Twenty-nine years ago today, November 26, 1993, Viasa DC-10-30 YV-135C was written off after being severely damaged due to a runway overrun at Buenos Aires-Ezeiza (EZE). The aircraft was performing flight VA940 non-stop from Caracas-Maiquetía (CCS). Poor weather with rain showers prevailed at EZE at the time of the mishap. This was Viasa’s only hull loss. There were two other hull losses involving Viasa aircraft, but none were being operated by Viasa. For many years, YV-135C was the registration of choice by scale model manufacturers to use on Viasa DC-10 models. Schabak used the registration on all the Viasa DC-10s they produced since 1988 up until 2001, including a version wearing the airline’s last Iberia-style livery, which is incorrect as the aircraft had already crashed when that livery was introduced, and YV-134C was the only DC-10 to wear that livery. Then, in 2005, the first Viasa DC-10 to appear in 1:400 scale – produced by GeminiJets, but marketed as Aeroclassics/Latinclassics – also wore the registration YV-135C. This remains the only Viasa DC-10 produced in 1:400 scale wearing the airline’s three-shades of blue livery. It is a very fine model with very detailed artwork for the time and the solid printing quality associated with scale models in those years. Aeroclassics is responsible for breaking with what seemingly was a tradition to use YV-135C as the registration of choice for Viasa DC-10 scale models when YV-134C and -137C were released in 2009 in 1:400 and 1:500 scales. Up until March 2012, the remains of YV-135C could be seen through Google Earth laying on a grassy area in the proximity of Los Chivatos maintenance complex at EZE. Sources: Roll Out: Un DC-10 Abandonado (Spanish) Richard Stretton: McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Moulds in 1:600 Scale Aviation Safety Network: YV-135C

Hoy hace 29 años, el 26 de noviembre de 1993, el DC-10-30 YV-135C de Viasa estuvo envuelto en un accidente al salirse de la pista luego de aterrizar en el Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza, zona metropolitana de Buenos Aires, Argentina. El avión operaba el vuelo VA940 procedente sin escalas desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía, zona metropolitana de Caracas, Venezuela. Las condiciones meteorológicas en Ezeiza al momento del accidente eran adversas. Este fue el único accidente de Viasa que resultó en pérdida total del avión. Es importante acotar que en los otros dos accidentes graves en los que estuvieron envueltos aviones de Viasa, los vuelos no estaban bajo el control operacional de la misma. La matrícula YV-135C tiene un lugar importante en el mundo de los modelos a escala, ya que fue la matrícula utilizada en los modelos de DC-10 de Viasa desde 1988 hasta el 2005. La alemana Schabak la utilizó primero en sus pequeñines a escala 1:600 entre 1988 y 2001, incluyendo un modelo que porta erróneamente la última librea de Viasa al estilo Iberia (el YV-135C ya se había estrellado cuando dicha librea fue adoptada por Viasa, y encima el único DC-10 de Viasa en portarla fue el YV-134C). Luego, fue la librea utilizada para producir el primer DC-10 de Viasa en escala 1:400 en el año 2005. Este modelo fue fabricado por GeminiJets, pero mercadeado por Aeroclassics bajo su serie LatinClassics. Hasta hoy este ha sido el único DC-10 de Viasa producido en escala 1:400 portando la icónica librea de los tres tonos de azul. El modelo es una pequeña obra de arte con muchos detalles para la época, y con la excelente calidad de impresión de aquellos años. Hoy en día ya han salido varios modelos a escala de DC-10s de Viasa con otras matrículas. Los restos del YV-135C podían ser vistos en un área boscosa del complejo de mantenimiento de Los Chivatos, en Ezeiza, hasta marzo del 2012 por medio de la aplicación Google Earth. Fuentes: Roll Out: Un DC-10 Abandonado Richard Stretton: McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Moulds in 1:600 Scale Aviation Safety Network: YV-135C

With the recent release of KLM/Viasa 747-200 PH-BUG by Phoenix Models, the total number of Viasa 747s in 1:400 scale became four: two versions of N749WA, one by Aeroclassics and another one by Magic; and two versions of PH-BUG, one by Aeroclassics and one by Phoenix. I took the opportunity to compare Phoenix's new release with its Aeroclassics counterpart, which you can see here. Then, I also thought it would be opportune to do the same with N749WA. The Aircraft Line number 237 was delivered to World Airways on June 10, 1974 as a Boeing 747-273C, the C designation stood for "convertible," which meant it could be quickly configured to carry freight or passengers. In the case of the Boeing 747-200, this was done through a nose cargo door, that easily allowed for the passenger seats to be installed or removed. During its time with World Airways it was registered as N749WA. It was never seen wearing the colors of World Airways, but rather the liveries of its numerous lessors as follows: Korean Air: June 1974 - May 1979 Braniff International: April 1979 - June 1981 Viasa: June 1981 - September 1984 (Subleased from Flying Tigers, flew freight for Lufhtansa and American Airlines in late 1983 and in mid-1984 respectively) Flying Tigers: October 1984 - December 1989 (Flying Tigers bought it off the lease in May 1985 making the livery match with its owner of record for the first time) In December 1989 it was bought by Evergreen International and registered as N470EV. Between July 1994 and September 1995 it was leased to Southern Air Transport, and then it went back to Evergreen to become the first 747 firebomber "947." It was retired in February 2012 and stored at MZJ. (Sources: rzjets.net, Airliners.net) It is important to note that during its busy life, it was only seen carrying passengers during its time at Braniff. The Models Both versions appeared in late 2007, the Aeroclassics one was part of their November releases of that year. As expected, the Aeroclassics version is superior to the Magic version. However, both examples have some serious mistakes/omissions. The Magic mould has a nice shape and it looks good next to the well-known and respected Big Bird mould used by Aeroclassics, though I think it would have looked better without their signature early antennas. It also has more printed details than the Aeroclassics one. I particularly like the opaque metal of the belly, the paint of the wing box fairing, the dark fan blades of the engines, and the different tone of grey of the reversers (Magic has been guilty of producing models with the reversers deployed. In favor of this model, I'd like to think that is not the case here, but rather a touch of realism). Magic pros however, are overshadowed by their poor colors, specially the blue cheatline and Venezuela titles. The font is also notoriously off, and the cheatline to low below the middle of the nose cone. Note how Magic does have an antiglare, while the Aeroclassics is missing it, more on that later. Finally, Magic Models is infamous for poor manufacturing techniques, specially paint application, which has resulted in bubbles. Luckily, the example I own only has some very minor paint irregularities in the wing roots, not any worse than issues found in many of my models from other manufacturers. Looking at the port side, overall both manufacturers did a good job aligning the fuselage elements. The titles match their position in relation to the windows. On the tail however, it can be seen that Magic placed the Viasa titles too high. When looking at the model by it self it is almost impossible to notice this. What is fairly noticeable is that Magic's font is too straight, especially Viasa's "V." The starboard side elements also look properly aligned on both examples, and the font still looks better on the Aeroclassics one. One thing that comes up on this side is a bit of over detailing by Magic. While I like the APU intake and the belly cargo doors, the service