Aether Model: new manufacturer in 1:500 scale.

[JetForge]

So maybe the delay of the new releases is due to a problem/delay of new moulds?
I saw on a video from BongoPlanes, that Aether plans to produce an A350-900 from China Southern very soon, with a wonderful special livery.
In addition, I plan to buy Aether's LATAM B788. Is it a good model and is it worth buying it?

 

[Charter]

So maybe the delay of the new releases is due to a problem/delay of new moulds?
I saw on a video from BongoPlanes, that Aether plans to produce an A350-900 from China Southern very soon, with a wonderful special livery.View attachment 74902
In addition, I plan to buy Aether's LATAM B788. Is it a good model and is it worth buying it?

If you have patience i should receive the nine Aether Model news in few weeks and i will make comparisons.

 

[Charter]

Aether Model changes.
- replacement of the real photo of the aircraft on the box with hand-drawn artwork referencing the real photo
- Apron diagrams removed
- Aether Model brand/logo will be refreshed
- All models from news IV 2026 will have satdome with a detail improvement. Additional production cost but the models will continue to be priced less than competitors
- Future batch announcements will only be announced once batch production will be at least 90% completed.
(Source: Aether Model via Bongoplanes).

Honestly speaking i don't care so much about the majority of changes but i am extremely happy for the Satdome addition with more detailed models. This means a larger gap with Herpa, which models are dramatically lacking of details.
In the next days i will receive a big batch of news from Berlin including the nine missing Aether Model B787s and A330s: i am sure they will be beautiful and for some of them i can't wait to having the miniature in my hands (Norse B787-9, for example).
I am also happy for the lower prices than Herpa models, models that are becoming extremely expensive and with a truly terrible quality-price ratio!
But my greatest expectation is to see the narrowbodies, in my period as a collector in which I discard about 50% of the Herpa models don't buying them. For someone like me, particularly stupid to buy practically everything by Herpa with blind trust, I never expected to get to this point.

 

[Yustas]

…and what about the Hifly and Edelweiss A340-300 ? I hope Aether is still planning them .

 

[JetForge]

The Edelweiss A340-300 and the Hifly are still planned but their production has not yet started ( but very soon ). The announcement of the new Aether models ( Batch IV of 2026 ) is delayed by one to two months in order to stabilize the delays. I learned via a post from Aether on Instagram and a video from Bongo planes that Aether had changed production plant, which led to delays of two to three months for the models already announced.

I would like to return to the changes announced by Aether. I am rather disappointed with these, because the real image of the plane on the box made it very beautiful. The small cardboard where a small piece of airport runway was printed was simply useless but made Aether really unique. I have the impression that Aether is removing supplements for profitability reasons. However, the addition of static domes on the fuselage is very good news, hopefully they do better than Herpa. I also hope that the Batch IV will be released as soon as possible and may contain narrow-bodies planes...

 

[Charter]

Well, finally all the news. 12 news, about 7 missing in 1:500 scale! What a change.
At a first look Alitalia A330-200 seems perfect and marvellous. More pics later.

 

[Charter]

I was so excited about ITA Airways A330-200 that i had a first look.
I share the first impression, posted on my Instagram account for the fellow collectors, for Aether Model and for ITA Airways itself.

 

[JetForge]

It seems to be a really good model, however, the front landing gear’s door is really oversized. I received today, the Latam Boeing 788 and DHL A330 and they are really good models. I’m really happy with them.

 

[s4lmon8]

I was so excited about ITA Airways A330-200 that i had a first look.
I share the first impression, posted on my Instagram account for the fellow collectors, for Aether Model and for ITA Airways itself.
View attachment 76432
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View attachment 76444

Is it just me or the nose is a bit too pointy? Stunning livery tho!

 

[Charter]

It seems to be a really good model, however, the front landing gear’s door is really oversized. I received today, the Latam Boeing 788 and DHL A330 and they are really good models. I’m really happy with them.

I agree for the landing gear but you must consider that in 1:500 scale there is a big problem regarding It: if you realize the perfect nose gear size, about 2.5 mm, the model seems to seat on the ground! Already experimented with too many Herpa models, starting from various A330-200s and ending with the B787s. 2 meters from the ground for an A300 means 4 mm high nose landing gear. Herpa started to add 1 mm to the Neos B787-9 and the result was great. So i think that 5 mm high nose landing gear are oversized but the model, at least in 1:500 scale, seems more real.
Yes, the pointy nose is a feature of almost all 1:500 A330s: Herpa, Sky500 and Aether (that should use Sky500 A330s moulds). Only Starjets had its own moulds with a better result.

 

[s4lmon8]

I agree for the landing gear but you must consider that in 1:500 scale there is a big problem regarding It: if you realize the perfect nose gear size, about 2.5 mm, the model seems to seat on the ground! Already experimented with too many Herpa models, starting from various A330-200s and ending with the B787s. 2 meters from the ground for an A300 means 4 mm high nose landing gear. Herpa started to add 1 mm to the Neos B787-9 and the result was great. So i think that 5 mm high nose landing gear are oversized but the model, at least in 1:500 scale, seems more real.
Yes, the pointy nose is a feature of almost all 1:500 A330s: Herpa, Sky500 and Aether (that should use Sky500 A330s moulds). Only Starjets had its own moulds with a better result.

It is a shame that Starjets didn't make the a330 in a lot of liveries

 

[LeoMuse747]

Is it just me or the nose is a bit too pointy? Stunning livery tho!

Too pointy nose, too high gears and too long nose gear doors are recurrent issues on this A330 (and A340) mould.
This mould have been used for over 10 years by Herpa, Sky500 and now Aether. No one seems to have fixed these problems.

 

[Yustas]

These are fine models thanks for sharing your pics

 

[Yustas]

J'étais tellement enthousiaste à propos de l'A330-200 d'ITA Airways que j'ai voulu le voir en avant-première.
Je partage mes premières impressions, publiées sur mon compte Instagram, à l'intention des autres collectionneurs, d'Aether Model et d'ITA Airways.
View attachment 76432
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View attachment 76444

Just a word : beautiful. I wish the A340s will have the same pointy nose .

 

[Charter]

Too pointy nose, too high gears and too long nose gear doors are recurrent issues on this A330 (and A340) mould.
This mould have been used for over 10 years by Herpa, Sky500 and now Aether. No one seems to have fixed these problems.

Why? Because they should use StarJets moulds, the only almost perfect! Do you remember the StarJets A330 and A340? And the A320? And the MD-11???!!! WONDERFUL!
But, please, "don't touch" my beautiful ITA AIRWAYS A330-200!
Herpa A350-900 is really poor like all Herpa A350-900s and before to have an ITA AIRWAYS A330-900neo and before to reach an agreement i will be sand...

 

[LeoMuse747]

Why? Because they should use StarJets moulds, the only almost perfect! Do you remember the StarJets A330 and A340? And the A320? And the MD-11???!!! WONDERFUL!

Hmm no... the Starjets A330/A340 didn't have a good nose either. The A320 was quite crappy as a whole. The MD-11 was indeed good and much, much better than the Herpa mould.