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

The atmosphere was appropriately festive for the occasion. I had been walking around the premises saying hello to old acquaintances and striking casual conversations with new faces when my eyes locked on her across the room. I zigzagged in between the tables without losing sight of her. As I got closer, she turned around, smiled, and revealed that her olive eyes went perfectly well with her skin. Up until then, it all had been purely carnal, but this glimpse that she gave me into her soul made the situation all the more promising. Things flowed smoothly, and even though I noticed that the worn logos of high-end apparel adorned her outer layers, I quickly realized that this was genuine elegance and not a sign of pretentiousness. As I tried to get my act together, I could not believe my luck as she, clearly aware of her desirability, suggested that I better took her to a quieter place quickly, if I truly wanted her. I grew suspicious as this seemed too good to be true, but I figured we could go and have some coffee, and if she hung around long enough for wine, that would be enough time to feel things out. ...even though I noticed that the worn logos of high-end apparel adorned her outer layers, I quickly realized that this was genuine elegance and not a sign of pretentiousness... “So, you are from Lebanon? How funny, that weird last name of mine is the Spanishized version of a Lebanese last name, my family loves to brag about our ancestry, but the truth is most of us will struggle to find the country on a world map.” Among laughs and rejoicing the sun came out, and with my eyes full of grit looking out to the horizon I giggled as I thought to myself that I did not know you could have this much fun without undressing. Though through the marks on her outer shell one could tell she had loved, much to my surprise these marks must have been from her shielding off, as I was greeted with the most youthful skin underneath. We talked, and she let me know that she had never trusted anyone to get this far, but she made it clear that if we were going to do this, I had to keep her for life. If I wasn’t committed, this was my last chance to leave her untouched and send her off to continue the search for her final destiny. I told her that though my hands were rough, this sort of thing had to be done with bare skin, and assured her that I would be very gentle... And that is the story of how I came across my BigBird TMA of Lebanon 747 (along with the full set) and how I decided to keep it in my collection. Hey, I grew up in a world that conditioned me to the fact that sold-out BigBird 747s were not to be had, even if you were willing to drop some cash, so I couldn’t let this find just go to waste! Oh, and I forgot to mention that she brought along her sister 707 which made things all the more fun! Happy collecting! Jorge A. Zajia

Aircraft models are not cheap, and there is an ever-increasing inventory to choose from. Therefore, it is important for airplane lovers to define a focus for their collection in order to avoid succumbing to every single new release and subsequently running out of space and money in a hurry. Collecting criteria is a topic often discussed among collectors, and it ranges widely from people that focus on aircraft they have flown on, to those that collect only one aircraft type or one particular model brand. I personally have a number of criteria, but the overarching theme is that I need to have some sort of meaningful connection with the model, other than it being an airplane model and me liking airplanes. Although I have to admit that there are a handful of models that have found their way into my collection just by virtue of being nice and me not having anything better to do that particular day. Recently I got a set of new arrivals that included some airplanes that I chose to add to my collection for rather unusual reasons. So, I thought it would be fun to take a look at them and see some of the weird stuff that goes on in the mind of some collectors before deciding to drop cash on models. Number 1 Air France Cargo 777-F28 F-GUOB by Phoenix Models: I have always seen freighter aircraft as exotic subjects since they usually are aircraft from a previous generation and wear not-so-common liveries. This is not exactly the case for an Air France Cargo 777-200, but it is the case for many of the other freighters in my collection, many of which were common visitors of IAH during the 2010s. Air France Cargo 777s were also common at IAH during that time, so based on that I could start tying this 777 to an existing criterion in my collection: The IAH Exotic Freighters. Additionally, Air France happens to be the European airline that has brought the most variety of aircraft types to Venezuela, the country in which I was born and raised, and because of that I also have a significant fleet of their passenger aircraft in my collection. So that’s another section of my collection in which this model could fit right in. But there is a third reason that pushed this aircraft over the edge and into my collection. While flying light aircraft in the Houston area in the 2009-2013 period, I used to practice instrument procedures using a navigational aid called the Trinity VOR located to the east of Houston. During my time as a student and instructor pilot in the area, the Trinity VOR was not used by airline traffic arriving or departing Houston, and I remember jokingly saying to colleagues that the VOR was put there exclusively for training. One night in what I think was the fall of 2017, I was at home without much going on, while a massive thunderstorm was unfolding outside. I went to check Flight Aware.com to see how the air traffic over Houston was being affected, and to my surprise, an Air France Cargo 777 coming in from MEX was on approach to runway 27 at IAH. The airport was covered by red radar returns and my night suddenly turned a bit more exciting as I kept following the flight wondering how things were going to pan out. Watching on FlightAware I saw the flight discontinue the approach - thankfully - and proceed to, you guessed it, the Trinity VOR to enter a holding pattern. I took a picture of my laptop monitor as I had never seen the VOR being used for anything other than