doors seem to have too much detail when compared to how the real aircraft looked. The real aircraft. (Copyrights: Richard Vandervord, Steve Williams) Antiglare, Nose Cargo Door, and Other Missconceptions As mentioned earlier, Aeroclassics omitted the antiglare on their version, which is a significant error. Magic did print an antiglare, but it is the wrong shape, too wide and round, whereas N749WA's antiglare was pointy towards the nose. Ironically, when the models are looked at from the side, it becomes less obvious that the Aeroclassics is missing its antiglare, while Magic's wide antiglare makes the model look a bit odd. Another important feature of this aircraft that both manufacturers omitted is the outline of the nose cargo door. At least judging by my two other 1:400 747 factory freighters (excluding the interactive ones), when a nose cargo door is present, it should be printed. Additionally, small Viasa titles that were located under the nose cargo door are also missing on both models. I am tempted to assume that when this model was produced neither manufacturer was fully aware that this aircraft was a freighter for Viasa. It doesn't help that its designation was C instead of F, and that it was actually seen plugged to jetbridges and passenger terminals when it flew for Braniff. Also, Viasa painted the aircraft with their standard livery, and no cargo markings. In fact, this was the only 747 that was fully painted in Viasa colors ever. In his autobiography "Guiado por La Providencia," Captain Luis Emiro Cañas, who was one of only 9 Viasa pilots that got assigned to fly N749WA, offers some details of Viasa cargo operations using this aircraft. Captain Cañas states that the lease agreement was done with Flying Tigers (not World Airways), and also indicates that Viasa flight crews flew other Flying Tigers 747s and routes as part of the agreement between the two companies. So, in a way Viasa acted as a flight crew contractor for Flying Tigers. Magic Models also released N749WA in the Viasa/Flying Tigers hybrid livery that it wore after the Viasa contract was over. The Box The Aeroclassics version comes in the standard Latinclassics box with the black craddle. The Magic box design is quite nice, and the material is sturdy. The box also includes the standard Magic stand, which is well made, and I use (to display another model). However, Magic used a bunch of well-known photos without giving any sort of credit to the authors, which I think lacks decency and detracts from the otherwise nice design. In Summary These are two nice 1:400 747 replicas of an important aircraft in Viasa's history. Both are strong moulds, but once again, Aeroclassics fine lines and clean finish makes their version the winner, even without the antiglare. I have seen an extensive amount of Viasa aircraft's pictures and I can see where Magic might have gotten the idea to use that light shade of blue. However, it stands out from the rest of my Viasa models, and not in a good way. It is also nice that Magic noticed the antiglare, but it is a shame that they got the wrong shape. Aside from that, this could have been a strong opponent to the Aeroclassics version. As far as the nose cargo door goes, I think it is an important omission on both models. I am hopeful that the numerous errors around the nose section on both of these models are a good reason to see it re-released in some future generation of classic 747s in 1:400. Jorge A. Zajia Part 1, PH-BUG Sources: Airliners.net N470EV Airliners.net N749WA Cañas L.E. (2020) Guiado por La Providencia Rzjets.net N749WA

Recently, Phoenix Models announced the release of KLM's PH-BUG in its split livery with Viasa from the early seventies. This brings the total number of Viasa 747s in 1:400 scale to four, though there are only two registrations represented by these models: PH-BUG and N749WA. Aeroclassics released one of each, while Magic released N749WA, and Phoenix PH-BUG. Phoenix's release of PH-BUG was interesting as Viasa, and especially their split-livery aircraft, generally is Aeroclassics material. Although, it would not be the first time Phoenix impresses us, by showing some love to the fairly overlooked South American nation, as they are responsible for a beautiful Aeropostal 727-200 released in 2004. Additionally, with so many 747 classics that are long sold out, I find it an odd surprise that PH-BUG in KLM/Viasa colors was chosen by Phoenix. With the new PH-BUG recently unboxed, I thought it would be a good opportunity to go back and review Viasa 747s in 1:400 scale. PH-BUG, Orinoco Delivered on December 15, 1971, PH-BUG was the last of the initial batch of seven 747-206Bs that KLM received. These aircraft all were christened with names of rivers, and KLM fittingly gave -BUG the name of Orinoco after Venezuela's largest river. From the very beginning, Viasa requested help and guidance from KLM to become the flag carrier of Venezuela and position itself as a prominent airline in the region. KLM happily took the airline of the promising South American oil superpower under its wings, first developing the DC-8 program, and then putting Viasa at the forefront of the industry with an ambitious 747 program. The jumbo, however, quickly proved to be too big for Viasa, and the DC-10 was finally chosen as the airline's wide-body transoceanic flagship. However, two KLM 747s, PH-BUD " The Nile," and PH-BUG "Orinoco," did operate for Viasa between 1972 and 1974 before the arrival of the DC-10s. -BUD was seen wearing Viasa stickers, while -BUG received full Viasa colors on the starboard half of the fuselage. This made Viasa the first airline in South America to put its livery in a 747 (at least one half of it) and to offer jumbo service. Below is a picture of PH-BUD in Madrid wearing Viasa stickers (posted on Facebook by multiple users, copyright unknown), and a Viasa ad from the seventies showcasing service on PH-BUG. While PH-BUG might have just been one of many 747s in KLM's fleet, when looked at from the Viasa side of the field, it is an icon that holds a paramount place in Venezuela's aviation history. The Models Aeroclassics released its version in November 2007, while Phoenix released theirs in January 2022. The Aeroclassics version has consistently ranked among the rarest 1:400 models, like most of their 747-100/200s. It is too early to tell if the Phoenix version will become as rare. It is the same unique aircraft, but the stigma that surrounds the Phoenix mould might put off a lot of collectors. After looking at these models for a while I am not sure if one is definitely better than the other, to me they look more like two different representations of the same aircraft. The Aeroclassics 747 mould does have finer lines and a better shape, especially around the hump and nose section, and that alone goes a long way. Their model also has a nicer overall finish but is not perfect. Likewise, the Phoenix version has some nice attributes worth mentioning. The nose section of the Phoenix example is probably the worst part of this model, especially on the Viasa side. Overall I don't think the Phoenix 747-200 mould is as ugly as the general consensus says it is, I think it is just different. However, the top of the cockpit (the forehead of the model if you will) is so poorly shaped that it does make the model look odd. Additionally, the titles are notoriously compressed, and thus the font angle is too pronounced. The Aeroclassics font is also not perfect but initially looks better than the Phoenix version. Phoenix's orange might also be on the light side, but I don't think it is bad enough. In this section of the model we can also see what I think is the worst mistake: the name is displayed as "The Orinoco," when in fact it was only "Orinoco." What is more puzzling, as you will see, is that the name is correctly displayed on the KLM side of the aircraft. Aeroclassics' orange looks better and while the font also looks