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Auckland Hobbies Fair Comes Good

16/4/2021

In my experience New Zealanders on the whole are not big aviation fans, certainly their love for cars and trains eclipses aircraft. There are fairly regular hobby fairs in my home city of Auckland but historically there hasn't been much of anything in 400 scale present and what there has is usually horrifically overpriced. This last fair however proved an exception.

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Short 757ski: A Tu-204-300 Wishlist

6/4/2021

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It isn't often I get to do a wishlist for an aircraft that had only ten units built - perhaps there's hope for a Dassault Mercure yet! Anyway the short version of the Tu-204 the Tu-204-300 (or Tu-234) has only worn a few liveries and here's a comprehensive look at all of them - I think.

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Lost Potential: A TU-204-100 Wishlist

2/4/2021

6 Comments

The Tupolev Tu-204 was robbed of a Tu-154 style production run by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is a real shame as it appears to be a decent aircraft broadly in line with Western contemporaries at the dawn of the 90s. In the end although the aircraft has had a 30-year production run only around 90 aircraft were made. Even so, the type has appeared in a surprising number of liveries which we'll hopefully be seeing on NG Models releases soon.

6 Comments

EXCLUSIVE: Another New Mould from AV400

25/3/2021

1 Comment

It was only in December that I exclusively announced Aviation400's next new mould (the 787 series) but they are busy creating another new mould too, which has reached the resin sample stage. Yet again AV400's focus is on modern widebodies but this is one that hasn't got a huge amount of love in 400 scale to date - the Superjumbo A380.

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Delta Gets Tough With Licensing

22/3/2021

2 Comments

I have known about this for a month or so now and, since it is basically common knowledge and been discussed in various places, I see no reason not to comment on it. The rumours that Delta have come down hard on model manufacturers, and retailers of those models, is true and obviously the situation is more complicated than just that. It has the potential to be a real pain for collectors so obviously this is a large issue, and part of a pattern of behaviour in recent times to damage competition in 200 and 400 scale.

2 Comments

A Selfish 73G Wishlist

20/3/2021

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With NG Models and Panda now making new 737-700 moulds it opens up a substantial space for replacement and new releases for the type. Traditionally I'm a classics collector but there are a few geographic regions where my tastes stray closer to the modern so there are more than a few 73Gs that I would acquire - usually for operators from the late 90s and early 2000s. Seeing as I broke the news of a 73G coming I don't think it is unreasonable for a personal wishlist to get a look from NG!

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When You Have A Room Full of Models & Drink Too Much!

12/3/2021

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As many of you know I have a decent sized collection of 400 scale models, which are stored in my 3 car garage or hangar as I like to call it. It's a great entertaining space complete with pool table and table football, which means it also gets used for drinking and eating. I had managed to acquire a few airplane related beermats but in the end it just proved easier to make my own.

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Airshop Diecast's Latest & the New Panda 737-8

6/3/2021

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Indonesian collectors continue to be well served by the relationship between Indonesian retailers and several manufacturers, especially Panda Models. The latest trio of releases cover Batik Air 737s and use the new 737-800 mould from Panda, which has been slipped out with little fanfare.

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A Crusty Crusade: Tu-134 Wishlist

26/2/2021

2 Comments

A Tu-134 had been one of the holy grail missing moulds in 400 scale and now thanks to Panda Models it has arrived. Panda don't seem to know what to do with it though and in about a year have only produced 3 models using it, even though they have both major variants of the mould available. I know some of the partners of Panda are interested in making some 134s and I hope Panda are going to ramp up production too. Here's what they should be making.

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New Arrival: The Only SMA 747

21/2/2021

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I don't usually write blogposts about models I receive, aside from the detailed reviews, but occasionally I get a new model, which has that something special about it. A few days back I managed to pickup a United 747-123 in the Battleship Grey colours and this model is a little unique as it is the only 747 that was ever made by Seattle Model Aircraft Co (SMA).

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Aviation400 Looks to Update its 777 Tailcone

15/2/2021

3 Comments

Aviation400 have been widely praised for their releases and attention to detail. They have also shown a keen interest in modifying their existing moulds to make them better. Currently they have a very nice Boeing 777-300ER mould, which competes well against the JC Wings and Phoenix versions. One of the few criticisms to be levelled at it is the shape of the distinctive wedge tailcone and that is an area they are looking at modifying.

3 Comments

Tupolev Trijets: A Tu-154 Wishlist

18/1/2021

1 Comment

Soviet era types have not been well represented in 400 scale recent years despite appearance of a Tu-104 and now a Tu-134. The re-emergence of the Tu-154 is very welcome, even if it is not a 100% modern mould. The 154 got far and way the most diverse usage of all Russian types and that means there are still plenty of core operators to be made.

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El Aviador 400 - Latin Classics

13/1/2021

2 Comments

El Aviador is a company which has a standard webstore but also specialises in the production of 200 scale Latin classics airliners. It is based in Texas but its focus is definitely south of the border and since at least 2019 it has been using Inflight200 moulds to make an impressive array of A320s, 727s, 737s, 767s in the larger scale. It has now branched out into 400 scale and has 5 releases out, or in the pipeline.

2 Comments

2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 2

7/1/2021

1 Comment

Despite the complications thrown up by 2020 the world of 400 scale model aircraft continued on its way with barely a gap in releases and all the major brands survived the year. Nonetheless competition is clearly rising and how long can the marketplace sustain the addition of NG Models and Aviation400 along the incumbents? In part 2 I'll look at the year 2020 for the remaining four brands and look forward to what 2021 may hold.

1 Comment

2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 1

4/1/2021

1 Comment

With 2020 behind us I thought I’d take a look back at the year in 400 scale that was and pick out some salient points for discussion. Obviously for most it was a year best forgotten but in 400 scale it was actually a superb year. In general, the scale seems vibrant and healthy with some excellent innovation and models being made. In part 1 I take a look at 3 of the major brands.

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<<Previous

Auckland Hobbies Fair Comes Good

Short 757ski: A Tu-204-300 Wishlist

Lost Potential: A TU-204-100 Wishlist

EXCLUSIVE: Another New Mould from AV400

Delta Gets Tough With Licensing

A Selfish 73G Wishlist

When You Have A Room Full of Models & Drink Too Much!

Airshop Diecast's Latest & the New Panda 737-8

A Crusty Crusade: Tu-134 Wishlist

New Arrival: The Only SMA 747

Aviation400 Looks to Update its 777 Tailcone

Tupolev Trijets: A Tu-154 Wishlist

El Aviador 400 - Latin Classics

2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 2

2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 1

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