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1:400 Model News & Airport Model Blog

The Best Moulds in 1/400 Scale Pt3: Airbus & Europe

25/8/2016

9 Comments

 
Picture
The spectacular growth of Airbus means that nowadays it is effectively a two horse race between it and Boeing for large jets, and this is obviously replicated in terms of releases in 1/400 scale. This is also the area of the scale with the most mould competition, with all three of the major mould makers active. The older European types and regionals also do get a look in still but the numbers made are much smaller and competition much less.
Picture
China Eastern A300, A320, A321, A330 & A340
Airbus
Picture
There are some excellent moulds available for the Airbus products and where it has a mould Aeroclassics tends to rule the roost. The A300 is superb, the new A310 also looks impressive and even though the wheels are too small the A320 series is better than the competition.
Aeroclassics also has an excellent A330 mould, but personally I prefer the Phoenix mould and I think the nose point and cockpit area are better on the latter. It is very close though and the Aeroclassics versions are often excellent.
Picture
China Southern A320, A321, A330 & A380
For the larger Airbuses Phoenix has superb A340-500/600 and A380 moulds, but JC Wings / Gemini has produced a magnificent A350 to put in 1st place for at least one type. All the other Gemini / JC Wings moulds have issues, from poor gear and seams on the A320 to uptilted wings on the new A330 (the A380 isn't bad though). Plus Gemini/JC have recently been blighted by serious QC issues of the sort that afflicted Phoenix in 2015. Aeroclassics aren't immune either but of the 4 they are the least likely to send you a model in pieces or with fingerprints and smudges on.
Picture
Cathay A330, A340s & A350
Picture
Air China A319, A320, A321, A330, A340
Other European
The rest of Europe's output consists mainly of classic British types and more modern EU regionals. In the former category Aeroclassics almost reigns supreme but as you'd expect competition is quite limited much of the time. Gemini has produced some very nice older moulds in the past like the standard VC10 and even where they don't beat AC (like with the Trident 1/2) their moulds are very good. Incidentally if Aeroclassics can't get the number of tyres on their new Tridents right then they may lose their mantle on that one!

JC Wings also popped out some good classic moulds and their Britannia 100 and One-Eleven 500 are exemplary.
For other relatively obscure types especially regionals JC Wings really made a name for itself, though it seems to have largely stopped innovating recently. Their ATRs, Saabs, Shorts and Fokkers are awesome and Gemini has been able to piggyback of that to release some nice models too. Gemini in its own right has a lovely, albeit tail heavy, BAE 146.

Herpa gets a mention only for their exquisite Concorde.
Picture
Picture
Herpa's lovely SST
9 Comments
Arnold Hauswald link
26/8/2016 02:28:11 am

Supporting your comment on the GJ BAe-146 being a bit tail heavy. If I have one comment, overall, on collecting, it is that most die cast tend to tail heavy. My display cabinet leans back off level just enough to upset the balance on many of my regional airframes, forcing me to display them "downwind". Would like it if the die cast manufacturers can find a way to add a little more nose weight.
Good article. Cheers, ArnoldC

Reply
Jaketheone46
29/8/2016 01:36:06 am

I have noticed the same thing. I have a few 747s and even a A380 that likes to sit with the front wheel off the ground. Plus a few other smaller ones that want to fall on their tail if not set down just right. Either some nose weight or some tail stands would be nice for sure.

Reply
Denny Payne
26/8/2016 03:33:40 am

On the A330's/A340's - I think I'd put the caveat that newer Phoenix may surpass AC, but the older ones are quite a bit clunkier. For me the cockpit area still looks more accurate on the AC's overall, but beauty and beholder and all of that :-)

Reply
RStretton
26/8/2016 06:28:25 am

You're right Denny - I mean the newer Phoenix mould not the older seamed mould they shared with Gemini.

Reply
Lachie Hare
26/8/2016 11:16:42 am

Have to disagree on the A350 mould. The Gemini mould is way off in comparison to the real version of the aircraft. The nose and wingtips are just completely wrong.

Reply
Denny Payne
26/8/2016 11:57:51 am

As off as the GJ one might be, I think the PHX is even worse. The nose on it looks squashed and strange, and the main landing gear are grotesquely out of proportion. Side by side, the GJ evokes the look of the real aircraft much more IMO.

Reply
RStretton
26/8/2016 05:28:27 pm

You're certainly in the minority Lachie. I've not heard anyone else say anything nice about the Phoenix A350 - in fact it gets a pasting from most commentators

Reply
FishCat
26/8/2016 03:56:43 pm

While I do like Aeroclassics' A320 mould, their irritatingly small wheels on the landing gear bugs me to the point that I'll buy the Phoenix and sometimes Gemini over it, even though they're not as accurate. I personally liked the Phoenix A320 Sharklets mould even though the nose seems off compared to the real thing. I thought that the mould had a good flow to it. It's one of my guilty enjoyments =).

Reply
RStretton
26/8/2016 05:29:38 pm

I know what you mean and it impacts the A321 quite badly. I am willing to buy the JC wings and Phoenix A320s so unlike for the 737NG at least we are blessed in that regard

Reply



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    I'm Richard Stretton: a fan of 1/400 scale model aircraft and airports. This blog reports work on my model airport dioramas and discussion of the model manufacturers output.


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