better, I don't think it is quite right either. I would say AC used the standard generic Viasa font, which looks acceptable, while Phoenix tried to match it to how it looks in pictures of this particular aircraft without fully refining their design. Phoenix's Viasa titles are better aligned with the upper deck windows and doors. Aeroclassics got the name of the aircraft right, though Phoenix's mistake is easily fixable. Of course, the Aeroclassics version looks nicer because the shape of their hump and nose section is near perfect. But if you are into antennas Phoenix has that for you. I actually went ahead and removed the word "The" from the name of the Phoenix version while I brewed my second cup of coffee. It was a bit more involved than what I expected. I usually take models as they are, but this one was a fairly easy fix, and I was having a hard time getting over it. Conveniently enough, after fixing the name, the word Orinoco became correctly aligned with the 4th window ahead of the R1 door. On the Aeroclassics version the name is not properly aligned. The real aircraft. The tail section I think is one of the strong points of the Phoenix model. The angle seems to make less obvious the compression of the font, and this section of their mould does not look as odd as the nose does. The model also enjoys some printing details that the Aeroclassics version doesn't have, such as the APU intake and a more detailed aft section of the wing box fairing. Another interesting thing that can be seen from this angle is the overwing reg. Overwing markings in general do not receive a lot of attention in scale models. In this case, neither manufacturer seems to have gotten it right, but I think Phoenix's is closer to the real thing. See pictures here for reference. Though not accurate, I do like Aeroclassics' blue overwing reg. The real aircraft. On to the KLM side. I am obviously less critical of this side of the aircraft, but from what I can see, both manufacturers did a good job with the livery. Once again, the Phoenix one has a few extra details typical of modern times, and Aeroclassics's titles alignment in relation to the windows is better than on the Viasa side. One thing I noticed, is that Aeroclassics omitted the flag trio under the cheatline on the aft section. I couldn't find any pictures of PH-BUG from that angle, in that livery, but by looking at other KLM 747s from that time, it looks like the flags should have been there since they were on the nose section of the aircraft. Phoenix did put the flags there, but then again, it is difficult to be certain whether they were there or not. I'd say most likely the flags were there, making the Phoenix model correct in this area. It would not be the first time that ambiguity surrounds a vintage livery of which photos are difficult to find. I think both manufacturers did a fine job on the livery design, printing, and alignment on the nose section. Note that Phoenix did display the name correctly on this side. I did not have to remove the word "The" like I did on the Viasa side, weird. The real aircraft. Finally a front view. Phoenix painted the fan blades in black, giving them a more realistic look. The dihedral also differs between both models. I think Phoenix's representation is more in line with how the wings hang while the aircraft sits on the ground in real life. One last thing, while not a decisive factor, I do pay attention to the box of the model. I have to say that while LatinClassics boxes have a good-looking design, and the 747s that come inside them are top-notch, I do like a personalized touch. Phoenix's box artwork is nice, Caribbean (?) in the front and Dutch in the back, with some other nice details, but honestly I was expecting something better. In Summary The Aeroclassics version has a well-earned excellent reputation. The hump and nose section are spot on, and on a 747 replica that goes a long way. Its overall artwork design also looks nice, even though it is dated and rather basic. Phoenix offers a promising product that takes advantage of a lot of the modern-day features, such as antennas, a more detailed landing gear, and more printed details. I also applaud them for trying to satisfy the unfulfilled demand for these ultra-popular classic 747s that have been sold out for years. However, it is a shame that their 747-200 nose section looks particularly odd, especially when seen from the side. I also think that a bit more tweaking of the Viasa titles, including more attention to color, would have produced a much nicer model. I personally do not think Phoenix's 747-200 warrants the shower of harsh words that it constantly gets. When I look at it I see a detailed replica of a 747-200 in 1:400 scale, nothing more, nothing less. Of course, I was very subjective when it came to purchasing the Phoenix version of PH-BUG, as I try to get my hands on anything from Venezuela in 1:400 scale, everything else aside. I reckon that it is easy to have that collecting criterion since there are so few Venezuelan models. However, collectors that really would like to have a replica of this unique 747, and can't find or afford the Aeroclassics version, should get the Phoenix version without any reservations. Sometimes the aircraft's sentimental and historical value takes precedence over other factors. This article was updated on February 20, 2021 to remove a statement indicating that the cockpit crew of PH-BUG was KLM's. After reading Captain Luis Emiro Cañas autobiography "Guiado por La Providencia" it became clear that there was a small group of senior Viasa pilots that did become qualified on the 747 by KLM, and operated the CCS-MAD-ORY segments. Part 2, N749WA Jorge A. Zajia

KLM’s original blue top livery is as iconic as an airline livery can get. Not only were they one of the few airlines to choose a vivid color as the main component of their livery, but they chose a beautiful one too. After all the personally relevant types that wore this livery entered my collection – that is, after I got at least one example of each one of the KLM long-haul types that were commonly seen in my neck of the woods during the 1990s – I decided it was prudent to push the limit of my main collection focus and see about adding a short-hump 747-206 to my blue top fleet. After all, when it comes to such a beautiful livery, the more the merrier. Plus, even though by the time I was born all KLM jumbos belonged to some sort of stretched upper-deck variant, it was just rude not to have a short-hump blue top 747 in my classic euro-jumbo family. Now, as many of you may know, or at least can guess, these are in short supply and high demand, with only three versions having been produced (two by Aeroclassics and one by GeminiJets) in the 2006-2007 period. I had been closely monitoring eBay for over a year in search of one of these, as well as looking periodically in other places with no luck at all. Then, in October 2022 two of the GeminiJets’ example (PH-BUN), popped up on eBay within days of each other. IIRC, the first one had a starting bidding price of about $60, with a Buy it Now option of about $90. This was not bad for such an attractive and hard-to-find model, and apparently I was not the only one thinking that because early on during the bid period the model disappeared; presumably after someone (not me) paid the Buy it Now price. Then I moved on to the second option, this one was located in Australia, it was damaged - missing the starboard HF antenna, and already had some bids. My initial reaction was that I was not going to go to a bidding war for a broken model. But after putting some thought into the situation I realized that I had a few things in my favor. I happened to just have bought a box of 700 sewing pins and was cutting them to varying lengths for a diorama project. I also have a parallel project that required me to do some color blending to paint some engines with a very light shade of grey (or a