training. Over the years I have shared that picture with colleagues from the flight training days any time the situation calls for it. When I saw this model of an Air France Cargo 777-F28 available in stores it immediately reminded me of that night and that picture of my monitor, which I still keep. Number 2 Aerocaribbean Ilyushin IL-18 CU-C1515 by Aeroclassics When Aeroclassics released two Aerocaribbean IL-18s in September 2022 this picture immediately came to my mind: As it turns out, the aircraft in the photo was CU-C1515, one of the two IL-18s released by Aeroclassics. The photo was taken at CCS airport in 2009. The largest category of my collection is composed of aircraft that have visited Venezuela. However, this criterion generally focuses on international carriers that visited the country during the eighties and nineties. I become a lot more selective with anything that falls outside of that time period, such as this IL-18. In this case, however, the decision to add it to my collection was easy because the subject is very unique. So much so, that I still remembered seeing that particular picture of it at CCS after many years. Another thing that prompted me to get this model is the lack of propeller-driven and soviet aircraft in my collection. This wouldn’t be the first time that I add a model to my collection because it reminds me of a picture that left a lasting impression on me. One of my first models in 1:400 scale was Ecuatoriana DC-10-30 HC-BKO by GeminiJets, and I got it because it immediately reminded me of a photo taken by Girmay Tesfay that I had seen on Airliners.net years before. Number 3 Mesa Airlines CRJ-900 N924LR by GeminiJets This one becomes the first CRJ to join my collection of 280+ aircraft models, so that should tell you how I feel about this aircraft type. I can also tell you that I don't think Mesa’s current logo (it’s not much of a livery) is attractive at all, which is a shame because I really liked their previous classic sun logo. Finally, while current U.S. carriers do have a place in my collection, they are pretty low on the priority list. So, why did I get it? Well, I got to wear wings with that ugly logo on the left side of my chest for almost six years. So needless to say, I was very moved when I saw this CRJ released in the colors of a company that will forever be an important part of my life. I should point out that I didn’t fly the CRJ, I only flew the E-175 with them. However, since the only aircraft that wore the company's own logo were three CRJ-900s, I knew this was, for the time being, my only opportunity to have a true Mesa Airlines model in 1:400 scale, instead of one wearing the livery of one of the major airline partners with the “Operated by Mesa Airlines” titles. And that is how three scale models representing aircraft from very different walks of life find their way into the same collection due to reasons as different as the aircraft themselves. Or this could also be an example of how collectors rationalize their aircraft model problem :). Happy collecting! Jorge A. Zajia

Haga click aquí para la versión en Español de este artículo At present time, my steadily growing collection of 1:400 scale models sits at around 280 pieces. While a modest size, it is still a lot of models that I had to mentally sort through to pick the favorite five. But after a while, the first three easily came out. These are models that I have had since my first stint with 1:400 scale around 2009; a time in which it wasn’t clear if the few models I had were part of a collection or a set of decorative items that packed a huge amount of sentimental value. Number four also came out fairly easy, as you will see, but when it came to choosing the fifth one among 280+ pieces, there was a lot of soul-searching involved before the clear owner of the title was chosen. Without further ado, the top 5 models of the YV400 collection: Number 5: Aeropostal Boeing 727-224 Adv. N79749 “Christine” by Phoenix Models This model has a lot of pros in many areas. First, It is one of those older models that are simple but to the point. Attention to even the smallest of details of the livery was given, and the printing and built are just good. Second, it is a model of a Venezuelan airline, the second one produced in 1:400 scale in fact. And not any airline, but the country's oldest airline (airline brand at least). Additionally, the model was released in 2004 and I got it in 2009, which meant that I had to look for it for a while and that always makes me value a model more. The final reason why I like this model so very much among the 280+ in my collection is also the reason why it is the last one on this list. I actually got to see this aircraft in person and was able to even take a picture of it with my very first digital camera. However, this also means that I was already old enough when this aircraft was in Aeropostal’s fleet (2002-2005). Turns out, Aeropostal introduced the 727 in the early 2000s after their Airbus fleet renewal attempt became unviable. So as much as I love the 727, and while the aircraft does have a place in Aeropostal’s history, it is not an aircraft type generally associated with the airline’s good times. And for those that knew how to read the health of a country through the aviation thermometer, the fact that the then-largest airline in the country brought 727s to replace A320s in the XXI century meant that there was trouble brewing. Because of the not-so-great memories that I associate with this otherwise very special model in my collection, it takes the last place in the Top 5. Number 4: Avensa Boeing 727-2D3 Adv. YV-97C by Aeroclassics I was expecting this model to rank higher on the list. Out of all the models in this ranking, Avensa 727s were the ones that I got to see the most throughout my entire childhood. Avensa 727s are the reason I fell in love with the legendary trijet, particularly the -200, and they are the epitome of the main focus of my collection. The urge to add an Avensa 727 to my collection is the sole reason I ventured into building kits and customizing die-cast models. Not to mention that I flew extensively on them (including my first flight), and YV-97C himself likely took me from MAR to MIA at least once sometime during the nineties. So how come this isn’t number one in