American Airlines | Boeing 767-223 | N313AA | NG Models

I have owned an American Airlines 767-200 made by Gemini Jets in 2005 for well over a decade, and recently resisted buying the new Aeroclassics edition because I didn't think that it offered an upgrade. The first NG 767s announced in June are now hitting the market and there's plenty of discussion about various aspects of them, mainly the series 300s I admit. Those 300s are way too contemporary for my tastes, but this 1984 build series 200 is exactly the sort of model NG don't release enough of. Is it a fit replacement for my old Gemini though? Let's find out.

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Each review is to split into three key areas:

• The model mould
• The paint and livery reproduction
• Printing and quality control

Each section can get a maximum score of 10 for a maximum combined score of 30

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MOULD

As is usual with NG moulds I have reviewed the 767 samples well in advance of their release, since NG sent me the original samples in November and the updated samples in June. Check out both of those sample reviews at the site here:

NG Models Boeing 767-200/300 Sample Review - November 2023

Boeing 767-200/300 Final Samples in 1:400 Scale

Of all the variants the series 200 came out the best, with the least modifications required. I am seeing some comments about the series 300s not being as good as the existing Phoenix and Gemini / JC moulds and frankly I don't think that is true - at least from a mould only perspective.

With the 767-200 the competition is slightly different and nowadays comes in the form of the Gemini Jets / JC Wings version and the Aeroclassics version. Of those only the Aeroclassics is seamless, as it dates from 2018, but that mould when reviewed here (I last reviewed an Air Gabon example in February) gets a 7/10. Although it is decent overall the execution of several areas (engine pylons, generic engines, maingear, nosegear tyre, no aerials) is sloppy.

The Gemini mould has been updated over the years and now has rolling gears and aerials. I haven't reviewed a 200 version here, but the 300 shares most of its features and also typically gets a 7/10. Arguably it is better than the Aeroclassics but it can't escape how old its basic structure is.

That's enough about the competition. How does this NG version fare? I would say that it is a better mould than the other pair, which being brand new it really ought to be! 

The overall shape of the fuselage barrel is excellent and the wing/body fairing is more skillfully shaped than on the Aeroclassics, and obviously superior to the seamed join of the older GJ/JC.

Likewise, on the underside of the fuselage the NACA intakes, and rectangular grills after them, are all moulded in, which they aren't on the competition.

The aerials, of which there are 3, are well shaped and accurately smaller than those on the updated GJ/JC version. I could have done without the WI-FI dome on the roofline. I'm not loving the shape of it and it wasn't fitted until the late 90s so could easily have been left off altogether.

It is in some of the smaller details that the mould really shines, notably the undercarriage. The maingear on the Aeroclassics is a real mess and the Gemini, although better, doesn't have the intricately shaped gear doors of the NG, or the same level of detail in terms of the leg structure.

Moving to the engines and pylons and the shape of the CF6s on this model are excellent. The pylon join to the wing is very good and the form of the pylon underwing accurate too. The engines on the Aeroclassics version are very generic and the pylon shape underwing just plain wrong. 

Criticism of this mould is mainly reserved in my opinion to the wings. I've never been convinced that the flap track fairings are long enough behind the wing's trailing edge (although they are significantly better than the competition). A point that didn't seem to impact the samples, but is a minor issue here is that the wingtips are very marginally lower than they could be. It is maybe 1mm lower than on the GJ/JC version but a small amount more dihedral would probably be good to see.

Overall, this is easily a superior mould to the competition, and neither of those are really poor. It has better detailing across the board and all the modern features (like a free rudder tail join) you'd expect from a 2020s mould.

SCORE - 9

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PAINT & LIVERY

Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

There are few schemes as well thought of as the classic 1968 American Vignelli scheme and despite his distaste for it, the addition of the eagle motif on the tail crowns it nicely. It is also a surprisingly simple scheme, but one that benefits from a detailed eye.

The classic red, white and blue colours present no problem for NG. Neither does the large white outlined AA logo on the tail. Small details such as the 767 Luxury Liner titles and reg number on the gear doors aren't forgotten.

Unfortunately, the livery rendition isn't perfect because the model does fall foul of an issue that has been afflicting several NG types in recent times. That is the height of the windowline, which of course the cheatline here needs to interact with. I guess it is more of a print issue, but I will include it here in this section due to the impact on the cheatline. It is high by a very small amount, maybe less than a mm, but it is noticeable, especially at the nose. It also pushes the main titles slightly too high.

EDIT: It has also been pointed out to me that the area of grey above the wings is not correct. It should cut in and transition to natural metal across the wingtops. In a lot of photos it isn't very clear but the shot above shows it well. Due to this I'll dock another point in this section than I had before.

​SCORE - 8

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PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL

In terms of printing the model has plenty and it is fine. In combination with the shining natural metal the whole model looks brilliant. The cockpit windows on this model are well-sized, unlike the Delta 767-300 versions where they seem poorly shaped and too small. In keeping with the windowline in general they could probably be very slightly lower but the impact is minor.

An area where I would have appreciated more print are the engine nacelles. While they look good, and the fan work at the front looks excellent, it would be nice to have the quite obvious panel lines printed on.

The build quality here is excellent and presents no problems I can see.

SCORE - 9

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SUMMARY

This is a strong start to NG's line of 767-200s and I hope it is a mould they use regularly and for historically significant releases (not unimportant modern freighters). That hasn't been the case with several of their newer moulds so the majority of my criticism here is aimed not at the model itself, but the likely usage of its casting in the future! Is this model good enough to replace my venerable 2005 Gemini example? Technology has moved on somewhat since then so yes it is, however the old GJ model still looks really good (and better than the Aeroclassics version from January). Given what I have seen of the Delta 767-300s NG has released a review of them wouldn't be as complimentary, however their issues (winglets and cockpits) aren't a problem with this model. Even so, the windowline could do with being a smidgen lower.

FINAL SCORE - 26/30