darker white). So, I thought maybe I was well-positioned to attempt to fix the model in question. As an added bonus, the exchange rate was working in my favor, and knowing how hard it is for these things to pop up I decided to give it a try. Below you get a sneak peek of what goes on behind the scenes around the house, and why attempting this fix was not going to be a particular nuance. Left: painted engines with a color blend. Right: sewing pins cut to use them as fence posts and parasol sticks. Let’s say that the cost of the model was very reasonable, but, as is the case nowadays with overseas shipping, postage was a bitter pill to swallow. So, while not exactly cheap, the purchase ended up costing less than what the first model had gone for, and not too far off from what I'd expect a current production 747 retail for. At any rate, three weeks later the model showed up at my door very well-packaged and in very good shape, barring the missing HF antenna. It went straight to the shop. To fabricate the HF antenna, I took the edge off of one sewing pin by scrubbing it against a brick wall in the side of the house (a public sidewalk will do just fine too) and then did my best to cut it to size with pliers. (It is wise to use eye protection when choppin sewing pins) After a touch of super glue, and some tense seconds holding it in place with my shaky thumb, this was the result: Later that evening I fine-tuned my previously mixed light grey paint to match it as close as possible to the color of the model. I must admit that getting the color right was a lot easier than what I had expected. I do hate painting however, so I just did the best I could. You can see a small chip on the tip of the homemade antenna as a result of handling the model before the paint was fully cured. Obviously, it is not a perfect job, but as far as I am concerned, I have restored a lot of the value of this hard-to-find beauty. And given the fact that I had to go a bit out of my way to make it work makes me appreciate the model a lot more. Special thanks to JC and GJ for keeping those fine 747 molds safely stored away so they don’t get in the way of the production of disproportional amounts of more modern subjects. Otherwise, I would have missed out on all the fun of hunting this one down and my creativity would have been hampered ;) Jorge A. Zajia

El primer avión de Viasa fue un aparato un tanto inusual que hoy en día ha quedado en el olvido. A pesar de que su lugar en la flota de Viasa es un tema discutido con frecuencia por entusiastas e historiadores de aviación en Venezuela y el mundo, para el resto de las personas - sobretodo los de generaciones más recientes, como a la que pertenezco - la existencia de este avión es un tanto desconocida. El aparato en cuestión es el Convair CV-880M. El Convair CV-880 fue uno de los tres aviones estadounidenses que protagonizaron el principio de la era del jet, pero a diferencia de sus rivales de Douglas y Boeing el CV-880 fue considerado un fracaso y solo se fabricaron 65 unidades. A su derivativo, el CV-990, le fue aún peor con solo 37 unidades producidas. Luego de haber sido un fabricante prominente durante la era de los aviones de propulsión a hélice, a Convair no le fue bien en la era del jet con su estrategia de priorizar la velocidad en lugar del alcance y la eficiencia. Luego del programa CV-880/990 Convair no desarrolló más aviones civiles. Pero, ¿cómo terminó este peculiar avión en la flota de Viasa? Para responder a esta pregunta necesitamos dar un leve repaso de lo que se movía en la aviación civil venezolana hacia los años cincuenta. Viasa se crea como una aerolínea exclusiva para cubrir rutas internacionales desde y hacia Venezuela en buena parte por la necesidad de crear una entidad que asumiese las tareas de la división internacional de la aerolínea del gobierno en ese entonces: Aeropostal, la cual estaba sufriendo debido a dos hechos particulares: Primero, fuerzas mayores se interpusieron en los planes vanguardistas que Aeropostal tenía para convertirse en la primera aerolínea venezolana en contar con aviones jet. Aeropostal había sido uno de los primeros clientes del turborreactor británico de Havilland Comet. Lamentablemente, el Comet pagó el precio de ser el primer turborreactor comercial en entrar en servicio con una serie de accidentes fatales. Estos accidentes se debieron a vulnerabilidades estructurales, hasta entonces desconocidas, asociadas con el vuelo presurizado a las nuevas alturas que los motores a reacción permitían alcanzar. A raíz de estos accidentes el Comet fue sacado de servicio en todo el mundo mientras se sometía a un exhaustivo estudio y rediseño. Así que Aeropostal perdió la oportunidad de adquirir su turborreactor como lo tenía planeado. En segundo lugar, alrededor de la misma época Aeropostal sufrió una serie accidentes fatales que resultó en la perdida de tres aviones de la familia Lockheed Constellation en un periodo de dos años. Esto afectó su reputación y puso en evidencia falencias operacionales. Reacio a simplemente ceder el mercado internacional a la compañía privada Avensa, el gobierno venezolano aplicó una de “si no puedes con el enemigo, únete a él.” De ahí la decisión de crear Viasa, una nueva compañía donde se invitaba a Avensa a ser socia. De esta manera se aprovecharía la experticia de esta, sin entregarle el mercado internacional por completo. Avensa por su parte había empezado a adquirir varios aviones de hélice Convair CV-340 y 440 durante la primera mitad de los años cincuenta, así que no sorprende el hecho de que cuando llegó la era del jet Avensa se fue con el Convair CV-880. Esto no fue solo por ser el fabricante con el que ya tenía una buena relación establecida, pero también porque era un avión adecuado para los pocos destinos internacionales que la compañía estaba autorizada a explotar en la época, de los cuales el más alejado de Venezuela era Nueva Orleans. Avensa entonces ordenó un CV-880 en 1959 para luego añadir un segundo avión a la orden en febrero de 1960. Pero con la decisión de crear Viasa, la orden fue traspasada a esta nueva aerolínea antes de que estos aparatos fueran entregados a Avensa. Eventualmente un tercer avión entraría en la flota para formar al trio YV-C-VIA, YV-C-VIB y YV-C-VIC. Hay que resaltar que Viasa, sin embargo, empezó operaciones el dos de abril de 1961 utilizando un DC-8-33 arrendado a KLM, el PH-DCG "Gugliemo Marconi." Y no fue sino hasta la entrega del CV-880 YV-C-VIA en agosto de 1961 que Viasa contó con su primer avión propio registrado en Venezuela. Los vuelos a Europa siguieron siendo operados de la mano de KLM con sus DC-8 incluso cuando los CV-880s ya habían entrado a la flota, ya que estos no contaban con el rango para cruzar el Atlántico. KLM por su parte arrendaba los CV-880 de Viasa para cubrir sus rutas en las Antillas holandesas antes de la creación de su subsidiaria caribeña ALM. De hecho, cuando llegó el tercer avión, YV-C-VIC, este vino pintado con la librea de KLM en el costado de estribor. El avión mantuvo esta librea compartida durante todo el tiempo que estuvo en Viasa. Incluso, portó dos versiones de la librea de KLM, ya que esta fue modificada levemente a mediados de los sesenta, y dicha modificación se le aplicó a la mitad del YV-C-VIC que correspondía a KLM. Al llevar esta librea compartida, el YV-C-VIC se convirtió en el único turborreactor marca Convair en llevar los colores de KLM, que para esta época poco a poco se deshacía de todos sus aviones Convair mientras desarrollaba una estrecha relación con Douglas. De hecho, un par de CV-440s de KLM terminaron siendo adquiridos por Avensa entre finales de los sesenta y principios de los setenta. A parte de los CV-880, la influencia de Avensa sobre la nueva aerolínea también era evidenciada al Avensa encargarse de proveer aviones y tripulación bajo alquiler a Viasa, más notablemente el alquiler del DC-9-30 YV-C-AVD que estuvo involucrado en el infame