There are regularly times when a collector accepts compromises when buying models, and let's face it very few models are perfect. Gemini has been making some great choices recently in the models it makes, but when it comes to 747SPs their mould is obviously inferior to the competing version. Even so, when a release like Air Mauritius comes up it is very hard to ignore, as it doesn't look like it is going to be made by anyone else anytime soon and is a great subject. So how does it stack up? Let's find out.
Each review is to split into three key areas:
MOULD
Some people, and brands, get upset when you compare moulds to each other and even think it is somehow unfair, especially if there is a significant production gap between them. However, it isn't like old models vanish, they change hands in the community regularly, and there are plenty of older moulds floating about still being used for new models. Surely manufacturers should take pride in and responsibility for their output?
The reason I bring this up is that the mould being used here dates originally from the year 2000. It has been regularly updated, at least three times, but is fundamentally still largely the same casting. This can't help but make it somewhat anachronistic. That doesn't in my view mean Gemini should be let off the hook with it. They could have created a newer mould for the SP. This is a 2023 product and should be compared with other 747SPs from 2023.
At the same time this is no Phoenix 747-400. The original 747SP here was not dreadful and the updates have improved the mould quite a bit. I can understand why Gemini haven't created a new mould for a type they will never produce many models for, then again ever since NG Models announced their own 747SP there have been a surprising number of SPs produced by both JC Wings and Gemini, which do appear to be cynical sales blockers. This isn't one of those releases admittedly, but let's face it this mould is much inferior to the newer NG Models product.
Back in May 2021 I compared in detail the three available 747SP moulds (from Gemini / JC Wings, Herpa and NG Models). The review can be found here:
The result was, frankly, a trouncing of the older moulds by the newer NG Models one, which should be no surprise to anyone. I'll briefly cover the gist of the review here but I suggest reading it to get the full details.
At the front-end the noseform is decent but the angle of the cockpit is too shallow, while the humpform is not curved enough. This creates a rather small hump at the rear and makes the upper deck windows too close to the roofline. The nosegear is an area that has been improved. It has nice detail but is a little chunky. A side benefit of that is that unlike many 747 nosegears it is strong and sturdy.
Being an old mould there is a large seam line joining the wings and fuselage. This very roughly follows the fairing of the real thing but isn't the right shape. The angle of the wings is nonetheless fine. Under the wings the flap pattern is incorrect as SPs have massive single slotted flaps not the complex triple slotted flaps of a series 100-400.
The old fashioned join of the engine pylons to the wing is a well known feature of old Gemini 747s and the outer engine pylon is not shaped correctly too. The JT9D engines themselves are too small but have good shape and detailing.
At the rear the shape and size of elements is good but of course being an older mould the tail join is along the entire lower margin of the vertical stabiliser. It may sound like I hate this mould but that isn't true. In general it looks and feels like a 747SP, but even with nice rolling gear and aerials added in detail it can't compete with the NG Models version and is inaccurate in quite a few places. Many of these inaccuracies (the engine pylon join, seamline, lack of rudder gap) are due to the age of the base casting. Other such as hump form and flap etching are simply mistakes. I'll be generous here and score it as a 6 but you could argue it is really a 5.
SCORE - 6
PAINT & LIVERY
The reason I bought this model is because it is Air Mauritius. Their livery is, for me, an iconic 747SP scheme and I vividly remember driving around the perimeter road at Heathrow with my dad and seeing the big red tail above the perimeter fence (unhelpfully screened off by those 'bar stewards' at the BAA) when the aircraft were parked at T3.
Four of the five SPs they flew were leased from South African Airways including this aircraft, which joined the fleet in October 1984. The livery is a real classic with the endangered Mauritius Kestrel logo on the tail between red blocks and a cheatline pattern that no doubt facilitated repainting from the SAA scheme.
The red colour is spot on and the application of the tail elements faultless. It is a minor shame that the white colour on the tail isn't as bright as that on the fuselage. The cheatline and pinstripe beneath it are well positioned.
The aircraft is named 'Chateau du Reduit' and that name appears correctly on the lower forward fuselage. Small details like the IATA symbol and NAG on the nosegear doors are present too.
The Mauritian flag looks great next to the main titles, which also look almost perfect. I say almost as the Us are a little too rounded. Overall the livery application here is really very good.
SCORE - 9
PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL
Printing is a Gemini strongpoint, although on this model they let the mould detailing do a lot of the heavy lifting, especially on the underside. The window frames and door detailing really standout in a positive way. The incorrect shape of the cockpit region of the mould makes it a challenge to get the cockpit windows 100% accurate and this is a problem across most JC Wings related 747s.
In terms of paintwork the model looks great but there are some imperfections on the engine pylon paintwork, especially the port side inner pylon.
Build quality is decent, with the only imperfections being that the port side engine pylons have a small gap in their attachment to the engines not present on the starboard side.
SCORE - 8
CONCLUSION
This model illustrates that there is life in old moulds that aren't necessarily up to modern standards. I certainly don't regret buying this model, which on the whole is very nice. However, I'm not fooling myself either in that I would have preferred an NG Models version. Beggars can't be choosers though, and until NG Models actually decides to use its 747SP this is a perfectly adequate version. Even though the mould has its weaknesses the entire product still scores a respectable total score and will look great in my collection.
FINAL SCORE - 23/30
3 Comments
Gino
14/10/2023 12:47:12 pm
Hi Richard,
Reply
Richard Stretton
14/10/2023 01:09:58 pm
Hard to say for certain. I'd guess around 500 maybe
Reply
Jean Claude Castelain
1/9/2024 08:29:57 pm
Hello, I just came across your documented review about Air Mauritius B747SP by Gemini Jets. For your information, the logo of MK is not ''the endangered Mauritius Kestrel'' but the red tailed Tropic bird (Paille-en-queue).
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AuthorI'm Richard Stretton an aviation enthusiast and major collector of 400 scale models. On this page I take a detailed look at new releases. This site is free. Please donate to keep it going.
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