Category: Jet-X

Stargazer: The World's Last Flying Tristar

5/7/2024

I generally try and avoid Bluebox / Jet-X Tristars but some of them are just so unusual that they are hard to turn down. This model was part of a big box of fabulous obscure models (mainly 10 IL-76s but also Vanguards and others) that arrived late last week. I'm gradually getting sucked in to these types of unusual model offerings and it is somewhat surprising to see that Jet-X was putting this sort of effort in, and doing such a good job too. But, just what is an L-1011 doing with a rocket strapped to its belly?

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Scots in Manchester: Loganair in the 1980s

17/5/2022

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2022 marks the 60th anniversary of 'Scotland's Airline' Loganair. The 1980s would see its survival assured by new ownership and expansion south of the border that merited the acquisition of its first jets before its own brand disappeared behind the mask of franchise operations for quarter of a century.

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Pineapple: The Hawaii Express

3/12/2020

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Finding profitability on the long routes between the American mainland and Hawaii has proved elusive for many. In fact, on several occasions what have been seen to be cash cow routes have turned out to be quite the opposite. The Hawaii Express was one of several colourful entrepreneurial companies that used the freedom given by deregulation to take on the big boys. As with many startups its initial success led to its eventual failure.

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Pariah No More: SAA’s 747-400s

27/1/2020

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Apartheid made South Africa an international pariah and its national airline unwelcome across most of Africa. The purchase of 747SPs allowed SAA to continue long-haul flights that were at least slightly competitive, however as the 1980s drew to a close and the international backlash against apartheid grew countries like the USA and Australia withdrew landing rights. Both South Africa and SAA needed change and fortunately for both the 90s would bring it.

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Shooting Star Pt2: Ansett New Zealand's 90s

18/10/2017

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Competing in the New Zealand domestic market had proved as tough as expected for the young comptitor, which had gone through 3 rebrands within 6 years, but with the strong backing of Ansett and a new young fleet the 90s would prove competition was possible, even if profitability was always on a knife edge.

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Shooting Star Pt1: Newmans - Ansett NZ

6/10/2017

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The New Zealand domestic market had long been the realm of National Airways Corporation (NAC) and later, post-merger, Air New Zealand. There had been attempts to compete but none had been successful or resulted in co-operation rather than competition. It wasn't until the mid-1980s that true competition was possible and out of that Ansett acquired a foothold in the New Zealand market, which it was to hold onto for 13 years.

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Continental's Short Nines Pt3: Houston Proud

4/6/2016

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Technically this blog post isn't about Continental Airlines at all and in truth this DC-9 never flew with CO proper. It did however fly for Continental under what must be an almost unique arrangement whereby one airline charters another to fly for it on a specific route. This DC-9's true operator was in fact the almost forgotten Emerald Airlines - nonetheless she was still Houston Proud.

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Continental's Short Nines Pt2: Lorenzo's 14s

2/6/2016

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As was discussed in part 1 Continental took a punt on the DC-9-15RC in the late 1960s that never paid off and in the end standardised its fleet around the larger 727-200. That wasn't the end for the Diesel Nine at CO however. As the 1980s brought deregulation and merger chaos ominously for Continental and Eastern employees this also heralded the arrival of the great satan: Frank Lorenzo.

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Continental's Short Nines Pt1: Rapid Change

30/5/2016

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Bob Six's Continental Airlines had always been the smallest of the certified trunk airlines but also one of the most adventurous. The US manufacturers were relatively slow to address the need for short-haul jets but as Douglas finally decided upon the DC-9 Continental took one of its characteristic leaps of faith and ordered a new variant. Even though this wasn't a success the DC-9-14/15 would feature in CO's fleet again but for a very different Continental.

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Northwest Jumbo 400s Pt1: Orient Launch Customer

3/2/2016

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Unlike its international US major contemporaries (Pan Am, TWA and Braniff) Northwest Airlines steered its way through deregulation successfully and built upon its extensive long-haul network so that it was in a good position to renew its long-haul fleet when needed. Northwest was famed for taking on well looked after secondhand frames and did so with both 747-200s and DC-10-30s but that didn't stop it being one of only two US majors to operate Boeing's much improved version of the 747 - the series 400.

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British Midland Pt2: Diamond Service

23/7/2015

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British Midland entered the 1980s as a well run and profitable airline. This would only get better when the airline successfully breached the barriers stopping it from really competing with the big boys and finally got rights to services on domestic trunk routes from Heathrow. The 1980s would see much route development as well as replacements for the trusty Viscounts and DC-9s as BMA formed the core of the Airlines of Britain Group.

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Contrails to Honolulu - Continental Airlines Boeing 747-124s

21/12/2014

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I'd had a hole in my CO fleet for a 747 for sometime but had shied away from getting the Jet-X version as the photos I'd seen didn't make it look too nice. I finally relented after giving up on finding any Bigbirds (they seem so rare) and am very glad I did as this year 2000 produced model is actually a real beauty plus CO's 747s have a great history to go with them.

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Stargazer: The World's Last Flying Tristar

Scots in Manchester: Loganair in the 1980s

Pineapple: The Hawaii Express

Pariah No More: SAA’s 747-400s

Shooting Star Pt2: Ansett New Zealand's 90s

Shooting Star Pt1: Newmans - Ansett NZ

Continental's Short Nines Pt3: Houston Proud

Continental's Short Nines Pt2: Lorenzo's 14s

Continental's Short Nines Pt1: Rapid Change

Northwest Jumbo 400s Pt1: Orient Launch Customer

British Midland Pt2: Diamond Service

Contrails to Honolulu - Continental Airlines Boeing 747-124s

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