Hi everyone! I'm a new author on yankeevictor400, so I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mark, on the forums known as Mark22 and on Instagram as Retrohangar Diecast. I started collecting in 2017, the first model being a Phoenix KLM 777-300ER PH-BVK with 95 years sticker. Shortly after, I bought a KLM 747-400... and an MD-11... and... oh well, it got rather addicting. Eventually it grew to a bigger collection of Dutch airlines such as KLM, Martinair and Transavia. Later I switched to 747's from airlines all around the world and posted pictures on Instagram (account name used to be 747_models and Retrohangar400). These days I only collect retro aircraft, mainly Hangar Club releases and other aircraft that I find interesting and goodlooking. For me retro aircraft are a lot more diverse and often better looking compared to what we often see now; twinjets and eurowhite liveries. With my content I hope to inspire new and younger collectors to collect these retro aircraft too as there are less and less of them in the sky. To get some basic questions out of the way: my favorite aircraft are the 747 classics (-400 too), Lockheed Constellations and the L-188 Electra. The IL-18, DC-3 and B737-200 are also high on my list. In real life I haven't flown many different aircraft at all: B737-800, A320neo, A321neo and A330-300. Recently I started to expand my content by writing reviews of new releases on 400scalehangar and making simple videos on Instagram. And from today onward I will also write about various aviation model related subjects here on this website (suggestions are welcome!). I have plenty of ideas for further improvements, so stay updated with my content to not miss out! This September I will visit the Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair (or AACF) as standholder. I highly recommend everyone to visit the show too as it is the biggest when looking at number of tables (correct me if I'm wrong). The Aviodrome aviation museum, which is a 45 minute drive away from Schiphol Airport, is also a must-visit for any aviation enthousiast. Well, that's all I have to say for now. I hope to see you at the Amsterdam fair this September, perhaps there will be a report on this website about it. Also huge thanks to Jorge for making me an author on this website, looking forward to write many articles here! - Mark All pictures in this post are mine and may not be used without permission

All the 1:400 releases & announcements of the month in one place What got announced for July 2023: Aeroclassics Canada 3000 A320 C-GVXF Canada 3000 A320 C-GXBB (Monarch basic c/s) Jetblue A321WL N982JB (Mint c/s) Monarch A320 G-MONY Philippine Airlines DC-10-30 PH-DTI (KLM sticker) Philippine Airlines DC-10-30 RP-C2114 Scoot A321neo 9V-NCC Scoot A321neo 9V-NCD Simplifly Deccan A320 VR-ADU Aviation400 10. Air China A320WL B-8743 11. Air China 787-9 B-1368 12. Airbus Industrie A330-900 F-WTTN (house c/s) 13. All Nippon Airways – ANA 787-9 JA894A (Pikachu Jet c/s) 14. Boeing Company 787-9. N1015B (“Dreams Take Flight” c/s) 15. China Eastern 787-9 B-209N 16. China Southern 787-9 B-1128 17. Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 N780HA 18. Luftwaffe A350-900 10+02 19. Riyadh air 787-9 N8572C 20. Starlux Airlines A330-900 B-58302 GeminiJets 21. Alaska Airlines 737 MAX9 N915AK (Seattle Kraken c/s) 22. American Airlines A321neo N421UW 23. British Airways 777-200ER G-YMMR (One World c/s) 24. British Airways 777-200ER G-YMMR (One World c/s) – Flaps down 25. Delta Air Lines 717-200 N998AT 26. Delta Air Lines 767-300ER N1201P (current c/s) 27. Kalitta Charters II 747-400 N405CK 28. Lufthansa A330-300 D-AIKQ (Fanhansa Diversity Winds c/s) 29. Southwest Airlines 737 MAX8 N872CB (Canyon Blue retro c/s) 30. TAM Brazil Fokker F-100 PT-MRA 31. United Airlines 767-400ER N69059 (Continental globe c/s) NG Models 32. Aeromexico 737-700/w XA-GAM(polished fuselage) 33. Air Canada L1011-1 C-FTNA(Eastern Airlines basic bare metal c/s)( Buchannan Models Release) 34. Air China 737-600 B-5027 (without star alliance logo) 35. Air France A330-200 F-GZCG(revised new colors; named "Saint-Nazaire") 36. Air-India L1011-500 V2-LEJ 37. Atlantic International L1011-1 N330EA (Fantasy model from the movie Passenger 57) (Buchannan Models Release) 38. Bonza Airline 737 MAX 8 VH-UJK 39. Cathay Pacific Airways L-1011-1 VR-HHY (1970s c/s with Union Jack) 40. China Eastern Airlines C919 B-919A (with metal stand. 