 Given the general improvement in 400 scale models in the past 6 or 7 years new releases can sometimes look a lot better than old ones. If you've been collecting a long time then that will likely pose an increasing issue for you as new releases of models you already own are re-released. The dilemma then becomes should you replace the old version with what you hope is an upgrade or should you stick with what you have?  OLD : NEW When it comes to collecting the mould is king for me, followed by the print and livery quality. Now I've been collecting for nearly 15 years it means that I am more regularly finding myself feeling the urge to replace old models with new. So I wanted here to take a look at both sides of the argument.  OLD : NEW The Case AgainstI know there are a hardcore of, usually older collectors, pining away for their old Dragon releases and who seem to get upset when there is even the suggestion that they may be better off upgrading a release to a newer version. I don't mean to belittle them as an old model isn't a bad model, a lot of old models remain excellent and it isn't always the case that new models are better!  Colour me unimpressed with the new! The recent Aeroclassics 747s are good examples, although I admit they are probably mainly aimed at new collectors not those with old versions of the same models. Aeroclassics is something of an outlier in that as a brand they have stayed largely static. They produce a lot of great models, and I buy a lot of them, but you could easily mistake one of their 2024 models for a 2008 one. The recent TWA 747 is a good example. The mould finishing, paint application and livery detailing are all actually inferior to the old BigBird version made in the same factory as Aeroclassics back in 2005! Below: This old 2005 BigBird is definitely better than the new Aeroclassics version. I admit it is very hard to find but since I own it there was no need to go near the AC version, which although using the same basic mould doesn't have the same tailcone and wingtip aerials even before you get to the finishing  I did buy quite a few of the recent Aeroclassics 747s but I've not been happy with them all and actually sold the recent American Airlines version because in my opinion it was actually inferior to the old Dragon Wings model I already owned and had been planning to replace.  A lot of older models still have a lot to offer and can still stack up to some new releases, especially if the mould dates from before 2010 itself but is still in circulation in 2024 (Phoenix MD-11s and Tu-154s are a good example of this). Even then however it is often on a model by model that the decision should be made. For example, I replaced my 2001 Delta MD-11, made by Gemini, with the new Phoenix edition. It was so old that it still had the rear horizontal stabiliser seam and I was never totally happy with the cockpit windows either. Then of course there is the old gear, older printing and lack of aerials:  OLD : NEW  But I'd argue the old Dragon MD-11 below is as good, if not better than the new Phoenix one. I don't own either as I have the old Gemini myself but the Phoenix wasn't good enough to make me upgrade in this instance, partly because of the height of the nosegear.  I had a similar experience with the recent Balkan Tu-154s. The below Aeroclassics release actually dates from 2021. It could easily date from 2005, but the jump to the newer Phoenix version still wasn't big enough for me to go for it since the Phoenix mould is basically the same as this just with new gear.  The new Gemini 767-400 is another example where even a new mould can be inferior to a much older one, in this case the Dragon Wings.  Of course however, when you ignore the model specifics the number one reason not to upgrade is simply cost! It can get very expensive if you start replacing large chunks of your fleet, and you have the hassle of selling the old versions too. The Case ForWhile not all brands are equal in general the standard of printing detail and quality of new moulds is mostly superior nowadays to what was even standard in 2015, let alone 2005. There has been an avalanche of new moulds of very high quality, often such a significant improvement that you'd be mad not to upgrade. The NG Models Tristar is a great example. Although under-used it is a masterpiece and the decision to replace the old Gemini version with the new NG one was a no-brainer (even though the old Gemini Tristar is a decent L-1011).  I generally try not to upgrade too much of my collection but I admit increasingly I'm seeing superior renditions of models I already own and finding myself 'having' to get the new version. Usually this is an NG, JC Wings or Panda version replacing an older Aeroclassics, Gemini, Phoenix or Witty model from before 2010. Sometimes the choice is quite close. Although this old American 777 for example is a seamed model and made prior to aerials and rolling gear it still looked good. Admittedly, not as good as the new NG version I replaced it with though!  OLD : NEW  Sometimes for me it is actually handy to replace a model as it allows me to have enough models to sell to justify getting a table at the biannual Manchester Aviation Fair. When it comes to replaced Chinese models sometimes they just move down to being background scene fillers on the Xin Long airport model. This is partly because it makes it a lot more useful to have ready made traffic on the model and partly because Chinese models can be hard to sell in the West. Nowadays I have about 30 models just for the Xin Long display, mostly old versions that have been replaced by newer ones.  A recent delivery from China illustrates 2 times I have just upgraded and the difference between old and new.  NEW vs OLD First is this China Eastern 737-800 in the pre-2014 cheatline scheme. I already own the 2012 Inflight400 branded version (B-5527) using the old Aviation400 737-800. It's replacement is the new Yu ModeL version (B-5100) using the Panda mould. As you can see the current Panda mould is much superior and the print detail, while fine on the old model, is more detailed on the new one. I guess they aren't technically the same since the old version is a pre-Skyteam scheme but it's close enough.  NEW : OLD Another recent replacement was the Juneyao Airlines A319. The new Binary Star (Panda) version has replaced the 2012 Aeroclassics edition. In effect, the base mould here is the same BUT the Panda mould has been updated with much better landing gear and aerials. Plus, on this particular release Aeroclassics got the colours wrong (it doesn't even match their other Juneyao models) and is much too pale.  That doesn't make either of the older models bad but in these cases I thought the degree of difference was enough to warrant the replacement. There have been plenty of times when the pendulum has swung in the other direction and I have kept the old model. SummaryUltimately, the decision whether to upgrade is a challenging one. I'm certainly not telling you what to do and there are many subjective reasons for upgrading or sticking with what you have. My advice is to run through this list:
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I'm Richard Stretton, an aviation enthusiast and major collector of 400 scale model aircraft. This blog discusses ongoing events in the world of 400 scale. This site is free. Please donate to keep it going.
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