Miniature Models Nov/Dec Announcements

While the major brands struggle to get their models to market this year has seen a plethora of smaller brands using Panda and JC Wings to make their own models. I reported on Miniature Models back in July as a brand using Panda but with pretensions to make their own moulds. Here are their latest set of announcements.

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Miniature Models first pair of releases were both Thai 737-400s and at the time I thought they were just another Thai related brand, however their recent announcements strongly suggest that they are ploughing their own furrow and are nothing if not eclectic. For my original post about Miniature Models see:

New Brand: Miniature Models

Panda Models themselves remain annoyingly quiet and are barely releasing any models of their own, however they seem fine to make models for others. Unfortunately this means their excellent Tu-134 mould is being ignored. Currently there are no outstanding Panda releases but there are now 5 in the Miniature Models backlog, including a pair for the classic collector.

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THREE 320s

The first three models were announced a month or two ago and represent a trio of A320s as follows:

The Dragonair A320 is fairly standard, although it is the last aircraft that landed at Hong Kong Kai Tak. It certainly isn't the first Dragonair A320 and even Panda themselves have produced an A320 in these colours so in many ways this is a repeat with a different rego.

Below: The already released Dragonair A320 by Panda B-HSU

The other pair are a little more interesting. One is a new airline that has not been made in 400 scale yet. Itapemirim (or ITA Transportes Aereos Ltda) is a new Sao Paulo based airline with an eye-catching scheme. It's current fleet consists of 6 A320s and an A319.

Gustavoaguiar, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The third is Eva Air's only ever operated A320, leased from Trans Asia for a couple of years in the 2000s. This aircraft has actually been made in 400 scale once before by Phoenix way back in 2009 on the old Gemini Jets mould without rolling gear or aerials.

All three of these A320s (and a China Airlines A321 with an Albatross model number) are available at Miniature Models US retail partner Midwest Model Store on preorder:

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LUFTY 733s

Perhaps the most exciting models announced are not the A320s but a pair of delivery colours Lufthansa 737-300s. One of these is a model that has been made already using the Panda 737-300 mould back in 2013 (D-ABXE). The other is D-ABXD in the same scheme but with special Euro 86 titles at the rear fuselage.

While these may not be the most groundbreaking choices for the 737-300 mould it is at least good to see some classic 737s made. My only concern is that some of the artwork shows the 737 with titles saying 'Office Airline' rather than 'Official Airline'. Hopefully that is sorted out!

Neither of these models is available at Midwest Model Store yet but they are available for pre-order at at least one taobao site. Don't expect to see these appear until well into 2022.

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