1st revenue flight of C919) 41. China Southern Airlines 737-700 B-5222(with SkyTeam logo) 42. Cubana Cargo Tu-204-100SE (TU-204CE) CU-C1703 43. EVA Airways 787-9 B-17883 44. OK Air 737-900ER B-1739 45. Scoot 787-8 9V-OFL 46. Starlux A350-900 B-58502 47. Thai Airways International 787-8 HS-TQF The following NG Models have been included in their July release announcement, but have not been counted as part of this month’s releases since they were already counted on the June announcement as “future releases”: A320neo N776AV (AeroGal Heritage c/s) Airbus Industrie A321XLR F-WWAB (QR code c/s) Airbus Industrie A321XLR F-WWBZ (Flying Xtra Long Range c/s, with PW1100G engines) Airbus Industrie A321XLR F-WXLR (Flying Xtra Long Range c/s, with CFMI LEAP-1A engines) Alaska Airlines 737-800/w N559AS (Salmon People c/s, with scimitar winglets) Alaska Airlines 737-900ER/w N493AS (More to Love c/s, with scimitar winglets) Avianca A320-200 N398AV. (Aviateca Heritage c/s) GOL Linhas Aereas 737-800/w PR-GXI (smile c/s) GOL Linhas Aereas 737-800/w PR-GXN (Clube Smiles c/s) Mexico - Air Force 787-8 Dreamliner TP-01 Qatar Airways 737 MAX 8 A7-BSC Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8 N8710M (Imua One c/s) Tajikistan Government 787-8 Dreamliner EY-001 Virgin Australia 737 MAX 8 VH-8IA Phoenix Models 48. Air Seychelles 767-300ER S7-AHM 49. CAAC 747-200 B-2440 50. China Postal Airlines 777F B-221X 51. Delta Air Lines A330-900neo N421DX 52. Etihad Airways 767-300ER A6-EYZ 53. Ilyushin Design Bureau Il-96-300 CCCP-96000 (test-bed, Aeroflot c/s) 54. Lufthansa 747-200 D-ABZD (delivery c/s) 55. Lufthansa A340-300 D-AIGU (current c/s) 56. Qatar Airways 737 MAX 8 A7-BSC 57. Qatar Airways 777-200LR A7-BBH 58. United airlines 777-300ER N2749U (Evo Blue c/s) The following Phoenix Models from their June 2023 announcement have been delayed and included in this batch also. They are not counted as part of this month’s announcements, as they were already counted in June: All Nippon Airways – ANA 787-9 JA894A (Pokemon c/s) Indigo Air Boeing 777-300ER TC-LKD Solaseed Air Boeing 737-800 JA803X (Pokemon c/s) Swiss Airbus A340-300 HB-JMI Look Back A rather small set overall at 58 announcements/releases, compared with 125 in June 2023. May 2023 was also a small set with only 52 models, but April and March had 105 and 92 respectively. What’s Hitting the Stores Aeroclassics from July 2023, Phoenix from May 2023, Aviation400 from April 2023, GeminiJets from July 2023, Panda (C Models) from March, June 2023, some NG from March, June 2023. Crowd Pleasers · Aviogenex Tupolev TU-134A YU-AHX Panda Models, April 2023 · Russian Navy Tupolev Tu-134UBL RF-12037 Panda Models, June 2023 · Canadian Airlines International Boeing 767-300ER C-FCAB 40 Phoenix Models, May 2023 · Cubana Tupolev TU-154B CU-T1256 (last c/s) Phoenix Models, May 2023 · ITA Airways Airbus A350-900 EI-IFF (Monza 100 sticker) Aviation400, April 2023 Other Scales NG has not yet announced its first 757 releases in 1:200 scale, but they have joined the stream of classics that is being put out by InFlight200 with a very nice set of CRJ200 (American Eagle old c/s, Independence Air, Air Inter/Air France). Speaking of InFlight200, they continue to release many subjects in 1:200 scale that are rare and sought after in 1:400, just FYI. Waffle Collectibles announced earlier in the month the arrival of a nice set of Herpa releases in 1:500 and 1:200. Another small set of 1:200 Herpa pre-orders came via Eztoys, including a Maerks Air DHC-7. Outlook The GeminiJets recent MD-80 trend continues in August with an Aeromexico one in the 1980’s c/s and a USAir one in the early 1990’s. Aeroclassics and Phoenix July announcements came late in the month. Aeroclassics advertised theirs as “Summer.” So we could not be seeing another announcement from them until late August or even September. Featured Article Have you seen the new GeminiJets 767-400? Click on the image below to check it out. Would you like to receive this publication via email at the end of every month? Subscribe here. Thanks for subscribing! Please share! See you next month!

