Diesel Nine Desires: A DC-9-30 Wishlist

In recent months the DC-9 has been back in the release schedule for Aeroclassics with some lovely exotic models, like Air Aruba, and some classic mainline treats, like TWA. Although the type has been well represented in 1:400 there are still easily over 50 that I'd like to see on the Aeroclassics mould.

In my opinion the Aeroclassics DC-9 slays all other comers, but the Jet-X mould is pretty decent and some of the SMA models are good too. It is only the old Gemini / Net Models / Phoenix mould that really needs replacing. Aeroclassics has begun to make some headway in this area with models like the below ValuJet, which replaced an old Phoenix version:

This list includes 53 DC-9-30s that either haven't been made in 1:400 yet or have only been made on the Gemini mould. 

---

Europe

The series 30 Diesel Nine was popular in Europe with national airlines but also saw service with quite a few charter airlines, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Some have been made but many are missing still:

Steve Fitzgerald [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The above scheme Inex Adria has been made by Aeroclassics I admit, but as a Hangar Club release it is almost impossible to find.

Pedro Aragão [CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL]

JetPix [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Piergiuliano Chesi [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Like the Inex Adria the below ATI by Aeroclassics is also almost impossible to find. Another hangar club model.

Konstantin von Wedelstaedt [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Beppe(Life time: 2004) [Public domain]

Aldo Bidini [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Konstantin von Wedelstaedt [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Gary Watt [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Christian Volpati [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The old Martinair scheme has been made but only on the poor Gemini mould by Net Models.

clipperarctic [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Christian Volpati [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Udo K. Haafke [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

JetPix [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Konstantin von Wedelstaedt [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

---

United States

The DC-9 was a staple of the US scene for over 30 years serving with many of the trunks and most of the local service airlines. Lots of these have been made already but especially when you look at 1980s merger hybrids and deregulation startups there are still plenty to do. 

JetPix [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Air Tran has actually been made by both Gemini and SMA but I'd prefer an example on the Aeroclassics mould. Allegheny likewise has been made already on the Gemini but I don't rate the mould.

clipperarctic [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac3/Airline/Altair%20Airlines%20DC-9.html

Jon Proctor [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Ken Fielding/https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

JetPix [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The 90s Continental scheme has only been made by Gemini and nobody has made the Continental Lite variant.

JetPix [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Sunil Gupta [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Above: JetTrain is another DC-9 that has been made on the old Gemini mould, this time by Phoenix. 

Below: Legend tried to fight it out with luxury service from Dallas Love Field but got clobbered by American. A great story I'd like to tell if a model gets made.

Above: There has been a poor Net Models release of the original Midway Airlines colours but no Aeroclassics.

Below: There were several interesting Northwest/Republic hybrids when NW took over Herman.

RuthAS [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

Purdue Airlines was an unusual CAB certified supplemental airline run by the University of the same name in the late 60s. They had a couple of DC-9s:

The below TWA is one of the ex-Ozark machines repainted into this non-standard twin stripe scheme:

G B_NZ [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Before the pinstripes USAir tried out a couple of experimental schemes. N978VJ got the best variant. I couldn't find a picture I could use of the other style.

After the pinstripe some of the DC-9s were on the shuttle and got the new US Airways tail and titles with the old fuselage. It actually looks pretty damn smart.

---

Latin America

As with the 727 many DC-9s found their last home in South America, especially with the airlines of Venezuela that operated on a shoestring in the early 2000s.

Perry Hoppe [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

RuthAS [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

André Du-pont (Mexico Air Spotters) [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

aeroprints.com [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Alan Lebeda [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DC932PAWAD.jpg

Below: SARO was one of the first Mexican airlines after deregulation in the 90s and for that reason alone deserves some representation in 1:400 scale:

---

Others

Although the USA, Latin America and Europe were the primary homes of the DC-9 Australia and Africa also saw quite a few.

Above: This leased Ansett DC-9 looks awesome in Air Vanuatu colours.

Below: Only Net Models have made the Camel colours of TAA:

Aviation Photography of Miami [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Into Africa and Djibouti is crying out for its first 1:400 scale model. The DC-9 also got a second life in South Africa with several of the deregulation start-ups:

Torsten Maiwald [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Simisa (talk · contribs) [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

---

Summary

I'm really looking forward to seeing some of these Nines in the coming years. If I had to choose my top ten to be made it'd be the following (in no particular order):

• Aero Lloyd
• Aviaco
• British Midland
• Altair
• Caribair
• Legend
• Midway Airlines
• Purdue Airlines
• Air Djibouti
• TAA