accidente de Grano de Oro en 1969. Pero poco a poco Viasa empezó a distanciarse de Avensa al evolucionar como aerolínea transcontinental de la mano de KLM. Antes de finalizar la década de los sesenta ya hacía varios años que los tres Convair CV-880 de Viasa habían sido vendidos a la hongkonesa Cathay Pacific. Durante los setenta y ochenta la flota transcontinental de Viasa evolucionó paralelamente a la de KLM con la llegada de los DC-8-30/-50/-60, seguido del ambicioso proyecto 747 (PH-BUG y -BUD) para luego decantarse por el DC-10-30. En el sector de corto alcance también se veia la influencia de KLM, ya que en los ochenta se adoptó brevemente un modelo similar al de ALM, subsidiaria de KLM en las Antillas Holandesas, con la introducción de equipos DC-9 y MD-80. Incluso, algunos de estos equipos venían alquilados de ALM. Por su parte los CV-880 de Viasa sufrieron un destino turbulento en Hong Kong. El ex-VIA (registrado en Hong Kong como VR-HFZ) fue víctima de un atentado con una bomba mientras volaba sobre Vietnam el 15 de junio de 1972. Mientras que el ex -VIC (registrado en Hong Kong como VR-HFX) fue dado como pérdida total al sufrir un colapso del tren de nariz luego de salirse de la pista en el aeropuerto Kai-Tak el 5 de noviembre de 1967. El ex -VIB (VR-HGC) afortunadamente logró sobrevivir su estadía en Hong Kong, y en 1984 volvió al continente americano, esta vez a Estados Unidos con la matrícula N48063 donde voló para los clubs vacacionales Indy Air y SunJet International, antes de terminar siendo utilizado como banco de pruebas por la FAA en la base naval de Patuxent River. Modelos a Escala Los Convair CV-880 de Viasa han recibido buena atención en el mundo de los modelos a escala con un total de seis lanzamientos. Cuatro en escala 1:400, uno en escala 1:200 y otro en escala 1:500. En escala 1:400 la marca Aeroclassics sacó tres CV-880 de Viasa con las tres matriculas que correspondieron a este tipo de avión en Viasa: YV-C-VIA, YV-C-VIB y YV-C-VIC. De ese lote de modelos YV-C-VIA y YV-C-VIC fueron representados correctamente: -VIA con la librea completa de Viasa, y -VIC con una librea hibrida de Viasa y KLM. Sin embargo, el YV-C-VIB fue mal representado al erroneamente traer una librea hibrida de Viasa y KLM, al igual que -VIC. Este error se puede explicar al explorar brevemente la historia de las libreas de KLM entre las decadas de los cincuenta y sesenta: Error del YV-C-VIB de Aeroclassics y La Librea de KLM Hacia finales de los cincuenta la librea de KLM consistía de un par de líneas a lo largo de las ventanas, una celeste y otra azul oscuro. La parte de arriba del fuselaje era blanca con los títulos de KLM en un rojo carmesí, mientras que la panza era metalica o gris. El diseño de la cola consistía en un patrón de rayas celeste y azul oscuro en diagonal con un circulo blanco en el medio en el que se encontraba envuelto el logo de KLM. YV-C-VIC fue entregado a Viasa portando la librea de KLM anteriormente descrita en el costado de estribor. Poco después, a mediados de los sesenta, KLM le hizo una modificación a su librea. El patrón de la cola pasó de tener las rayas orientadas en diagonal a tenerlas orientadas horizontalmente. La librea de KLM que YV-C-VIC portaba en su lado de estribor fue modificada al aplicarsele este cambio. La marca de modelos Aeroclassics parece haberse confundido con este cambio de libreas de KLM que -VIC tuvo en su costado de estribor y creer que se trató de dos aviones diferentes, ya que sacó el modelo a escala de este avión portando la librea de KLM con las rayas horizontales en la cola, y al modelo del YV-C-VIB con la librea de las rayas en diagonal. En realidad ambas libreas correspondieron al YV-C-VIC, solo que en épocas diferentes. YV-C-VIB llevó la librea completa de Viasa al igual que YV-C-VIA duranrte todo el tiempo que estuvo en Venezuela. Otro fabricante de modelos a escala 1:400 llamado Apollo Models se encargó de sacar un cuarto CV-880 de Viasa en esta escala, se trata de -VIC con la librea de KLM que Aeroclassics le asignó por error a -VIB. Sin embargo, Apollo le agregó algunos detalles que la versión de Aeroclassics no tiene, como por ejemplo títulos que dicen “Rented by KLM” en el lado de babor. YV-C-VIC también fue lanzado al mercado en escala 1:500 por la marca Herpa, y en escala 1:200 por la marca InFlight 200. Así que de los seis modelos a escala de los CV-880 de Viasa, solo uno lleva la librea completa de Viasa, que es el YV-C-VIA de Aeroclassics en escala 1:400. En la siguiente galería de fotos se muestran los cuatro CV-880 de Viasa en escala 1:400, incluyendo al YV-C-VIB con su erronea librea de KLM en el lado de estribor, y el -VIC 1:500 hecho por Herpa. En Resumen A pesar de que el Convair 880 fue un avión que inicialmente generó un fuerte impacto, no tuvo trascendencia operacional, y debido a esto no es un avión muy presente en la cultura popular actual. Sin embargo, es una suerte haberlo tenido en Venezuela ya que el trio de CV-880 que Viasa operó en sus inicios encapsula una enorme cantidad de información sobre la historia contemporánea de la aviación civil del país. Mediante el tema de los CV-880 de Viasa se observan datos importantes sobre el principio de la era del jet en el mundo y en Venezuela, asi como los problemas que sufrió el Comet británico y como estos afectaron a Aeropostal. También se observa la influencia que Avensa ejercía sobre Viasa al principio, y como esta fue reemplazada por la de KLM con el pasar del tiempo. Abajo: Galería con varias fotos que he tomado a lo largo de varios años de los Convair CV-880 de Viasa en escala 1:400. En esas fotos no sale el YV-C-VIC de Aeroclassics porque lo adquirí hace relativamente poco. Disfruten los increibles detalles que estas réplicas traen. Anécdota personal: Mi primer modelo en escala 1:400, y a su vez la primera réplica en cualquier escala de un avión con los colores de Viasa que sostuve en mis manos fue el YV-C-VIB de Aeroclassics en escala 1:400; el que lleva por error la librea mixta con KLM. Lo compré el 25 de enero del 2009. Este avión había salido al mercado junto a los otros dos CV-880 de Viasa producidos por Aeroclassics, así como dos 747s (PH-BUG y N749WA) en noviembre del 2007. Todos los modelos de Viasa de ese lote se agotaron rápidamente, menos el YV-C-VIB, supongo que esto se debió al error en su librea. Yo en ese entonces ignoraba el error, de hecho, hasta ese entonces ignoraba la existencia del CV-880 y el hecho de que Viasa había operado este tipo de avión. Yo estaba buscando un DC-10, pero en aquella época sin experiencia en esto de coleccionar aviones a escala 1:400 estaba por enterarme de lo difícil que sería conseguir uno. Mientras tanto, tenía tantas ganas de tener un modelo a escala de Viasa que decidí comprar este CV-880 YV-C-VIB. Así que a pesar de contar con garrafal error, ese YV-C-VIB de Aeroclassics tiene un gran valor a nivel personal. Menciones Especiales Sobre las Referencias Utilizadas Gran parte de la información utlizada para elaborar este artículo proviene de dos fuentes específicas: El señor Alfredo Sandor, quien trabajó para Viasa y es el autor del libro "1961-1997 Triunfos y Fracasos (de Viasa)." Este libro representa uno de los primeros trabajos literarios sobre la historia de Viasa, y gracias a él es que pude entender el por qué de el Convair CV-880 en la flota de Viasa, y las razones por las cuales Avensa fue invitada a participar en la creación de la nueva aerolínea. El señor John Proctor, autor del libro "Great Airliners Volume 1, Convair 880&990." El señor Proctor fue un reconocido historiador aeronautico y una de las fuentes de información más fidedignas sobre el Convair 880. En su libro, el señor Proctor incluyó imágenes e información única sobre los Convair de Viasa y la vida operacional de estos aviones. Ya ninguno de los dos se encuentra con nosotros en este mundo, pero afortunadamente antes de partir se encargaron de dejarnos invaluable riqueza informativa.