In April 2023 GeminiJets announced a new mold in 1:400 scale, the 767-400, making it one of the latest in the scale. Gemini's first release using their brand spanking new 764 mold was a Delta Air Lines example wearing the Ron Allen livery in May 2023. That model was reviewed and also compared against its Dragon Wings counterpart by Richard Stretton at Yesterday's Airlines. It was a good review and comparison; you can read it here. The following month, June 2023, the second release came, this time a United Airlines example wearing the Continental Globe livery. This release really excited me as it gave me a genuine reason to take a look at this fresh-from-the-oven mold. I live in Houston, a city in which these relatively rare birds have been adorning the skies since the 2000s when the then hometown airline, Continental, became the first company to place the type in commercial service. Today these sexy airplanes continue to grace the Houston skies daily wearing the United Airlines titles. Only a handful of 767-400s have been produced in 1:400 scale, the majority are around 20-year-old releases. I happen to own one of those releases, a Continental Airlines example produced by Dragon Wings, the brand most associated with the type up to this point among collectors. It was released in 2000, just about the same time the actual aircraft was delivered! Since both models wear essentially the same basic livery, except for the airline titles and some details, I thought I would share some pictures comparing them so that we can see the effect a 23-year gap has on 1:400 diecast model making. Take a Look at Them: What do you think? Which model do you think is better overall? Tough choice. I have always liked my Dragon Wings example, and continue to do so, but I have to say that there is very little you can do to hide the fact that 23 years have passed. Below are my observations. DW Pros/GJ Cons: The DW sits at a better height above the surface. The GJ nose landing gear is too short. This is also evident by looking at the engine clearance. The wings on the DW are thinner and look more refined. The GJ Wings are too thick and the leading edge looks chunky. The DW one has a better wing dihedral. The wings on the GJ do look too flat when seen from the front. Solid printing. While the DW lacks many details, all the elements present are neatly displayed and fit tightly for the most part. I particularly like how the cockpit windows look on the DW example. The GJ cockpit windows are a bit oversized which makes them look wonky from certain angles. Also, my GJ example has a minute paint chip on the First Officer forward window and the height of the artwork is not symmetrical (!). Quality control is something that has not aged well at some brands, including GJ. Another DW strong point is its properly shaped, sized, and positioned engines. GJ placed the engines too forward along the pylon. They are also missing the inboard strakes, whereas they are present on the DW model. Below are some pictures highlighting the attributes of the Dragon Wings model. Notice how the GJ sits too low, its engines are too far forward, and its wings look chunky. I also tend to favor the DW cockpit windows from this angle: GJ's artwork is shifted upwards about .5mm on the starboard side. This is virtually impossible to notice when the model is seen from the sides, but it is a big disappointment when the model is seen from the front. From this angle, you can also see the more refined shape of the DW wings. The real deal: Alright, so, are you getting the feeling that for the most part, Dragon Wings is winning? I do, but it is a tight competition and GJ still has a few tricks up its sleeve. GJ Pros/DW Cons: While the GJ livery is asymmetrical (at least on my example) overall it seems to adjust better to the real aircraft. The golden line present on Continental's globe livery is justified with the bottom of the main passenger doors. This means that on the 767 it should be positioned just slightly below the midpoint of the nose. On some aircraft, it seems to cut right through the middle of it (depending on how precise the application job was done, I suppose), but never above it. This means that GJ, with its asymmetrical application at least managed to get a correct version of it on either side. On the DW example, the golden line seems to be positioned slightly above the midpoint of the nose. It is otherwise properly aligned with other elements of the livery and mold, so it could be a case of the wings sitting a tad high on the fuselage, or the nose not being precisely shaped. Whatever is going on with DW's mold it is almost negligible, but this livery exposes it. Now, the Dragon Wings model, though not technically correct, looks a lot better than GeminiJets' effort, which has a slanted golden line. However, I am placing this as a pro for Gemini, because it seems that their fuselage is better shaped/constructed, whether they apply the liveries correctly or not is a different issue. GJ accurately molded the flap track fairings extending aft of the wings' trailing edge. DW did not. Besides GJ's element