the collection? I’ll explain. There are two main reasons this model ranks so low in the Top 5, given how significant it is to me. First, while I do remember seeing Avensa 727s wearing the livery this model wears, the livery that I remember the most is the one used in the late nineties, which consisted of a slightly different tail logo, and bare metal engines #1 and #3. Also, since I spent countless hours looking at these birds up close from the MAR observation deck, as well as through the windows of MIA and CCS, I got used to seeing the rivet lines and oil stains. Don’t get me wrong, Aeroclassics produced a superb model, and I’m usually perfectly okay without a whole lot of extra details. But in this case, with such a simple livery, and based on my particular experiences with Avensa 727s, I need some more detail, maybe even a nose cone outline could go a long way. The model just looks too clean and simple and failed to impress me in the same way that the real thing did. Nonetheless, it is an Avensa 727-200, so it will always be in the top 5 no matter what. Number 3: American Airlines Boeing 727-227 N718AA by GeminiJets Just like the Avensa 727 that took the 4th place, this AA 727-200 fits right in the middle of my collecting criteria. I also flew many times on them, and while my first flight ever was not on board one of them, my first flight to the U.S. was (CCS-MIA in 1994). These aircraft also served my local airport, MAR, during AA’s first stint in the city in 1995. This aircraft is right there with the Avensa 727-200 in terms of sentimental value, but what pushes it over the edge is the fact that American was such a recognized airline during the nineties, that I remember thinking that it was so cool that they served our city, which rarely appeared on the route network of foreign airlines. The model itself has a few things I don’t like. The American Flag is a bit misplaced on the tail, but that’s not too big of a deal. However, a bigger mistake that I wish the model didn’t have is the placement of the cockpit windows, which are printed too high. Besides those errors, the model also has some really nice attributes. While the metal is starting to tarnish a bit, the colors of the titles, logos and cheatline still pop like no other AA bird in my collection. This one also has that particularly shaped grey panel on the #2 intake/vertical stab join, which I distinctly remember seeing on the real aircraft (this detail really moved me when I got this model). The cheatline and the chrome help hide the misplaced cockpit window from a distance. In fact, this model continues to catch my eye every time I give a general glance at the collection, and it always takes me down memory lane in a way that no other model in my collection does. When appreciating this model, I try to look at it from the top to hide the cockpit window misplacement. Number 2: British Airways Boeing 747-436 G-CIVI “City of Gloucester” in the Landor livery by Gemini Jets There is something about the Landor livery that captivates me. It is the epitome of the nineties’ commercial aviation scene, and to me, it really stood in a class of its own, with a unique combination of colors and a subtle elegance unmatched by any other livery of the time. Looking back, I can attest that the World’s Favourite Airline campaign must have been very effective, because I got plenty of exposure to the British Airways brand (in the Landor corporate image) in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Exposure to British Airways in the Landor era came in the way of what remains the favorite Santa gift that was ever given to me: the British Airways Matchbox Gift Set, which I requested after having seen it at a local toy store – that should give you an idea of how effective BA was in spreading its image to every corner of the world. Around the same time, my dad also brought home a British Airways World Cargo brochure, probably from an oil-industry conference. Before the internet era (we didn’t even have a PC at home at the time), I used to spend hours looking at those airline brochures that came my way. I couldn’t read English at the time, but there were plenty of good aircraft photos in them, and that BA brochure was one of my favorites to look at. Finally, while I have never flown on British Airways, I did get to see a fair amount of 747s wearing the Landor livery during my childhood and early teen years, and I have two lasting memories from that time involving BA 747s in the Landor colors: One time went to pick up a relative arriving from an international flight at CCS, and somehow managed to go into the boarding area (pre 9/11). Close to the gate where our relative's flight was going to arrive, there was a Landor 747-400. It looked so big and close to the terminal window, and boy did I get an eyeful of that beauty while we waited for our relative's flight to arrive. Another time, probably the last time I saw an aircraft wearing the Landor livery in real life, I was sitting on board a Continental MD-80 at IAH during a ground stop as a massive line of thunderstorms was rolling through the area. Looking out the window, I remember seeing this British Airways 747-400 in the Landor livery break through the clouds for a few seconds only to climb back out and disappear again in the clouds. I’m guessing they had already started to execute a missed approach but broke out below the clouds for a bit in the process. I have never seen such a dramatic missed approach ever since. And of course, there is the model itself. Back when I got this one, I was still somewhat unfamiliar with the ins and outs of 1:400 collecting, and I was still under the impression that all sought-after 747s had been made already and I had missed out, period. It really took me years to understand how fortunate I had been to be able to purchase this model new when it was released. Not only it is a beautiful model, but also an interesting one, as it seems to have some transitional elements between the previous and current generation of GeminiJets/JC Wings 747-400s. Notice that it has rolling gears, but the gear hubs are not as detailed as the current ones (still much better than the gear hubs on the previous generation of GJ 747s). No antennas, of course (which is totally fine). And also notice that while it lacks the