pons399
Well-known member
2024's Herpa is somewhat of a joke, but there was a time when they were the crème de la crème of model aircraft. Their Premium series have a reputation for peerless detail, with such quality being reflected in the exorbitant prices of secondhand pieces today. I was very lucky to have picked up this mint condition A300 recently, and long story short, it blows every modern 1:200 out of the water. Here's why.
FIrst impressions... Tons of details, and also quite hefty despite being plastic. Solidly built.
The cockpit windows are transparent. Although it's tough to tell with the cabin windows, they do seem to have the same treatment.
Now for the landing gear. Top is what your average 1:200's gear looks like in 2024, and bottom is the Herpa Premium. The latter's got the crisp moulded details, metallic sheen, and color separation not present on the former. It's a tremendous difference. I consider removable gears to be a farce, as their generally terrible fitment leads to wobbling that makes a $150 model feel like a $5 toy. None of that BS here.
Although some newer moulds (like IF200's 772) do a good job, engine fan blades are mostly an afterthought in today's 1:200 models. Herpa nailed the fan blade and spinner shapes here.
Surface detailing, there's tons of it. Stuff that's merely printed on in today's diecast models are moulded in on the Herpa Premium. These include the engine cowling panel lines,
flap joints (also note the intricate text),
wing leading edge lights,
as well as a plethora of other antennas, lights, and ducts. You can literally feel every detail on this model.
I normally have little interest in Lufthansa, but the quality on this particular model easily catapults it to #1 in my collection. It also serves as a reminder of just how much better today's 1:200s can be; if Herpa can produce stuff like this 20 years ago, the market should be full of models that at least come close. There are precisely none at the moment, and that's a huge shame.
FIrst impressions... Tons of details, and also quite hefty despite being plastic. Solidly built.
The cockpit windows are transparent. Although it's tough to tell with the cabin windows, they do seem to have the same treatment.
Now for the landing gear. Top is what your average 1:200's gear looks like in 2024, and bottom is the Herpa Premium. The latter's got the crisp moulded details, metallic sheen, and color separation not present on the former. It's a tremendous difference. I consider removable gears to be a farce, as their generally terrible fitment leads to wobbling that makes a $150 model feel like a $5 toy. None of that BS here.
Although some newer moulds (like IF200's 772) do a good job, engine fan blades are mostly an afterthought in today's 1:200 models. Herpa nailed the fan blade and spinner shapes here.
Surface detailing, there's tons of it. Stuff that's merely printed on in today's diecast models are moulded in on the Herpa Premium. These include the engine cowling panel lines,
flap joints (also note the intricate text),wing leading edge lights,
as well as a plethora of other antennas, lights, and ducts. You can literally feel every detail on this model.
I normally have little interest in Lufthansa, but the quality on this particular model easily catapults it to #1 in my collection. It also serves as a reminder of just how much better today's 1:200s can be; if Herpa can produce stuff like this 20 years ago, the market should be full of models that at least come close. There are precisely none at the moment, and that's a huge shame.
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. And if they're still around, whether they do guided tours. It's unfortunate that this excellent mould isn't being used. I'd defo pick up my fav airlines in my fav wide twin jet, even though I no longer collect 1:200.
. The summer school I'm slated to conduct in that part of the world will mostly extend till early June. 
- hopefully will try to make it next year 