misalignment and sizing issues, their artwork is as neat as DW's. Furthermore, GJ's amount of detail is very good and, as far as I can tell, accurate. This will ultimately push GJ's version over the top for me, it is just a better model overall, I think. DW's version is very bland. All the important elements of the livery are present and correct (except one underbelly detail that I will mention later) for when the aircraft was delivered, but besides that, there is not much more to it. Oddly enough, the rain gutters on top of the entry doors are among the few details DW decided to include, a rather innocuous element. The GJ landing gear is more detailed. While the questionable dimensions of the nose landing gear were already discussed, the higher level of detail does give the model a nice look, especially when compared with DW's simplistic, though well-proportioned, landing gear. Also, the nose landing gear doors on the GJ version are better shaped and positioned than DW's. Below are some pictures highlighting some of the attributes of the GeminiJets example: Underbelly commentary: Not only GJ's belly has more detail, but they also caught the different placement of the PACK ram air intakes on the 767-400 vs. the -300. On the -400 the intakes are aligned with the fuselage centerline, whereas on the -300 they are shifted toward the port side. Given that this is a detail accurately represented on their -300s I am glad to see that GJ didn't just transfer the artwork (kudos to GJ!). Unfortunately, DW's belly is not only overly simplistic but in the case of this particular livery, also inaccurate. Many Continental aircraft in the globe livery do have that bare metal stripe you see running along the belly of the Dragon one, but not the 767-400s. I looked at pictures of these aircraft from the early 2000s, and their bellies seem to have always been completely grey making GJ's version detailed and correct. Barring GJ's artwork quality issues, their excessively short NLG, poor engines, and chunky wings, their finish, level of detail, and accurate fuselage shape save their face. They could and should have done a better job though. While the photos below show the models at an odd angle that they probably won't be looked at from, it highlights the advantage of the current level of printed details. Wrap-up The fact that a 20-year-old model from 2000 can hold itself against a brand-new one made in 2023 is a testament to how good some early Dragon Wings models were and explains why they hold their value so well. It also shows how quality and craftsmanship have suffered over the years. Now, of course, these are two different models, even though they share the same basic livery. Dragon Wings was effectively out of the business by the time Continental and United merged, so I have no regrets about getting the new GJ 764 with the United titles, as there will never be a DW alternative. Herpa did release a United 764 in the Continental globe livery in 1:400 scale and, based on pictures that I have seen online, it looks like a potentially better alternative to this new GJ example, depending on your priorities as a collector. But the Herpa model lacks the "new mold" enticement, and if you want it you will have to hunt for it (not too hard to find), whereas a few weeks before this writing I was getting bombarded with emails from retailers allowing me to preorder the new GJ example with only one click, at MSRP, and with tons of discounts codes. The fact of the matter is that both models fit the bill for me, and I am getting what I want out of them. The real question is, what would I do when GeminiJets releases a Continental example (and I think it is pretty safe to bet that they will do it sooner than later)? The answer is it depends on what else is being released at the time, how my model budget is looking, and what mood I'm in when it happens. Honestly, right now I'm leaning towards the idea of saving my money and keeping my Dragon Wings example. Now, what would I do in that same scenario if I didn't already have a Dragon Wings example? I would probably just get the GJ version. In the end, it is a United 764 alright I didn't get this model with the intention of doing this review, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to complement/corroborate Richard's opinion. If you read his review also, you can tell we are pretty much on the same page in regard to GJs new 764 mold. I did get this model because United 767-400s, especially in this livery, are starting to become part of my cherished aviation memories. I won't bother you with a personal dose of nostalgia right now, but I will leave you with a photo that I took in 2013. I always remember this photo because the aircraft (the second largest type in Continental's fleet at the time) was operating a 1-hour flight to New Orleans. I don't recall ever finding out if it was a special flight or a regular schedule. Yeah, the engines sit way too far forward on the pylons... Jorge A. Zajia