radome outline on the nose, it does have the lightning diversion strips. Overall, a very decent amount of detail to go along with one of my favorite liveries of all time. Number 1: Viasa McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 YV-135C GeminiJets/Aeroclassics If you have been reading anything put out by me, chances are you already knew this model was going to take the first place, so predictable… As a kid, I did not get to see many Viasa aircraft. Their fleet was small and they focused on flying out of CCS to international destinations. So, anyone living in the interior of the country (which was my case), while acutely aware of the existence of our proud flag carrier, did not get to see their aircraft too often. But I was aware of the fact that we had a proper national airline, and as an aviation enthusiast, that meant a lot to me. So, when I started to gain access to the internet in the late nineties, one of the first things I did was conduct research about our defunct and enigmatic flag carrier. I quickly became obsessed with it. While conducting that research I found out that Herpa Wings had released a 1:500 scale model of a Viasa DC-10 during the nineties. Years later I decided to look for that model on the internet, but all the results pointed to a new generation of models that included more variety and were of a slightly larger scale; 1:400. Therefore, this model of YV-135C is how I got introduced to 1:400 scale, and it is the epicenter of my 1:400 collection (though it was not my first 1:400 model). It wears the Viasa’s three-shades-of-blue livery from the late eighties/early nineties, which is the livery that I remember seeing as a kid, and it is a lovely and sought-after model that took me a while to find. I am beyond grateful for having it (x2) in my collection. This is the unequivocal number one model in my collection and I cannot think of any other model that could ever take its place. I truly enjoy collecting many aviation-related items, but scale models are by far my favorite category of aviation collectibles. The level of detail of new models is really impressive and some of my favorite models that didn’t make it to the top 5 belong to this new generation of models. However, I can’t hide the fact that the models of interestingly-shaped jetliners of the eighties and nineties, and the sentimental value they carry is what really makes a model special to me. Memorabilia Finally, I'd like to show you some personal items/photos that I talked about in this story, and help illustrate why these five models are so special to me: 1) One of my first aviation photos, and one of the few that I ever got to take at CCS, showing Aeropostal N79749's tail (number 5 in the top 5) in the first plane. 2) A toy model of Concorde from the British Airways Matchbox Gift Set in the Landor livery that I got as a Santa gift sometime during my childhood. The gift set also included a 747-400 (number 2 in the top 5) and some very well-made cars, all displaying very nitid BA Landor markings above the standard Matchbox quality. Concorde is the only piece of the set that I have access to currently. 3) The British Airways World Cargo brochure that was given to me as a kid. Click on it and enjoy it in its entirety as I have scanned and uploaded every single page that is available (all but one). Imagine a kid that couldn't read English going through it and looking at all those pictures without much context! 4) A route map from an American Airlines timetable from June 15, 1995, showing Maracaibo, Venezuela in red, indicating it was a new destination. The operation only lasted a few months, but I was really excited to have the 727s of the mighty American Airlines (number 3 on the list) in my hometown. The year prior I had flown on an AA 727 from Caracas to Miami on my first visit to the U.S. 5) And finally, a collection of Avensa boarding passes booklets from flights that I took from late 1988 to mid-1993 (since I was less than a year old, up until I was approximately 5). I knew my parents thought flying in airplanes was big deal, and therefore had kept many of my first boarding passes, but honestly, it was while putting this story together that I realized that they seemed to have kept every single boarding pass from those early years. Some of the last ones had Servivensa flight numbers, so those had to be flights operated by DC-9-30s. But judging by Avensa's fleet history, the dates, and my blurry memories, it is safe to say that the majority of the early ones were on board Avensa 727s (number 4 on the list). Jorge A. Zajia

For the English version of this article click here. A pesar de que mi colección de modelos en escala 1:400 es relativamente modesta, se encuentra en constante crecimiento y ya tiene el tamaño suficiente para que sea complicado elegir cual de todos es mi modelo favorito. Todos tienen algo que los hace particularmente especiales, pero hay algunos que sobresalen por encima del resto. Luego de mucho pensar y analizar la colección, he llegado a la conclusión definitiva de cuáles son mis cinco favoritos. Se trata de un grupo de modelos que tengo desde hace ya varios años y que en su mayoría están relacionados con gratas memorias de mi niñez. Número 5: Boeing 727-224 Adv. de Aeropostal matrícula N79749 hecho por Phoenix Models en escala 1:400 Este fue el primer modelo de Aeropostal en escala 1:400, y al mismo tiempo el segundo de una aerolínea venezolana. Los modelos de aerolíneas venezolanas nunca han sido comunes, así que cualquier modelo venezolano de mi colección ya lleva puntos de ventaja. Pero este es particularmente especial al ser de Aeropostal, la aerolínea más antigua del país, y en su momento la más grande. A parte de lo anterior, el modelo como tal es tremenda pieza. Es viejo, pero por eso se beneficia del dicho “ya no los hacen como antes.” Puede que no goce de muchos de los detalles que vemos en las nuevas generaciones de modelos, pero absolutamente todos los detalles importantes de la librea, incluyendo los más mínimos, están presente y nítidamente aplicados. El modelo también goza de una construcción particularmente robusta. Además, como es el caso con muchos de estos modelos, cuando empecé a coleccionar ya este tenía algunos años de haber salido al mercado y se encontraba completamente agotado (salió