Skyjets400 |
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Thanks to Ruben for his help with this article
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YEARS: 1999-2006
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# OF MODELS MADE: 37
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Skyjets400 was a physical and webstore based in Encino, California owned by Ruben Baghdasarian, Ray Kachatorian & Bill Glover. Between 1999 and 2006 SkyJets400 ordered around 37 models from Gemini Jets and Aeroclassics. The Gemini Jets made models were all branded as SkyJets400 but the Aeroclassics were not.
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The ultra-rare chrome sample 747SP
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Ruben was friends with Dan Asher and Elliot Epstein of Gemini Jets and regularly met with them as they passed through Los Angeles on their way to China. He'd known Dan Asher prior to Gemini since both collected 1:500 scale Herpa Wings, but when Ruben saw some of the first Gemini sample models he sold up his 1:500 scale models and moved into 1:400s. He had a soft spot for DC-8s and along with Gemini co-financed the creation of the short DC-8 mould. Whilst waiting for the DC-8s to be finished they released their first model - a Corsair Boeing 747SP. There was even a chrome version of the Corsair 747SP made as a sample model of only 3 units and given away as a prize by Skyjets400 in a competition.
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Outside of the 747SP the majority of the models made between 2000 and 2002 used the DC-8 mould. All the DC-8s had mirrored standard Gemini releases, but the SkyJets400 examples came with the metal box and their own collectors card. Production runs were around 1,000 units for the Skyjets400 portion of the order. It was around 2001/2002 that the SkyJets400 shop actually came into being but SkyJets still sold models to other dealers as well.
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Interestingly of the models made from 1999-2005 only 6 got SkyJets part numbers and these were all the Boeing 737-200s plus the KLM A310. The 737s had tin boxes but no collector's cards.
Later SkyJets400 exclusives did not come with the tin boxes (only the 737s and DC-8s did) and instead had the SkyJets400 logo on a more usual cardboard box. They didn't come with the collectors card either.
Of the models produced 13 were DC-8s, 2 DC-10s, 1 A310, 3 757s, 2 747SPs and 5 737-200s.
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BBBIA005
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Skyjets400 also had a connection with Aeroclassics and that the latter made for them 11 aircraft over the years. As far as I am aware none of these models have any special branding and came in standard Aeroclassics boxes.
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Sometime during 2005/2006 the partners who ran the SkyJets400 store started another business venture and it was decided to sell the shop on as they no longer had time to run it. They successfully sold the store to one of their customers but the shop appears to have gone out of business in early 2006. The models produced under the SkyJets400 name are a rather random assortment of models and it is interesting that there is no real pattern to the releases. Made in smaller runs than standard Gemini Jets several of the models are relatively sought after even today, while the unusual tin boxes for the DC-8s and 737s certainly add some uniqueness to the SkyJets400 offerings.