Your Airplane Model Arrives Like This: What Do You Do? Broken Models are Part of the Business Anyone who has been collecting die-cast airplane models for some time, likely knows that wings, stabilizers, engines, landing gears, antennas, and anything else that can become detached, will indeed do so more often than not. I, for one, keep a tube of Japanese super glue (that stuff is good!) handy on my desk and use it frequently when unboxing models. A loose wing or detached landing gear is certainly not a problem in my book. However, things can go downhill in a hurry when the loose part is nowhere to be found, or it becomes in contact with other parts of the model scratching the paint off and possibly causing other damage. The latter happened to me for the first time earlier this year when a Viasa DC-10 (YV-135C) arrived with a loose horizontal stabilizer that created several deep scratches on the tail area. Luckily, besides paint, it didn’t touch any elements of the artwork, such as titles and emblems. But still, the model was effectively ruined. So, what do you do when such a thing happens? Well, I’ll tell you what I did. The first thing is to document the damage with pictures and contact the retailer. Normally I will seek to return the model for a full refund and try to find a replacement from a different retailer. My reasoning behind this is that, as stated earlier, these occurrences are not all that uncommon, so I want to avoid any chances of having to return a second defective model to the same retailer as I don’t think that is a good position to be in. However, in this case there was no replacement available, the model came from a collection sale and had been sold out for more than a decade. While I already owned two examples of the same model, I really wanted to keep the third one. So, instead of returning the model and taking the full refund that the retailer offered, I told the retailer that I was willing to keep the broken model and take a partial refund in the form of a store credit. Not the greatest deal, but at least it helped me feel that I had not been ripped off entirely – only partially and by choice. Moving on... Okay, so now I had a model with some serious paint chips that were probably not going to look okay by simply covering them with paint. Time to use my brain. To the Shop... If you are an avid modeler and craftsman, you are welcome to continue reading for entertainment purposes, but I doubt I will mention anything you don’t already know; in fact, you probably will be able to teach me a few things after reading this story. But for those of you wondering if a badly damaged model can be restored so that it can be proudly displayed, read on! I am happy to report that the answer is yes, but the process can be painful. The first thing I did was apply small dots of putty to fill out the voids left by the missing paint. Since I wasn’t counting on diving into – another – customization project when I received this model, it sat like that for more than a month as I did not have the time to sit down to sand excess putty. Eventually, I got around to it. I was initially trying to be gentle using a very soft sanding sponge to avoid damaging surrounding areas, but I wasn’t making a lot of progress, so decided to switch to a more abrasive sandpaper. Things started moving forward quickly then, but of course, the surrounding undamaged areas could no longer be described as such, and that was a bit terrifying to see, but I ended up achieving the even smooth surface that I was looking for. Next, I needed to come up with a plan to paint the patches. I needed to do some color blending to match the Viasa orange, a task that resulted to be more challenging and messier than I had expected. When I finally found a color tone that I was satisfied with, I was so tired that I became complacent in the subsequent steps of this process: thinning the paint, and masking. While I did mask some areas I wanted to preserve, I did a poor job overall, and the airbrush splattered blobs of overly thick paint all over the place. I still thought that the model looked okay enough and for several days considered the project to be done. Below you can see some pictures showing how the model looked during this stage, including some comparison shots with an undamaged model. At a distance, my shoddy workmanship was not evident to unsuspecting eyes, but it quickly became obvious upon closer look. In the end, I decided that I was not satisfied with the results, so I started from scratch again. Second Attempt The second try started by scrubbing off all of the paint that I had applied that managed to cover parts of the #2 engine, followed by a more meticulous masking job than what I had done the first time. I decided that I was going to fully repaint the whole vertical fin, hoping that the vertex between it and the #2 engine would help attenuate the slight contrast between the original orange tone and my homemade mixture. In the end, it did. Then I proceeded to destroy the entire vertical fin with sandpaper removing my first sloppy paint job, but also parts of the original paint and the Venezuelan flags. Yes, even though the model was already damaged, it was difficult to inflict this level of destruction