La Flor de Las Nieves, o Edelweiss en Ingles, es una flor de la que he sabido por muchos años y de la que al mismo tiempo no sabía nada hasta hace poco. Pues verán, alrededor de 1998 había una tienda de modelos en Houston que frecuentaba en mis visitas a dicha ciudad. Pasaba horas en esa tienda viendo la vitrina giratoria que exhibía los modelos Herpa Wings en escala 1:500. A diferencia de hoy en día, que uno tiene acceso a un gran número de modelos en la internet, en aquella época había que conformarse con lo que hubiese disponible en las tiendas. A pesar de que esta tienda tenía una buena selección de modelos de aerolíneas populares en el área de Houston, la mayoría de los modelos eran cualquier cosa. Dado era el caso con dos modelos de una aerolínea de la nunca había escuchado: un MD-80 y un A320 de Edelweiss. Por la bandera suiza que tenían los modelos podía deducir que se trataba de una aerolínea de ese país (a Swissair si la conocía yo), pero más allá de eso, no sabía absolutamente nada de ella. Pues verán, en el 1998 aun no contaba con acceso ilimitado al internet y Edelweiss era una aerolínea muy pequeña al otro lado del Atlántico que apenas estaba empezando, por lo que era de esperarse que un niño de diez años ignorase la existencia de esta compañía. Pero precisamente, esos modelos de esta aerolínea de la que no sabía nada hasta entonces eran la misma razón por la que ahora sí sabía algo de ella. El caso es que terminé comprando el MD-80, pues me encantaba el diseño de cola en T de la familia DC-9 y encontraba la Librea de Edelweiss muy atractiva. Eventualmente también adquirí el A320 para hacerle compañía al MD-80. Lamentablemente mi pequeña colección 1:500 no sobrevivió mi adolescencia. También, con la llegada de la internet, pude averiguar un poco más sobre Edelweiss y descubrí que se trataba de una aerolínea charter con poca presencia global. Que lástima pensé; una aerolínea con una librea tan bonita y tan poco conocida. Y así se cerró el primer capitulo Edelweiss en mi vida. Años después me encuentro coleccionando modelos 1:400. Cada vez que se me atraviesa un modelo de Edelweiss automáticamente me recuerda a aquel par de 1:500 que tanta curiosidad me causaron años atrás, pero no se me ocurre comprar uno ya que ahora, gracias al internet, tengo la posibilidad de enfocarme en un criterio de colección más específico y relevante en vez de simplemente tener que comprar lo que haya en las tiendas. Sin embargo, aparentemente la marca que Edelweiss dejó en mí fue más impactante de lo que pensé. Les cuento. Hoy en día el mercado de los modelos a escala 1:400 es agobiante, con un exceso de lanzamientos mensuales por parte de varias marcas. A mí se me dificulta estar enfocado en mi criterio de colección debido al exceso de oferta. Sin embargo, dentro de este agobio, el otro día un A340-300 de Edelweiss logró ganarse un espacio en mi carrito de compras. Edelweiss Airbus A340-300 HB-JME Phoenix Models 1:400: Nunca pensé que compraría un modelo de Edelweiss en 1:400. Pero al parecer mí experiencia con sus modelos 1:500 en mi niñes fue muy influyente en el desarrollo de mí cultura aeronáutica en la época pre-internet. Me alegra mucho tener este modelo y poder observar su refrescante librea en mi colección. El llamativo y emblemático logo de esta aerolínea se trata de la Flor de Las Nieves, Edelweiss en inglés. Una flor común de los Alpes Suizos, y muy querida y admirada en la región. Se dice que regarle una Flor de Las Nieves a alguien es un gesto de dedicación y compromiso para con esa persona. Jorge A. Zajia

Se termina la época decembrina de 1996 y tengo nueve años. Soy del occidente y a pesar de lo centralizado que es el país, la distancia hace que lo que ocurre en el centro se sienta foráneo. Desde pequeño los aviones y todo lo relacionado con la aviación es lo que encuentro más interesante. Se que contamos con una aerolínea bandera digna de admirar y reconocida en el mundo, pero esta está basada en la capital y solo hace apariciones muy esporádicas en mi ciudad. Cuando viajamos a la capital a visitar familia trato de absorber todo lo que puedo sobre nuestra exótica y elusiva aerolínea bandera. ¿Cuántos aviones tienen? ¿Qué tipos de aviones vuelan – aparte de su buque insignia el DC-10? Al extremo oeste se ven varias colas aranjadas, DC-10 y 727-200. En esta temporada de principio de año, que generalmente se caracteriza por el optimismo que sigue a las fiestas decembrinas y acompaña el comienzo de un nuevo año lleno de oportunidades, tengo la dicha de que la radio habla mucho de nuestra aerolínea bandera. La información esta vez viene a mí en el occidente. Sin embargo, el optimismo del año nuevo se rompe al rápidamente darme cuenta de que no son buenas noticias. Una crisis más. Nada nuevo, pienso yo, el país vive lleno de crises desde que tengo uso de razón. Nuestra siguiente visita a la capital ocurre poco después. Quizás para carnavales del 1997, no recuerdo. El caso es que esta vez no tengo que tratar de alcanzar a ver las colas anaranjadas al extremo oeste. Están ahí, asomadas sobre el muro, arrumadas en la zona de hangares a pocos metros de la autopista que transitamos. Esta crisis no se superó. Aun no terminaba de adquirir toda la información que necesitaba sobre nuestra aerolínea bandera. Todavía quedaban muchos enigmas. Nunca pude volar en uno de sus aviones. Ahora, ¿quién nos representa en el mundo? Cosa mala. A pesar de todo lo amargo que rodea los últimos años de Viasa, su cierre, y lo posterior, me gustaría invitar a los lectores de esta nota a recordar con gratitud los lindos recuerdos, los horizontes abiertos, y todas las otras cosas buenas que nuestra gran aerolínea bandera nos dejó. Y por sobretodo hay que tener presente que, si Viasa fue nuestro destello más brillante, el oro aun está en nosotros, solo hay que pulirlo. Gracias Viasita. Saludos, Jorge A. Zajia

Recently I added to my collection a 1:400 scale model of N263SG. This aircraft along with sistership N322SG were two 747-400s dedicated to the Houston Express route, a link between IAH and LAD for the oil industry operated by Atlas Air for Angola's SonAir. Their unique golden livery, exclusive mission, and elusiveness made them interesting subjects in the aviation enthusiast community. Today, more than four years after the termination of the route, I remember the Houston Express fondly. Besides getting a scale model of N263SG, I also started going through my photo files and rediscovered a nice set of pictures I took of N322SG at IAH on April 1, 2012. One picture from the set made it to Jetphotos.com at the time, but the rest had never been published until the writing of this article. As I remember it, April 1, 2012, was a slow and hot Sunday morning, but things started to get interesting as “Giant 101 heavy” checked in with Houston tower on the approach to runway 27 inbound from LAD. Atlas’s golden 747s had appeared in the background of many of my pictures before, but I had never seen one up close and in good light. It was already noon when the Houston Express showed up, and even though it was early spring, in Texas the light was already very harsh, but manageable. I was taking pictures from the now demolished terminal D (international arrivals building) garage. Most of the shots looking southeast towards runway 27 were backlit and affected by heat haze, so I had to wait until the aircraft entered the D ramp and then proceeded to press the shooter, repeatedly. There wasn't much else going on at terminal D at the time, though that was about to change as the European arrivals were about to start, so I decided to document all of the attention that this big jumbo got after crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Earlier that day... The highlight of an otherwise pretty mundane morning was the arrival of Cathay's 747-8F B-LJF on their usual MIA-IAH-ANC run. Where was BA... Finally, in case you are wondering where was British Airways... they brought a 777 but landed on runway 27, on the south side of the airport, and parked on the east edge of the terminal so I could not get a clear shot. But for the record, here you go: At this point, I was feeling pretty satisfied with the set of shots I had gotten of N322SG, as this was the first time - and also the last - for me to catch one of the Houston Express 747s at close range, and in decent light. Besides, even though I had only spent a little over two hours at the rooftop level of the parking garage, I'm guessing I was probably starting to feel pretty drained thanks to the Texas sun. So I decided to follow Cathay's lead, and when they packed up and took off I did the same. Jorge A. Zajia