en el 2004 y yo obtuve el mío en el 2009). Así que me tocó cazarlo por un tiempo hasta poder encontrar un ejemplar a un precio razonable, y eso siempre le agrega valor sentimental a la pieza. Por último, yo recuerdo personalmente a los 727s de Aeropostal, e incluso logré capturar a este mismo avión (N79749) con mi primera cámara digital en el 2003. Así que tengo una conexión personal con el avión que este modelo representa. Sin embargo, la razón por la que este modelo se lleva el último lugar en este Top 5 es que, a pesar de lo mucho que me gusta el 727-200, no asocio este avión con tiempos particularmente buenos para Aeropostal, o el país. Según yo recuerdo, Aeropostal trajo estos 727 luego de que el ambicioso plan de renovar su flota internacional con equipos Airbus A320 y A310 fracasara. Los que leen la salud de un país por medio del termómetro de la aviación podían darse cuenta que la decisión de reemplazar equipos Airbus por obsoletos 727-200 en pleno siglo XXI indicaba que un desastre se asomaba en el horizonte. Así que debido a los recuerdos un tanto amargos que los 727 de Aeropostal me traen, este modelo se lleva el puesto número cinco. Número Cuatro: Boeing 727-2D3 Adv. de Avensa matrícula YV-97C hecho por Aeroclassics en escala 1:400 Recuerdo que me emocioné mucho cuando el lanzamiento de este modelo fue anunciado. Los 727 de Avensa significan mucho para mí. Recuerdo haberlos visto durante toda mi niñez, y volé muchas veces en ellos (incluyendo mi primer vuelo en avión). Fueron específicamente los 727 de Avensa los que hicieron que este avión, particularmente el -200, se convirtiera en mi favorito. Y fueron las ganas de tener uno de ellos en mi colección (antes de que este modelo saliera al mercado) lo que me llevó a aventurarme con la construcción de kits de plástico, y la modificación de aviones a escala de metal (customización) para crear mis propios 727 de Avensa. Luego de haber leído lo anterior quizás se pregunten por qué este modelo no se lleva el primer puesto, si es tan especial para mí. Explico: El primer detalle es la librea que el modelo lleva. Si bien yo recuerdo haber visto varios aviones de Avensa con esa librea, fue la que le siguió, con el logotipo sin el borde blanco en la cola y los motores de los costados al desnudo, la que me trae más recuerdos chevere de mi infancia. El otro detalle es que a pesar de que Aeroclassics hizo un buen trabajo con este modelo, me hubiese gustado que tuviese un poco más de detalle. Aunque no me molesta para nada que los modelos tengan un alto nivel de detalle, generalmente no es un requisito para que algún modelo me guste o deje de gustar. Sin embargo, en este caso en particular, con una librea tan sencilla, me parece que el modelo se ve muy simple. Yo tuve la oportunidad de pasar incontables horas viendo de cerca a los 727 de Avensa desde la terraza del Aeropuerto la Chinita en Maracaibo, y a través de los ventanales de Maiquetía y Miami. Así que me acostumbré a apreciar detalles como las líneas de remaches y manchas de aceite en el fuselaje de estos aparatos. Si este modelo tuviese impreso algunos de los elementos que vemos en muchos de los de hoy en día, como paneles de acceso y sensores, luciría un poco más como los 727 de Avensa que yo recuerdo. Así como está, por muy bonito y especial que sea, al modelo le falta carácter y no me impresiona de la misma manera que el avión real lo hizo. Sin embargo, es un 727-200 de Avensa, así que siempre será parte del top cinco de mi colección. Número 3: Boeing 727-227 de American Airlines matrícula N718AA hecho por GeminiJets en escala 1:400 Al igual que el 727 de Avensa que se llevó el puesto número cuatro, los 727 de American Airlines estuvieron presentes durante gran parte de mi niñez y adolescencia, y también volé en ellos varias veces. Incluso, la primera vez que vine a Estados Unidos lo hice a bordo de uno (Maiquetía-Miami en 1994). La primera vez que American Airlines inició operaciones a mi ciudad natal, Maracaibo, lo hizo con equipos 727-200. Esta es una de las razones por las que decidí poner a este avión por delante del 727 de Avensa en este Top 5. Recuerdo que me emocionaba mucho ver estos aparatos visitando mi ciudad, que muy rara vez aparecía en la lista de destinos de aerolíneas extranjeras. Tomando en cuenta lo grande que American Airlines era en los noventa, era un orgullo que tuviesen a Maracaibo en su mapa de rutas, colocando así a la ciudad en la escena global. El modelo como tal, a pesar de no ser perfecto, es muy bonito. Su fuselaje está perdiendo su lustre con el paso de los años, pero esto es común en los modelos de metal cromado, y sobre todo en modelos viejos como este que originalmente salió en el año 2000; yo adquirí mi ejemplar en el 2011. Pero a pesar de esto, los colores de su librea y logo aún resaltan más que los de cualquier otro modelo en mi colección de American Airlines. Algo que me gusta de este modelo es el detalle de ese panel de color gris y forma peculiar, donde se une la toma de aire del motor #2 y la cola, sobre el cual está colocada la bandera de Estados Unidos. Yo recuerdo haber notado ese detalle en los 727-200 de American Airlines en la vida real, y recuerdo que me dio mucha nostalgia verlo replicado fielmente en el modelo. Una de las cosas que no me gusta tanto del modelo es que, al menos mi ejemplar, tiene las ventanas de la cabina de mando mal posicionadas; muy altas. Sin embargo, es un detalle que no se nota mucho cuando el modelo es visto desde lejos. De hecho, este modelo es el que más a menudo captura mi atención cuando le estoy echando un vistazo general a la colección, y es el que mejor me transporta al pasado. Cuando lo aprecio de cerca, trato de verlo desde arriba para ocultar el error de las ventanas de la cabina de mando. Número 2: Boeing 747-436 de British Airways en la librea Landor Matrícula G-CIVI hecho por GeminiJets en escala 1:400 La librea de British Airways que este modelo lleva es una de mis favoritas. Comúnmente llamada “Landor,” debido a que fue creada por la agencia de diseño corporativo Landor Associates, esta librea de British Airways es el epitome del enfoque principal de mi colección. No solo sintetiza la imagen moderna y elegante, con colores sobrios, que caracterizaba a los logotipos y libreas de aerolíneas en la década de los noventa, sino que