The BAC One-Eleven 500 in 400 Scale |
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Updated: November 2022
There are a small selection of types in 400 scale that don't need new moulds made for them but instead just need the owners of the already magnificent existing moulds to just bloody use them. Possibly the most obvious example of this is the BAC One-Eleven 500 for which an exemplary mould already exists, made by JC Wings but also used by Gemini jets.
By the time the stretched One-Eleven 500 was introduced in 1967 delays, partly driven by BEA, had meant it had been surpassed by the Douglas DC-9-30 and the new Boeing 737-200. It was never likely to emulate the sales of the American types, with the massive US market effectively closed off to it, but a reasonably creditable 86 aircraft were built in the UK with a further 9 series 560s eventually being completed in Romania.
The type saw widespread service, especially among UK charter airlines well into the late 1990s and was especially common at London Gatwick.
One-Eleven 500 in 400 Scale
The One-Eleven 500 appears to have been one of the first new mould collaborations between JC Wings and Gemini Jets. JC Wings at the time were producing an interesting range of smaller regional types like the similarly under-used Fokker 100 and DHC-8. The first releases appeared in 2008 and up to 2011 6 models were made. Four were obvious but the pair of JC Wings releases were more adventurous.
Sadly then it seems JC Wings and Gemini lost interest and the only further releases was in 2016 when JC took the advice of Adrian Balch and produced a single BEA version. At the time I was hopeful they would at least produce the other BEA Super One-Eleven schemes but sadly they have not.
As of mid-2022 the output in 14 years has been just 7 models but presumably the mould still exists in the enormous JC back catalogue:
The Mould
The mould itself is delightful and captures the type almost perfectly. There are even two versions - one with hushkits and one without:
Without hushkits
Clinton Groves (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons
With hushkits
Wishlist
It seems criminal to completely ignore the mould but JC Wings has shown little interest in many of its more European centric and regional moulds in recent years while Gemini only make what they think will sell in larger numbers. Back in 2019 I produced a Super One-Eleven wishlist with 50 options!!!
Many of these should be able to sell perfectly well. Certainly the four remaining BEA/British Airways options plus Monarch, British Midland, Cyprus Airways, TAROM, Philippines, Dan Air, Ryanair, BIA, British United, Transbrasil and further Court Line versions all have potential.
Check out the wishlist here and feel the noise:
