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.
It was great meeting you in Singapore!!
I would never quote Richard Stretton's reviews, as they are skewed and biased towards those who pay him!!
I'm glad you liked the AC TAP Tristar 500!!