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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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