on a holy grail as I was keenly aware that at that point the model became literally worthless. Luckily, I was able to return its value later. I knew that the improperly thinned paint had been an issue on the first try, so this time I made sure that I was satisfied with its consistency before starting to airbrush. To avoid opacifying the newly applied orange paint layer with masking tape, I applied a generous layer of RustOleum clear coat enamel, after the paint had dried, of course. The thick shiny coat brought the tail in line with the rest of the finish the model comes from the factory with. After the clear coat dried overnight, I used masking tape to paint the leading edge with silver enamel. To replace the Venezuelan flags, I printed some decals on white water-slide paper. Viasa applied a white background above and below the flag to increase the contrast between the red and yellow with the orange tail. To achieve this, I purposely left out excess white decal paper above and below the flag artwork. The white stripes on my decals are a bit bigger than what they were on the real aircraft, but this was a decision I made to better manipulate the tiny decals without damaging the artwork. One advantage of having to reapply the flags using homemade decals is that I was able to add the stars to the blue stripe. This is a detail that the original model did not have and that I have always considered the only significant omission of this otherwise stunning artwork, my favorite of all time. Finally, the time came to apply one last layer of clear coat to seal in the flag decals and the leading edge silver paint. For this last coat, I used Mr. Hobby Top Coat gloss finish, my favorite modeling topcoat. Below are some pictures of the final result. Done So, there you have it. If we ignore my first try, the process is the following: prepare the surface (putty and sanding), paint (with all that it implicates), apply clear coat, more paint, create and apply decals (I damaged one decal so had to use a spare), and apply one more layer of clear-coat. Remember also that every layer must dry (ideally overnight) before applying the next one. All that just to fix a 1:400 scale DC-10 tail! Is it worth it? How much do you think a repair like this should cost? This particular repair was absolutely worth it for me, it was also an opportunity to learn skills that I will be able to apply in future custom projects. I have no idea what the going rate is for this type of repair, but after doing it myself and knowing all the time and effort that goes into it, I don’t know if I would have been willing to pay what I’d consider a fair price for someone else to do it for me. Of course, more avid modelers can do this type of repair more efficiently, but it still is a rather specialized job nonetheless, and very time-consuming. The model has plenty of signs that indicate the tail area was repaired at home, but at least it looks a lot neater than my first attempt, which looked more like a 5-year-old art school project (hahaha). Jorge A. Zajia

The 3D printing technology finally got a hold of me. Even though I had been aware of the implementation of 3D printing on 1:400 scale, I never gave it much thought. But after playing around with a couple of resin-printed airstair vehicles from West Coast Diecast I can confidently say that I am pleasantly surprised. Pros Higher level of detail compared to GSE available from regular model brands. When compared with GeminiJets airstairs, the 3D printed finish is similar. The adjustable height function works very well. The extendable segment slides easily with a slight amount of pressure and remains in place while the stair is being handled. They fit the airplanes very neatly. Affordable. They are listed for $3 in the West Coast Diecast 3D printed section with an option to negotiate the price for bulk orders. They are blank so you are forced to customize them, which can make them look more interesting than generic GSE from regular model brands. Cons The user has to paint and decorate them. While this can be an advantage as it encourages creativity, it means that there is quite a bit of work involved to get them ready to use. Some small parts and tight crevices can be difficult to paint. How did I get them ready? I set out to get them ready in the least complex way, taking into account the tools that I had available and my expectations. First, I removed with my fingers what seemed to be some residue from the 3D printing process. Then I airbrushed them with Testors enamel. I didn't use primer but applied several layers. The orange one required color blending. I let them dry overnight and then filled the gaps with a regular brush (they can be painted without an airbrush). I let them dry overnight again, but the following day they were still feeling sticky to the touch (high humidity in Texas), so they ended up curing for 10 days since I had to go to work. When I came back the paint coat felt slick to the touch. I dug out some logo designs that I had stored on my computer, resized them, and printed them on white water-slide decal paper. As you can