Back in the early 2010s, while I was taking a break from collecting airplane models, I spent a fair amount of time taking aircraft pictures at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) – The fact that pressing the camera shooter was free made plane spotting an attractive alternative to collecting, especially as a student. While not having a large presence in the airfield, Atlas Air jumbos have always been a constant at IAH. I remember one time I was looking towards the east cargo complex from the parking garages when I saw an Atlas 747-400 wearing a special livery, with smaller titles and gold replacing the blue elements of their standard livery. I didn’t think much of it, and when on a subsequent visit to the airport I saw another Atlas 747-400 wearing the same special livery I thought that they were updating their image across the entire fleet. But shortly afterward I realized that it wasn't a change of image, but rather a way to differentiate those two particular 747s from the rest of their fleet. By then I had also noticed that, unlike most of the other Atlas 747s, these were passenger aircraft instead of freighters. However, it was not until a friend from Miami became particularly excited when one of these jumbos visited MIA for maintenance that I started to dig deeper to find out what kind of operation was Atlas using these golden 747s for, and what made them special. As it turned out, these golden jumbos were dedicated to the Houston Express route; a triweekly link between Houston and Luanda (LAD) operated for SonAir (the defunct airline division of Angola’s oil company Sonangol). These 747s had a low-density configuration of only 189 seats, with most of them belonging to some sort of premium class. Tickets on these flights could only be purchased by oil companies for their executives and other employees needing a direct link between Texas and Angola. In the last year of service, however, the flight was opened to the general public in an attempt to keep it alive after the oil price plummeted in 2015, and with it the demand on the route. After learning about the exclusivity that surrounded these two birds my interest in them sparked. But even though these aircraft served as a nice backdrop for many IAH pictures when they were resting at their usual spot in the east cargo complex, their infrequent schedule made it difficult to come across them in action and up close. However, one lucky Sunday afternoon on April 1, 2012, I smiled as I saw one of these golden 747s – N322SG – on final for runway 27 inbound from LAD. I was conveniently taking pictures from the terminal D garage (international arrivals terminal), so I was able to get a close look as the aircraft docked and got unloaded. Below are some pictures of that day, but you can see a larger set here. In 2017, both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines retired their 747-400s. This left the Houston Express holding the title of being the last regularly scheduled passenger airline service using N-registered 747s. The Points Guy featured a thorough trip report on the last Houston Express IAH-LAD flight, which took place on March 28, 2018. The last time I remember seeing one of Atlas’s golden 747s was on March 23, 2018; only 5 days before the last Houston Express flight. Ironically, that day I was at IAH photographing the last KLM 747 flight to Houston, as the airline was retiring the type from the AMS-IAH-AMS route. At the time, the ending of the Houston Express also represented the last scheduled passenger service using 747s out of Houston. After that, however, British Airways and Lufthansa reintroduced their jumbos on their flights to IAH, with the latter operating a daily 747-8I from FRA as of the writing of this article. Fast forward a few years and now I’m back into collecting aircraft models. During my hiatus from collecting one of these golden 747s, N263SG, was released in 1:400 scale. As is the case with these scale models, it was a limited edition run and shortly after it was released it was no longer available for purchase from regular retailers anymore. Luckily for me, the model does show up on the second-hand market with some frequency at relatively fair prices. For the longest time, however, there was an unwritten rule in my collecting criteria: if I have spotted certain aircraft, I do not need a scale model of it. One notable exception was Lufthansa’s A380 D-AIMB, the first A380 that visited Houston, and the first A380 that I saw in person (and photographed), but that is a topic that deserves a whole article on its own. The point is that I let the 1:400 model of N263SG pass many times because, even though it wasn’t the exact tail number, I had gotten a good set of photos of its sister ship, N377SG. But with time everything evolves and changes, and today I can no longer just go to the airport and catch the Houston Express golden jumbos with my camera. Another thing that has changed is my collecting criteria, I am now more open to allowing modern and contemporary aircraft in my collection, which means that aircraft that I have spotted are unavoidably going to find their way into my display shelves in the form of a scale replica sooner or later. In fact, having spotted an aircraft is starting to become an excellent reason to get a scale model of it. Because of this, I stopped letting N263SG pass by and acquired it at a collection sale in which it popped up recently. Replicas of N263SG were actually released by two 1:400 scale model brands: Flight Line 400 (today integrated into JC Wings), and Phoenix Models. Mine is a Flight Line 400 example, which is the nicer of the two molds, but has a noticeably too bright shade of gold applied to the livery. After I got the model, I decided to go through my files and see if I had any pictures of N263SG. I did find a series of pictures from a close encounter that I had with it at IAH on June 3, 2012, only about two months after my encounter with sistership N322SG. Unfortunately, the light was not in my favor the day I came across N263SG, but once again with time things have changed, and the historical value that these pictures have gained in a decade help to make up for the otherwise less than ideal quality. That day N263SG was probably being ferried somewhere because it departed straight from the east cargo complex instead of the passenger terminal, and it rotated in no time out of runway 15L, indicating that it was very lightly loaded. Besides the Houston Express route, N322SG and N263SG also were chartered to fly a variety of entities and personalities ranging from artists, politicians (most notably former UK Prime Minister David Cameron), sports teams, and essentially anyone willing and able to foot the bill. To put an end to my Houston Express story I leave you with a fun personal anecdote. Shortly after I received my 1:400 model of N263SG I also upgraded my camera of more than 10 years. So, the main set of pictures that you see of the model in this article, and the pictures of the real aircraft were taken with two different cameras. However, because when I first unboxed the model I still had my old camera in service, I did end up capturing the model through the same viewfinder that I used to capture the real thing some 10 years earlier. Happy collecting and happy planespotting! Jorge A. Zajia

