The Best Moulds in 1/400 Scale Pt1: Boeing

One of the questions I hear most regularly from collectors looking for information is who has the best moulds for a given aircraft type in 1/400 scale? It can be a complex question to answer, however I have spent many years now collecting and researching this scale so in this post I will attempt to begin to answer the question.

For more detail about the moulds available I suggest you go to my mould reviews area for a comprehensive review of the different aircraft types.

Boeings 707-777 in American Airlines colours

Now you might think that this blog post is just my personal opinion and to a degree it is, but largely it isn’t  and this is why:

• I’ve built up a big collection of models over the years covering a wide variety of types and airlines so I’ve had a wide variety of moulds in hand.
• I’ve paid close attention to the views of respected users on the forums at DAC and 400 Scale Hangar as well as on the Facebook Groups.
• I’ve actively researched the moulds, written reviews and compared them to the real thing.
• I like to think that I am unbiased against manufacturers and my collection is a spread of the different creators. Where there is bias it is earnt.

So though you might disagree with my opinions you’ll have to work hard to discredit them.

By the way asking ‘Who makes the best 1/400 models?’, which I also often hear asked, is a bit of a silly question. Quality of releases, even from the same manufacturer, can be highly variable; whereas all the manufacturers have moulds which are less good and moulds which are excellent. Lastly colour and detail is also up and down. I would strongly suggest that instead of asking such a generic question that instead you pick and choose the better moulds for the different manufacturers - when you have a choice that is, which often times you don't.

Boeing 720 & 727-767 in Unted Colours

The Rules

I am not taking into account here QC (which blights all the manufacturers to some degree), colours or research mistakes. In addition having rolling gears or aerials doesn’t immediately elevate a mould above one with static gears and no aerials if the mould itself is inferior. If it doesn’t look like the aircraft it's supposed to be it ain’t a winner in my book.

I have chosen only one mould as the best for any given type. This may introduce some contention but hey you've got to put an opinion out there. As I said these answers are based not just on my opinion but that of a cross section of collectors.

Boeing 707, 737, 747, 767 & 777 in Air China Colours

Nothing in this list disqualifies many of the other moulds, which are often nearly as good or sometimes too close to call. An example of this is the Phoenix and Aeroclassics A330s where preference is very much in the eye of the beholder. So don’t let this list control your purchasing – just use it as a guide and a bit of fun!

I have also mentioned where there is competition between moulds. Where there isn’t the existing mould has to be the ‘best’ even if it isn’t very good. That is just the way it has to be. So let’s see who has the best moulds in total and where there is competition for the largest manufacturer of jet aircraft - Boeing.

Boeing 707-747 in Pan Am Colours

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Boeing

There's competition on almost all of the Boeing types but also quite a bit of contention too. The Boeing 727 in both series 100 and 200 could be argued to not have a definitive winner, however on balance given the failings of the competition the Aeroclassics (100) and Gemini (200) look the least worst of a decent bunch.

I don't think there's any arguing that Aeroclassics rules the 737 Classics and if they made a 400 and 500 mould I'm sure it'd beat the existing Geminis too. The NG 737 is more contentious but what was used by Aeroclassics and is now the Panda Models mould is I think the most lifelike 737. The nose on the Phoenix and Gemini / JC Wings efforts are just wrong. There is only one 737-600, from Herpa. It is awful but it is the only one so let's move on!

The Aeroclassics / Big Bird 747s (later taken over by Witty) are the best 747s, though the Dragon 747s are often very good too and some of the others not bad on occasion also. Note only the Apollo 747-400s used the good mould and not the Witty branded ones.

Herpa make the best 757, on the very rare occasions when they can be bothered, whilst the 767 has several good moulds - in fact almost no bad ones (Aeroclassics, Dragon, Geminis and Phoenix are all good).

Panda Models bloody good 737-800

Phoenix rule the newer Boeing widebodies (excepting the 747-8),  though they are given very strong competition by the Gemini / JC Wings and Witty 787s. Nobody argues that the Phoenix 777s aren't the best by some distance.

Boeing 737 & 757-787 in China Southern Colours

The spread of manufacturers for Boeing types is quite wide, however it is interesting that for a manufacturer of their stature Gemini do relatively poorly. Most of their wins come in categories with limited front line competition (i.e they are mainly competing with old Dragon moulds in the 734, 735, 753 and against Witty for the 739). Aeroclassics has chosen to ignore the more modern Boeing types leaving it to be a 2 way competition between the combined Gemini / JC Wings mould sharing association and Phoenix. Where Aeroclassics has a plane in the race it usually wins (exceptions are the 727-200 and 707-100 (where they use their 720 mould)).

In part 2 we'll look at Douglas and the other New World aircraft manufacturers.