además lo hace de una forma única. En mi opinión ninguna otra aerolínea logró capturar la elegancia casual y el glamour del viaje por avión de los noventa como lo hizo British Airways con la librea Landor. A pesar de que yo nunca he volado con British Airways, la he tenido muypresente desde que era muy joven, justo cuando la librea Landor estaba en pleno auge, y tengo varios recuerdos de los 747s de British Airways en esta librea. El mejor regalo de Navidad (Santa) que me han dado se trató de un set de juguetes de British Airways producido por la marca Matchbox que traía un par de aviones, un 747-400 y un Concorde, junto con tres vehículos. Tanto la caja como las cinco piezas que venían adentro tenían estampado nítidamente el logotipo Landor. Eran juguetes de muy buena calidad, quizás superior al resto de los productos Matchbox de aquella época, y hacían un buen trabajo en poner la marca British Airways bajo buena luz. Recuerdo que pedí ese regalo a Santa precisamente luego de verlo en una juguetería local de Maracaibo. Es increíble lo eficaz que British Airways era en hacer que su elegante, pero amigable imagen llegara a todos los rincones del planeta, validando así su eslogan de la época: The World’s Favourite Airline (La aerolínea favorita del mundo) Otra forma en la que la imagen Landor de British Airways impactó mi niñez fue cuando mi padre trajo a la casa un folleto promocional de British Airways World Cargo de alguna conferencia de la industria petrolera a mediados de los noventa. En una época en la que la internet y las computadoras personales eran prácticamente inexistentes en mi vida, la mayoría de la información que yo obtenía sobre el mundo de la aviación provenía de este tipo de publicaciones que mi papá u otros adultos me proporcionaban. Yo aun no hablaba ni leía inglés, pero la mayoría de los folletos venían llenos de imágenes de alta calidad y llenas de información en si mismas, y yo pasaba horas viendo esas fotos. El folleto de British Airways en cuestión fue mi favorito por muchos años. También recuerdo haber visto a los 747 de British Airways robándose el show con su elegante traje Landor en El Aeropuerto de Maiquetía durante mis visitas a Caracas. Recuerdo una vez en particular que fuimos al aeropuerto a buscar a un familiar que venía en un vuelo internacional y pudimos entrar a la zona estéril (antes del 9/11). Cerca de la puerta donde arribaría el vuelo que esperábamos se encontraba estacionado un 747 de British Airways. Se veía enorme a través de los ventanales del terminal y recuerdo que lo absorbí por completo con mis ojos por un buen rato. La última vez que recuerdo haber visto un avión de British Airways en la librea Landor fue en Houston a principios de siglo, cuando ya estaba siendo reemplazada por la librea de la utopía. Recuerdo que me encontraba a bordo de un MD-80 de Continental en IAH mientras las operaciones del aeropuerto se encontraban prácticamente paralizadas debido a un gran sistema de tormentas que se desplazaba sobre el área. Mientras mataba el tiempo mirando por la ventana, recuerdo ver a este enorme 747 de British Airways con la librea Landor salir de entre las nubes por unos segundos para inmediatamente ascender y volver a perderse en ellas. Se trataba de una aproximación frustrada en la que el avión se asomó por unos segundos en medio del proceso. Más nunca he visto una aproximación frustrada tan dramática como aquella, y más nunca recuerdo haber visto un avión de British Airways portando la librea Landor. A parte del valor sentimental que las anécdotas anteriores le dan a este modelo, la pieza como tal tiene sus propios méritos. No solo es un modelo bien hecho, sino que también es interesante ya que captura la transición entre dos generaciones del molde de 747-400 de GeminiJets. El modelo trae llantas giratorias, a diferencia de la versión anterior, pero los rines no son tan detallados como en la versión subsiguiente. Aún GeminiJets no le había colocado antenas a su 747-400, lo cual no es un problema para mí, pero ya empezaban a aprecer el nuevo nivel de detalles impresos que se ven en las generaciones actuales de modelos. Por ejemplo, aqunque el cono de nariz (radomo) no está presente, las lineas pararrayo que se encuentran en el si lo están. En general me alegra ver que a pesar de no estar completamente dentro de los estándares modernos, este modelo al menos se encuentra un paso más adelante que el 747-400 original de GeminiJets, que es bastante anticuado. Como se podrán imaginar, este es uno de esos modelos que tienen muchos admiradores (tales como yo) por todo el mundo, lo que significa que está completamente agotado desde hace años, y es prácticamente imposible conseguir un ejemplar – ni siquiera a precios exorbitantes – en el mercado de segunda mano. Yo fui muy afortunado al haberlo podido comprar nuevo en las tiendas cuando salió en el 2013 y por eso también lo aprecio bastante. Lamentablemente, no puedo decir lo mismo de otros modelos que me he perdido por no andar pendiente y hoy en día son inalcanzables. Número 1: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 de Viasa matrícula YV-135C hecho por GeminiJets (distribuido por Aeroclassics) en escala 1:400 Cualquier persona que me conozca un poco y haya leído algunas de mis publicaciones anteriores probablemente ya sabía que este modelo se llevaría el primer lugar. La verdad es que no llegué a ver muchos aviones de Viasa durante mi niñez. La aerolínea siempre tuvo una flota pequeña, y se enfocaban principalmente en ofrecer vuelos desde Caracas a destinos internacionales. Debido a esto, los que vivíamos en el interior del país, a pesar de estar muy conscientes de la existencia de nuestra gran aerolínea bandera, pocas veces teníamos la oportunidad de ver uno de sus aviones. Cuando empecé a tener acceso a la internet a finales de los noventa, una de las primeras cosas que hice fue dedicarme a investigar sobre nuestra enigmática, y para entonces difunta, línea aérea bandera. Rápidamente me obsesioné con el tema. Durante mis investigaciones me enteré que existía un modelo de DC-10-30 de Viasa hecho por la marca Herpa en escala 1:500. Aproximadamente diez años más tarde se me ocurrió ver si había alguna forma de encontrar un ejemplar. Apenas empecé a buscar en Google, me di cuenta de que existía una nueva generación de