see I didn't bother too much matching the orange background with the color that I used to paint the wide-body stairs, I also didn't attempt to hide the edges. A better result could have certainly been obtained with a bit more time and effort. While the decal sealant was drying I painted the tires, windows, and other details using permanent ink Sharpie markers and, to a lesser extent, paint. The decals and painted details were allowed to dry overnight and then I applied one layer of clear coat, just to make sure that I did not peel the decals off with my fingertips while handling them, particularly when adjusting the stair's height. And that's it! Again, with more work, the results could have been better. For example, I could have also used decals for the windows and other details instead of a Sharpie, but I am satisfied with the results for the amount of work that I put into them. Have you considered using 3D-printed items in your 1:400 dioramas? Hopefully, my experience helped you decide if it is for you. Bonus pic: Jorge A. Zajia

All the 1:400 releases & announcements of the month in one place What got announced for June 2023: Aeroclassics Aer Lingus Vickers Viscount 700 EI-AFV Air Canada Vickers Viscount 700 CF-GXK Air Côte d'Ivoire Airbus A320 TU-TSX Air India Airbus A320 VT-EPK (Act'07 Red Livery) Air New Zealand Boeing 767-200 ZK-NBJ (All-white c/s) 400 Scale Hangar Club Release Alaska Airlines Airbus A320 N855VA (Alaska Giants c/s) Hawaiian Vickers Viscount 700 N745HA Royal Netherlands Air Force Douglas DC-10-30 T-255 Thai Douglas DC-10-30 HS-TGA United Airlines Boeing 727 N7010U (Saul Bass c/s) United Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N1853U (Saul Bass c/s) GeminiJets (Announced May 15, 2023) Air France A320-200 Air France A320-200 F-HEPF Mauritius B747SP Air Mauritius B747SP 3B-NAG Atlas Air B767-300ER Atlas Air B767-300ER N649GT Contour Airlines E145LR Contour Airlines E145LR N12552 Copa Airlines B737-800S Copa Airlines B737-800S HP-1841CMP (75th anniversary retro c/s) Delta Air Lines B737-900ER Delta Air Lines B737-900ER N856DN Delta Air Lines B767-400ER Delta Air Lines B767-400ER N826MH (Ron Allen/interim c/s) – First release on this mold. Hawaiian Airlines B717-200 Hawaiian Airlines B717-200 N491HA Trump Shuttle B727-200 Trump Shuttle B727-200 N918TS JC Wings Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight B747-8(BBJ) A6-PFA Air Canada Cargo B767-300ER(BDSF) C-GHLV Airbus Industrie A350-1000XWB F-WMIL (Upnext titles) Airbus Industrie A350-1000XWB F-WMIL (Upnext titles) - Flaps down Airbus Transport International A330-700L F-WBXL - Interactive Argentina Air Force Boeing 757-200 ARG-01 (2023 presidential c/s) British Airways B747-8i (Fantasy Landor c/s) Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400 B-HKT Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-400F B-*** China Eastern COMAC C919 B-919A (“First Commercial Flight” titles) with stand Dragonair L-1011-1 VR-HOD (delivery c/s) 1 of 2 Box-set of 2 Dragonair L-1011-1 VR-HOK (final c/s) 2 of 2 Box-set of 2 Ethiopian Cargo B777F ET-AWE - Interactive Garuda Indonesia B737-800 PK-GMZ (75 Indonesia Maju c/s) Iraqi Airways B787-8 Dreamliner YI-ATC Iraqi Airways B787-8 Dreamliner YI-ATC - Flaps down KLM Exel ERJ-145MP PH-RXA Kuwait Airways B747-400(M) 9K-ADE Kuwait Airways B747-400(M) 9K-ADE - Flaps down Martinair MD-11 PH-MCP Privilege Style B777-200ER EC-MUA Privilege Style B777-200ER EC-MUA - Flaps down JC Wings Late June Announcement Expected to reach stores in August: Air India B747-400 VT-ESO Air India B747-400 VT-ESO - Flaps down Boeing Company B777-9 N779XY French Air Force A330-200 F-UJCT Middle East Airlines A321neo T7-ME3 (10000th A320 Family logo) Nok Air ATR 72-500 HS-DRC Norse Atlantic Airways B787-9 LN-FNB Norse Atlantic Airways B787-9 LN-FNB - Flaps down Omni Air International B767-200ER N225AX (Aer Lingus titles) Future releases: All Nippon Airlines (ANA) B787-9 JA894A (Pikachu Jet c/s) All Nippon Airlines (ANA) B787-9 JA894A (Pikachu Jet c/s) - Flaps down B747-400F B-HUO - Interactive Japan Airlines B767-300ER JA614J (Dream-Go-Round c/s) Ukrainian Air Force Antonov An-26 48 NG Models (Future release set announced in June 2023) A320neo N776AV (AeroGal Heritage c/s) Airbus A321XLR F-WWAB (QR code c/s) Airbus A321XLR F-WWBZ (Flying Xtra Long Range c/s, with PW1100G engines) Airbus A321XLR F-WXLR (Flying Xtra Long Range c/s, with CFMI LEAP-1A engines) Alaska Airlines 737-800/w N559AS (Salmon People c/s, with scimitar winglets) Alaska Airlines 737-900ER/w N493AS (More to Love c/s, with scimitar winglets) Atlas Air 747-8F N863GT (bare metal, pre-paint factory skin) Avianca A320-200 N398AV. (Aviateca Heritage c/s) British Overseas Airways Corporation 747-8 G-BOAC (fantasy) GOL Linhas Aereas 737-800/w PR-GXI (smile c/s) GOL Linhas Aereas 737-800/w PR-GXN (Clube Smiles c/s) Hainan Airlines 737-800/w B-1501 (Pepsi c/s, with scimitar winglets) Mexico - Air Force 787-8 Dreamliner TP-01 Qatar Airways 737 MAX 8 A7-BSC Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8 N8710M (Imua One c/s) Tajikistan Government 787-8 Dreamliner EY-001 Virgin