Chan and surprise us, right? Haha… that would be a dream, everything is possible. There is something to be said about living in the present though. The worse that can happen if you decide to get some of these – hopefully – nice PH74s, is that a better version comes down the line. And what’s wrong with that? I would happily display them all together. So, Am I getting Any? And speaking of me, where do I stand in all this? Well, I’ll be honest: I will likely get two of the Landors (the -400 and -200). I will say that if it was the BigBird mold I would have pre-ordered all three of them already though. But I’m also not going to the other extreme and avoid the PH74 mold altogether just because society says so. Let’s all remember that at the end of the day, when you look at these 1:400 models from 8 feet away, you can’t tell the difference. In my case all I would see is a bunch of Landor tails together; a beautiful sight. 1:200 Anyone? One last thought that I’d like to share before hitting the submit button. Say that you have been hunting down one of those all-so-coveted BigBird/Aeroclassics Landor 747s from 20 years ago (which have the wrong font anyway, and again, are pretty crude beyond the nose area). You probably know that you likely won’t come across one for less than 100 Dollars/Euros/Pounds. So, how about 1:200? You can currently find InFlight/ARD BA Landor 747s retailing for 150 Dollars/Euros/Pounds and they will blow any 1:400 away! Yeah, you might not be able to use them in 1:400 dioramas (I'd say get the Phoenixes anyways if you are into dioramas!) but if beauty is what you are after, it is the same (or less!) of what a BigBird Landor Jumbo will cost you, and much more accurate and impressive! Above all: Happy collecting! Jorge A. Zajia

Avensa operated a sole 737-300 between 1990 and 1996 registered YV-99C. I originally made a custom model of this aircraft using a GeminiJets U.S. Airways donor and decals from V1 Decals. As you can imagine, the project took a lot of work as the donor had to be paint stripped and repainted before applying the decals. And as expected, it does look very homemade. When JC Wings released their blank 737-300s I decided to do another custom of YV-99C to take advantage of the blank model, especially since the Avensa billboard livery has a completely white fuselage. I can do decals at home, but to reduce the workload, I decided to order them from V1 Decals, which I already had experience working with, and were readily available on their site. Pretty easy, right? a blank donor, a simple livery, pre-made decals, and no painting required. What could go wrong? In fact, it looked so easy that I decided to do 5 at once (that's the minimum number of decals you need to order from V1 decals for free shipping ;)) Since the project was so simple, I decided to add a little bit of complexity to it in order to achieve better results. The engines on this airplane had a very light shade of grey on them. I have seen many customs of this aircraft in which the engines are simply left white. In my first custom of this model, I painted them grey, but much darker than the actual aircraft (you can see this in the two pictures above). I decided to take it upon myself and give these engines the slightly darker tone they needed to replicate the real YV-99C more accurately. So I removed all 10 engines, started to mix up grey and white enamels until I found a shade that I was happy with, and started to airbrush. After they dried for a couple of days I re-did the chrome engine lips and clear-coated them. Then the decal application process went well, or so I thought, up to the fifth one. After doing four of these, and being in a bit of a rush to get them done and scratch them off of the project list, I ended up breaking the starboard billboard titles decal of the fifth and last one. So that one was written off and sent back to the donor's drawer. Last minute I also decided that it was too boring to do 4 of the same aircraft, so decided to apply homemade decals of the late 1990s Avensa tail logo to two of them (V1 Decals only has the early 1990s Avensa logo variant of the livery). Below: YV-99C wearing the early 1990s Avensa tail logo, with an outline and only showing the map of South America. This is the logo included in the V1 Decals artwork. Below: The only publicly available photo of YV-99C wearing the late 1990s Avensa tail logo, without the outline and showing the map of South, Central, and part of North America. This photo was taken on July 1995, close to the end of its service life with Avensa. Finally, everything seemed to be done, and I took two of them for a photoshoot. It was not until I had posted the pictures online that I realized that I applied the engine decals backward to one of them. I hope that I got the other two right, they are back home and I am currently on a different continent. We shall see when I get back. Below: The example with the engine decals backward, and the early 1990s tail logo that comes with the V1 Decals set. Below: The example with the correctly applied engine decals and the homemade late 1990s tail logo. So there you have it, one out of 5 didn't make it because I mishandled the decals, then I incorrectly applied the engine decals backward to - hopefully - one of them. And I forgot to mention that I had to reprint the homemade late 1990s tail logo in order to get it right. It goes to show you that to accurately represent a livery, even a simple one, a lot of work goes into it. When you start experimenting with this kind of stuff you also very quickly start to understand why so many models come out of the factories in China with so many errors, I am actually surprised we don't see more. Stay tuned for more updates on this and other projects through YankeeVictor400's social media outlets! Facebook Instagram YouTube Jorge A. Zajia