My first round of collecting 1:400 scale models took place at an odd time for being a new collector. It was 2009, just about a decade after the first 1:400 die-cast aircraft models started to appear. During that decade, many highly popular models were produced; models that would remain high in the sought-after list of many collectors all the way up until today and beyond. It really seemed as if my collecting journey would be an endless search for rare models. However, things have slowly but surely changed for the better. First, with patience and luck, I have been able to scratch off many of those rare models from my wish list. And second, new generations of models have entered the market, which unavoidably will replace at least some of the more popular hard-to-find releases from that first decade of 1:400 scale, while at the same time yielding new releases bound to fill the sough-after list of collectors that will be joining us in the upcoming years – to those new collectors I say: there is light at the end of the tunnel, so stick to collecting and enjoy the journey! One of those new 1:400 models that is sure to earn its place in this new episode of 1:400 collecting is an L1011-1 in Delta Air Lines’ widget livery registered N725DA released by NG Model on July 2022. The model was actually released alongside another Delta L1011-1, N707DA, wearing the “We the People” special markings. Both are exceptional pieces, but I think the standard-liveried aircraft will be favored by a slightly larger audience (myself included). From the moment they were announced the models created high expectations among the collectorate. Not only it did they combine a classic aircraft with a classic livery, but NG’s L1011 molds are some of the sharpest in 1:400. These are not the first Delta L1011s released by NG, but they are the first since the already good mold received some improvements. I had an issue though: Delta is an airline that I have had a tough time adding to my collection. Even though Delta has a particularly long history of operations in my native Venezuela, during my childhood years the airline did not have a strong presence there. At the same time, the cities I used to visit in the U.S. during those years were not Delta hubs. Luckily, I had a breakthrough moment as I was visiting a model store in Osaka; scanning through the shelves I came across a Delta MD-88 in the widget livery (a model sold out in the west) just sitting there. Immediately childhood memories of these aircraft roaring overhead as they lined up with runway 12R at Hobby Airport in Houston (breaking the monotony of the endless flow of Southwest 737s) came back. I had no problem whatsoever with purchasing this MD-88 model, and now I had a Delta aircraft in the widget livery that needed company; the perfect excuse to also get a copy of NG’s N725DA. I am happy to own an example of NG's N725DA, a model that is sure to be remembered for many years in the 1:400 scale community. Honestly, I probably would have purchased the model anyways, but it was definitely nice to come across that widget MD-88 (a relatively rare model itself) at the right time, to have the proper motivation. Happy collecting!

At the time of the publication of this article the only operational Antonov An-225 Mriya, UR-82060, had been destroyed two months and two days prior. The An-225 was a unique airplane in many aspects, and one of the largest transport aircraft in history to enter commercial service. The An-225 frequented the airport of the city I live in, Houston Intercontinental (IAH), but I never got to see it. I remember occasionally checking its schedule to see if I could catch it on its next visit, but it never coincided with my days off. Then, suddenly it got destroyed in a military conflict. I had been considering purchasing a 1:400 model of Mriya for a while, but there were many models with higher priority in my wanted-list. So, when Mriya got destroyed, I thought I had also missed the chance to get a model of it, since I expected the demand for them to soar. And it did seem to do so, but luckily several manufacturers capitalized on the opportunity and there was no shortage of re-releases, as well as new releases of Mriya in the aftermath of its demise. I went ahead and purchased a re-release of a version wearing the last livery by good old Herpa. The size of it allows for a unique level of detail appreciation for a 1:400 die-cast model. I used to think of Mriya as one of the soviet regulars of IAH and I thought it would be a matter of time before we crossed paths. But while I never got to see Mriya in person, I do get to see its little brother, the An-124, in the colors of different operators at IAH frequently. Below left to right: Antonov Design Bureau An-124 (UR-82072) taking off from runway 26L at IAH. April 4, 2014. KLM 747-400 PH-BFV with an Antonov Airlines An-124 being loaded in the background at IAH on March 23, 2018 (last day of KLM 747 operations at IAH) Mriya does fit nicely in a niche of my collection. While I do not focus on models of current subjects, many of the few I have in that category are freighters. In the monotonous era of airline consolidation and twin-engine jetliners, I see freighters as a source of exotism and variety. Mriya will join a couple of other freighters I have in 1:400 that also used to be regulars at IAH. The first one is Panalpina’s 747-8F N850GT (Operated by Atlas Air). This is a corporate model that my dad managed to obtain as a gift from Panalpina personnel in Houston as well as a beautiful 1:200 example of sistership N851GT. Both models are made by Aero Le Plane. These were the only two aircraft to ever wear the Panalpina's livery. The 1:200 one is a plastic snap-fit model, but very well made. It includes a landing gear set also. I cherish both of these Panalpina jumbos, not only because they are a precious gift, but also because I have fond memories of them at IAH. One particular experience I remember involving a Panalpina jumbo at IAH, was on June 21, 2013. I had gone to IAH to do some spotting and ran into Udo Schaefer from Just Planes, who was filming their Houston IAH 2013 video. N851GT was one of the highlights of the day with a majestic takeoff out of runway 15L. I remember Mr. Schaefer being particularly excited with the catch of the rather elusive aircraft. The second member of my IAH freighter collection is another 747-8F: British Airways World Cargo (Operated by Global Supply Systems) G-GSSE by JC-Wings. This is my first and only interactive model. I remember seeing the Global Supply Systems 747-400Fs in their own livery, as well as the -8s in the British Airways World Cargo colors at IAH. They always stood out in a good way among the usual sea of Continental/United aircraft. While I do not currently have an An-124 in 1:400 scale, I do have a 1:250 Volga-Dnepr example by Lupa. Out of the models I have currently displayed in all scales, This is the one that I have owned the longest. It was also given to me by my dad, but the origin is a mystery as he doesn’t remember where he got it from. The model has not aged well. With the arrival of Mriya, now I have a small but balanced representation of medium size and 1:400 scale models of the big Antonovs and 747s that have kept the skies around IAH diverse an interesting. All the pictures included in this article were taken by the author. Jorge A. Zajia