Australia 737 MAX 8 VH-8IA NG Models/Buchannan Models June announcement Air France 777-300ER F-GZNT (SkyTeam c/s) Air India 777-200LR VT-AEG (revised new c/s) All Nippon Airways - ANA L-1011-1 JA8522 (Blue Triton c/s) American Airlines 777-200ER N795AN (delivery c/s) American Airlines 777-200ER N796AN (One World on delivery c/s) American Trans Air (ATA) L-1011-1 N31022 (in TWA basic c/s) – Buchannan Models British Airways 757-200 G-OOOB (Air 2000 basic c/s) – Buchannan Models China Southern Airlines A321-200 B-2282 China Southern Cargo 777-200F B-20EN Euro Atlantic Airways 777-200ER CS-TFM Euro Atlantic Airways 777-200ER CS-TSX ("30th Anniversary" sticker) Finnair A350-900 OH-LWO ("Moomin, Finnair 100" sticker #2) Finnair A350-900 OH-LWP ("Moomin, Finnair 100" sticker #1) Garuda Indonesia A330-300 PK-GPZ (Kembara Angkasa - 74th Anniversary c/s) Japan Airlines A350-1000 JA01WJ Jetstar Airways A320-200 VH-VQH (with website titles) JetBlue A321-200WL (2010 c/s with “Our 200th Aircraft” titles) Exclusive for Airliners International 2023 Qatar Airways 777-200LR A7-BBE (with "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" sticker) Qatar Airways 777-200LR A7-BBG Qatar Airways A330-300 A7-AEE Russia - Air Force Tu-154B-2 RA-85565 Sichuan Airlines A350-900 B-325J (Panda Route c/s) Turkish Airlines 777-300ER TC-LJJ (UEFA Champions League cs) Turkish Airlines A330-300 TC-JNM (UEFA Champions League cs) Panda Models British Airways (Dan-Air London) B 737-400 G-BNNK (Landor c/s) – ARD Exclusive British Airways B 737-400 G-DOCV (Chatham Dockyard c/s with nose black rim) – ARD Exclusive China Postal Airlines B 737-400 B-2891 Pan American Airways (Carnival Airlines) B 737-400 N407KW (Pan Am Billboard c/s – Clipper Rapid) Russian Navy Tupolev Tu-134UBL RF-12037 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 N8645A (Heart c/s with “Heart Two” nose titles and scimitar winglets) Phoenix Models All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787-9 JA894A (Pokemon c/s) Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) Airbus A330-200 CP-3209 Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-400BCF B-HKJ (polished belly) Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-400BCF B-HKS (polished belly) Delta Air Lines Boeing 747-100 N9896 (Widget c/s with polished belly) Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 N806DE (Widget c/s with polished belly) EgyptAir Airbus A340-300 A40-LE (Gulf Air reg. Delivery c/s) EI AI Israel Airlines Boeing 747-200 4X-AXB Indigo Air Boeing 777-300ER TC-LKD Kras Air Tupolev TU-154M RA-85694 Lufthansa Airbus A321neo D-AIEP Lufthansa Airbus A321neo D-AIEQ (“600th Airbus Aircraft” titles) Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 D-ABTK (old c/s) Mercado Livre (Operated by GOL Linhas Aéreas) Boeing 737-800PS-GFD National Airlines Boeing 747-400F N663CA Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-400 N667US (Bowling Shoe c/s) Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8 BBJ A7-HBJ Solaseed Air Boeing 737-800 JA803X (Pokemon c/s) Swiss Airbus A340-300 HB-JMI United Airlines Boeing 747-200 N161UA (Battleship Grey c/s) United Airlines Boeing 747-400 N187UA (Battleship Grey c/s) Virgin Australia Boeing 737-8max VH-8IA Look Back June 2023 closes with a total of 125 models being announced. May had a total of 52 announcements, April 105, and March 92. The heavy output can be attributed to the fact that JC Wings added heavily to their future release pipeline and NG Models did the same. Out of the smaller brands only Panda Models contributed to this month with five releases, so not a huge impact. What’s Hitting the Stores: June 2023 Aeroclassics, June 2023 GeminiJets, April 2023 Big Birds. Some JC Wings Future releases (July 2020, December 2020, March 2022, July 2022, September 2022, Late November 2022, Late December 2022, Late March 2023) Crowd Pleasers Aeroclassics United Airlines Boeing 727 N7010U (Saul Bass c/s) Aeroclassics United Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N1853U (Saul Bass c/s) GeminiJets Atlas Air B767-300ER Atlas Air B767-300ER N649GT GeminiJets Delta Air Lines B767-400ER Delta Air Lines B767-400ER N826MH (Ron Allen/interim c/s) – First release on this mold. NG Models JetBlue A321-200WL (2010 c/s with “Our 200th Aircraft” titles) Exclusive for Airliners International 2023 – Sold out at WestCoast Diecast during the convention. Phoenix Models British Airways B747-136 G-AWNP (Landor c/s) – April 2023 Outlook GeminiJets July’s batch includes their second release on their brand new 767-400 mold wearing the United Continental merger livery, which is posed to perform well. Across the Community June saw a fair share of exciting exclusive releases. These include two Panda Models British Airways 737-400 exclusive for ARD, an NG Models JetBlue A321-200 exclusive for Airliners International 2023, and the return of the 400 Scale Hangar Club with an Aeroclassics Air New Zealand 767-200. You can see a photo report of Airliners International here: Thanks for subscribing! Please share! See you next month!

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,