modelos que ofrecía más variedad, y eran hechos en una escala un poco más grande; 1:400. Así que, aunque este no fue mi primer modelo a escala 1:400, si fue el que dio inicio a mi interés en ella. Por lo tanto, este modelo es el epicentro de mi colección actual, y todos los otros están en mi colección para hacerle compañía a él. El modelo como tal está muy bien hecho, y tomando en cuenta en la época que fue producido (2005), la verdad que no tiene nada que se le pueda criticar. Lleva la librea de los tres tonos de azul de Viasa, que era la que estaba vigente cuando yo nací, y es la que mejor recuerdo. Me costó bastante encontrarlo, y estoy muy agradecido de tenerlo (x2) en mi colección. Este es genuinamente el rey de mi colección de modelos a escala 1:400, y dudo mucho que algún otro modelo logre destronarlo. De todo el tipo de cosas relacionadas a la aviación que me gusta coleccionar, los modelos a escala 1:400 son mis favoritos. El nivel de detalle que se ve en muchos de los nuevos modelos es verdaderamente increíble, y muchos de mis favoritos que no aparecieron en este Top 5 pertenecen a esta nueva generación. Sin embargo, no puedo ocultar que el valor sentimental que algunos de estos modelos tienen, y los buenos recuerdos que me traen son el factor determinante, y no la calidad del modelo como tal, lo que más importa para mí al final del día. Para cerrar este relato comparto con ustedes algunas de las fotos y antigüedades aeronáuticas personales que he mencionado en esta historia, y que ayudan a entender por qué estos cinco modelos son tan especiales para mí. 1) Una de las primeras fotos de aviones que tomé, y una de las pocas que tuve la oportunidad de tomar en Maiquetía, mostrando al N79749 de Aeropostal (el que se llevó la posición número cinco) en primer plano. 2) Concorde con la librea Landor de British Airways del set de juguetes que mencioné es el mejor regalo de Navidad que me han dado. El set también traía un 747-400 (como el que se llevó la posición número dos), pero hoy en día solo tengo acceso al Concorde. 3) Folleto de British Airways World Cargo de la época Landor. Si hacen click en la imagen pueden disfrutarlo casi en toda su totalidad ya que escanee todas las páginas que aún conservo (solo falta una). ¡Imagínense a alguien que no entendía inglés ojeando ese folleto y viendo todas esas fotos cargadas de la imagen Landor! 4) Mapa de rutas de un itinerario de American Airlines del 15 de junio de 1995 mostrando a Maracaibo en rojo indicando que era un nuevo destino. Esta operación inicial de American Airlines en Maracaibo solo duró algunos meses, pero recuerdo que me encantaba ver sus 727-200 (como el que se llevó el puesto número tres) en el aeropuerto de mi ciudad. 5) Colección de libretas de abordaje de Avensa de vuelos en los que yo estuve abordo datando de finales de 1988, cuando tenía menos de un año, hasta 1993, cuando tenía casi cinco años. Siempre supe que mis padres consideraban que viajar por avión era un evento importante, y por eso habían guardado varios mis boletos aéreos. Pero no fue sino hasta que decidí escribir esta historia que me di cuenta que hay un récord prácticamente completo de todos mis viajes por avión durante mis primeros cinco años. Algunos de los más recientes tienen números de vuelo de Servivensa, lo que indica que probablemente fueron operados por DC-9-30. Pero, por la época, es válido asumir que la mayoría se trata de vuelos operados por 727s de Avensa (como el que se llevó la posición número cuatro). Jorge A. Zajia

For the review, and comparison photos of the two models skip to the Model Review section. A Bit of Background... It took a while for European 767s to appear in my collection. They were not common around the airports I frequented as a child, and usually were overshadowed by bigger and more interestingly-shaped aircraft. During my teen years, they became more common as CCS became one of the few destinations in South America served by KLM and British Airways 767s. However, these 767s represented a downgrade as KLM 747s and MD-11s, and BA 747s and 777s were the aircraft these airlines used to serve CCS around the end of the last century. These downgrades eventually culminated with both airlines leaving Venezuela for good in 2004 and 2005 respectively, while the wake of 9/11 was still felt around the world, and amid new levels of social instability brewing in the country. In the case of KLM, the consolidation of many South American routes as a result of the then newly created Air France-KLM group also played a significant role in the Dutch flag carrier leaving Venezuela after having served the country for more than half a century. So, as you can probably tell based on the previous paragraph, I did not associate European 767s with particularly exciting times in my life as an aviation enthusiast. But the passage of time has a way of making the past look like better days. So with that in mind, in recent times many 1:400 models of European 767s that visited Venezuela started to wink at me. KLM’s last AMS-CCS-AMS flight took place on May 30, 2004. When a former KLM employee from CCS posted pictures from that day on Facebook I was pleased to learn that the aircraft used, PH-BZA, was still wearing the delivery colors (it never got repainted before leaving the KLM fleet). Since I already had a small fleet of KLM aircraft in that livery, the discovery that their 767s also visited Venezuela while wearing it quickly made me want to add a KLM 767 to my collection. So, I set out on a hunt for a 1:400 KLM 767 in the old colors. Aeroclassics had produced two in 2004, but they were long sold out. As luck would have it, as I was combing the internet in search of one of these models, and even asking friends to keep an eye for them at collectible shows, JC Wings made their June 2022 announcement and it included KLM 767 PH-BZK in the old colors. JC Wings had been producing some really nice 767-300s after injecting new life into the old GeminiJets mold, so I was really excited to see an old c/s KLM bird in the batch. Fast-forward some 4 months and the model has arrived at my doorstep from Pandafox Toys. The model did not disappoint. However, when looked at from the side, the cockpit windows seem to have been printed just a tad high. Just out of curiosity, I googled the Aeroclassics