NG Models Aeroflot Chartered Tu-154s Updated
Updated: May 2024
NG Models announced a pair of Tu-154B-2s in their January 2024 release set, both wearing the Soviet-era Aeroflot scheme but with different 'chartered by' logos since CCCP-85331 was chartered by LOT Polish Airlines and CCCP-85591 was chartered by Balkan Bulgarian Airlines. It is somewhat symptomatic of NG Models' recent output that both of these models arrived prior to a standard Aeroflot Tu-154 in this livery and I wasn't sure I was going to acquire them at all, however obviously I buckled!
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I was able to pickup both models from Bedfordshire Diecast, but by then I knew that they were both missing something as the NG Models official photos released at the end of March 2024 showed that neither had their over and underwing registration markings - quite a major error.
Below: The official NG release photos lacking the overwing registrations common to Aeroflot aircraft of the period.
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Both of these releases have come in handy as donors for a variety of custom Tu-154s, which I'll be posting about soon but my friend Đặng Tùng of DT Customs was also able to remedy the defect on the official releases by sending me through some decals for the wings. I'm not much of a model maker and you need small fingers and steady hands to use decals, but after some trial and error I have managed to fit the decals, which improve the models no end. So here they are:
Aeroflot Tu-154B-2 CCCP-85331 Chartered by LOT.
Model by NG Models with extra decals from DT Customs
The 1979 build Tu-154B-2 CCCP-85331 was one of three Tu-154s leased to LOT Polish Airlines from Aeroflot's 1st Leningrad UAD. Interestingly, they were the only B version Tu-154s ever flown by LOT as the rest were M versions delivered later from 1986 onwards. Two of the Bs wore basic Aeroflot colours and one had a more thorough LOT scheme applied. This aircraft was the first and joined in May 1985 serving with the Polish flag carrier for over three years. It didn't return to Aeroflot until September 1988. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union the frame found itself a Belavia of Belarus and was withdrawn in 1996 at Minsk.
Aeroflot Tu-154B-2 CCCP-85591 Chartered by Balkan Bulgarian.
Model by NG Models with extra decals from DT Customs
Balkan Bulgarian were a more willing customer for the Tu-154 and operated a large fleet of them, the first three of which were Tu-154 sans suffix delivered as early as 1972. They would go on to operate a lot of Tu-154B and M variants. CCCP-85591 was a 1983 build frame leased from the international arm (TsUMVS) of Aeroflot as late as January 1989 for a few months. In fact, Balkan would continue to lease in 154s from Russia throughout the 1990s and into the year 2000 for operation in the summer charter season. This was long after the airline's own fleet had been replaced by Western types. After being returned to Aeroflot this aircraft would also find its way to Belavia, as EW-85591 and lasted until being scrapped in 2009 at Minsk.