version to see how they had done their windows. To my surprise, there was one on eBay going for cheap, potentially devaluated as a result of the JC release (?). The listing had good pictures, and it showed the model had a solid printing job all around. I also realized the model had the “The world is just a click away” titles, which made it more in line with the period these aircraft visited Venezuela, and thus better suited for my collection. So in the end I also got the Aeroclassics version. This is not going to be a super detailed review, instead I’m just going to give my general observations and offer you some high-resolution pictures to appreciate the models and make your conclusions. Model Review The models in question are two KLM Boeing 767-306/ERs: PH-BZK by JC Wings, and PH-BZF by Aeroclassics. The JC Wings one has more printed details, especially around the nose area – I really love how the radome outline looks on models nowadays. The cockpit windows actually look really good on the JC version (as usual on their current 767s), but unfortunately, the slight misplacement gives my model a bit of a wonky face look when looked at from the side and up close (I could very well be looking for an excuse to justify the purchase of the AC one as well). The Aeroclassics version does not fall short on the printing department, as it has a solid application and a healthy amount of detail also. However, the nose area elements look pretty crude when compared to the JC counterpart. But the windows are properly aligned, so no wonky face. Ironically, the overwing markings on the Aeroclassics win over the JC version. I particularly like the tiny “no step” signs printed on the Aeroclassics version. The Aeroclassics one also has strakes on the engine nacelles, while the JC does not. They are oversized, but I like the model having them. I didn’t do an exhaustive analysis of the placement of the livery elements, but at a glance, both models seem to have it right. There is no SATCOM dome outline on the Aeroclassics, and there should be one, but that does not bother me in the slightest. On that note, JC did place all the domes and antennas correctly. Finally, there is the tone of the blue color on the upper half of the fuselage. The Aeroclassics one is clearly too dark. But it could be argued that the JC one is slightly on the too-bright side. At any rate, I find them both to be wearing fine representations of the basic livery in which they were delivered to KLM. JC definitely wins on the cheatline color though. These are both very nice models portraying an iconic livery, and I am very happy to have both of them in my collection. It is difficult for me to choose a winner. As of the writing of this article the JC Wings one can still be found on some retailers, so hurry up! Jorge A. Zajia

These little airplane models give us a tangible way to appreciate and honor these wonderful flying machines, engineering marvels, country ambassadors, and world shrinkers. Each one of us has personal reasons to be particularly fond of some aircraft types and airline liveries. In those cases only one model might not be enough, after all, it doesn’t hurt to have a little more than enough of a good thing. Such is the case for me with the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 in the American Airlines livery. The T-tail design of the DC-9 family is exotic and I find it more pleasurable to the eyes than the wing-mounted twin-jet design that is all too common today. And even though the latter design is the clear winner, I am grateful for the decent success that the DC-9 family had, as it has allowed us to delight ourselves with such a beautiful airliner design for several decades. I find the MD-80 to be one of the most attractive members of the DC-9 family, especially the early ones with the pointy tail cone and black nose radome. Its good fuselage and engine proportions give it a balanced appearance without looking too modern or too vintage. I have always perceived the DC-9 family to be poorly represented in the scale model/toy world. The DiMA database agrees with me as it has a combined total of 985 DC-9s (DC-9 + MD-80 + MD-82 + MD-83 + MD-87 + MD-88 + MD-90 + B 717) in 1:400 and 1:200 scales. For reference, there are 1932 B 737 models and 1721 A320s (A318 + A319 + A320 + A321) in 1:400 scale alone. This isn’t an exact calculation as some models are listed under more than one type field, and some others are not registered at all in the database, but it gives a general view of the under-representation of DC-9 models. In spite of the MD-80 shortage in 1:400 scale, one airline that has not been underrepresented is American Airlines. American MD-80s were iconic, and even though they were predominantly seen in North America, it is safe to say that aviation lovers worldwide have no issues connecting the aircraft and the airline. For 37 years the airline got to operate close to 400 of these aircraft with the same livery throughout, making AA MD-80s a bridge that connected the modern aviation scene with that of the eighties and nineties. The first American MD-80s in 1:400 scale date from 2001 and were produced by Dragon Wings. Then around 2011 Jet-X produced some more. And finally, GeminiJets released some more in 2013, 2014, and 2019. My first American MD-80 model was a GeminiJets MD-82 registered N573AA, I bought it when released in 2013. I was pretty happy with it, even though I was acutely aware of the oversized engines and oddly shaped nose. Years later one of the original Dragon Wings examples from 2001 crossed my path at an accessible price. It was also an MD-82, but registered N473AA. Dragon’s example has a black radome and pointy tail cone, which places the aircraft in the pre-2003 period, in line with its release date. Its Gemini counterpart comes with the grey radome and the new-style flattened tail cone. Additionally, the fuselage of my DW example is painted, while the GJ example is bare metal. Beyond those basic differences come the differences inherent to the two molds. I will not go into a detailed comparison/review of these two models as that has been done before at Yesterday's Airlines. I will say, however, that if I had to choose between the two, I will personally keep the Dragon Wings version. Enjoy the pictures and compare: Jorge A. Zajia