GeminiJets is High Quality in 2026!
- Thread starter CM Aviation
- Start date
squatchys_diecast_hangar
Well-known member
Interesting and spicy thread. We were doing our year end wrap up this weekend and this thread prompted me to actually look at percentages of model manufacturers sold, both instore and online and it was really not surprising. Gemini was the front runner, and let me preface that we can’t break it out by scale, just by units sold by manufacture. Gemini was right at 40% of sales, NG was 20%, Aeroclassics 10%, Phoenix 8%, Inflight200 10%, Herpa, Panda, and Dragon Wings brought up the small single digit numbers. Military was in another category, which didn’t factor. Gemini for our audience has typically been the top dog, most of the youth that come in the store are looking for Gemini. And this is quite possibly because of Gemini’s influence and dominance in the US market. Lots of folks have visited the HQ in Vegas, and they have had the longest longevity in the hobby. And for US collectors they have been focusing on this market more as manufacturers like NG have backed way off. Previous year it was much tighter between Gemini and NG. But again this is US and Canada as we don’t ship internationally.
Macsergey
Member
I did not read entire topic, but I have what to say about GJ quality. When I started collecting I did not know which brand is good and I red that GJ is the best. When I got few my first models which were GJ it was quite big disappointment what almost made me not continue to collect models. But after that I got a model from NG what was perfect and made GJ models look like a complete garbage. Now I have 21 models by GJ and more then 50 by NG and based on my experience GJ quality is consistently below average and NG quality is almost perfect every time. Now I have a rule to avoid GJ unless a model is released only by GJ and I really want it. I don’t have any models by GJ released in 2025, but looking at photos I don’t really see quality improvements. I hope they can improve their quality, but for now my expectations are low
Serratedtrout
Member
GeminiJets and China is a totally different story. Chinese collectors hardly collect new GJ releases these days. If you go on RedNote, people would have discussions under posts detailing new releases from brands like NG, Phoenix, Panda, AV400, or even the smaller brands like C Model and Creating Dream Wings. But as for Gemini, hardly anyone’s interested in their new releases.
This can be broken down into several factors, including but not limited to:
- GJ’s heavier focus on North American releases compared to even a decade ago, which leaves out the Asian market most of the time.
- GJ’s models are manufactured by JC Wings using predominantly JC’s own moulds. JC has some really weak moulds, and is facing stiff competition from HX Models/YY Wings, NG and Phoenix.
- GJ’s pricing is on the higher end, and in line with that of NG and Phoenix. On the other hand, models released by JC Wings are significantly cheaper and has a higher focus on Asia with their release choices. To Chinese collectors, GJ is essentially the over-priced version of JC. After all, GJ share the same moulds with JC.
- JC has a slightly poorer brand image in China due to their QC issues, making GJ the victim of collateral damage.
- GJ doesn’t enjoy the dividends of brand loyalty in China, as well as in many other places of the world. When it comes to a model released by multiple brands, such as Delta’s 100 Years A350, for example, Chinese collectors would default to purchasing competing releases by NG, Panda or even Phoenix due to either brand loyalty, more accurate moulds, or both.
There’s more interest in GJ’s older releases such as their HS-121 Tridents, DC-8s or hard to find models such as Chinese A320neos and Max 8s. For Chinese collectors, unless if they are collecting North American models, and American ones in particular, it’d be very difficult to justify purchasing a new GJ release. Even then, when faced with alternatives from NG and Phoenix, they’d go with the two local brands instead. The likelihood of a casual Chinese collector buying a US wide body or mainline narrow body released by the two brands are significantly higher than that of buying a US regional aircraft released by GJ. We’d also have to consider that a casual collector may favour contemporary wide bodies and narrow bodies over regionals or retro aircraft when they are purchasing models from a continent which they do not reside in. This goes both ways across the two sides of the Pacific.
Interestingly, by my observation Phoenix has a similar cult-following in China when compared to Gemini’s cult-following in the United States. I’ve seen some people on RedNote as well as Chinese forums (客机模型吧 on Baidu in particular) who’d prioritise in getting Phoenix releases out of brand loyalty, glossier finish on the models, or both, despite how expensive Phoenix models have gotten in recent years. Even if Panda or NG released the same model on their usually better moulds, there are people who’d still choose Phoenix for one reason or another.
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guanyi0724
Active member
I completely agree with your point. As a collector in East Asia, I’ve noticed that the market response to GJ’s products hasn’t been very strong. Personally, I don’t have much interest in their releases either. In fact, GJ’s pricing is often slightly higher than NG’s and comparable to PH’s. On top of that, GJ mostly uses JC moulds, yet their prices are often close to 1.5 times higher than JC’s.
I also frequently see U.S. collectors complaining that they have little interest in NG’s Asian releases. That said, GJ’s appeal in Asia is similarly weak. As you mentioned, the main reasons are likely inconsistent quality control (which may be improving), high prices, and a lack of competitive moulds.
Note: This isn’t meant as a criticism specifically targeting GJ. I think PH has similar issues as well, such as high pricing and outdated moulds.
MIAv8Diecast
Well-known member
I have criticized all brands on here at one point or another I.e. NG, Aeroclassics, Gemini and JC for varying reasons as they all come with a fair share of problems but problems that are vastly different from one another. I would agree that Gemini Jets release subjects have improved but that hasn’t happened in some arbitrary vacuum. The only reason Gemini has improved their release choices are because of their competition lighting a fire under them because they’re no longer the sole provider of 1:400 models with many times far better options to choose from. As far as the hard product goes they still release the same old molds with usually only minor improvements i.e wheels and antennas that are proven to be vastly inferior. I personally haven’t seen any signs of improvement this year on the actual hard products they put out. In fact I was just at a brick and mortar retailer this week and they didn’t have too many nice words to say about Gemini QC and their lack of efforts to improve knowing their models are often broken and defective. As others have said, objective criticism is not the same thing as negativity around a sole brand and often times they do it to themselves.
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Alphaless
Well-known member
I think that GJ's lack of desire to improve stems partially from the attitude of those in charge. If a product is selling despite "obvious" flaws, they see no reason to improve or innovate. As long as GJ spills off the shelves, and they have no competition for a particular product, probably nothing will change.
There has been some efforts like using better widebody molds since 2023 with better landing gear height and no wing flex along with items like awesome aerials on the E190/E2, so some progress has been made.
The new widebody moulds were obviously produced by JC Wings. Gemini didn't have a lot of option but to use them I think and typically took them up years after JC first introduced them. For example the JC Wings 77W mould dates from 2017 and wasn't used by GJ until I think 2022. It's a similar story for the 787 introduced in 2016 by JC and used first by GJ in 2020. Due to the way GJ stockpiles releases the old moulds were used after the new ones too, sometimes more than a year after.
When it comes to EJets Gemini was still releasing models without aerials as late as April 2024. JC had added aerials in 2022 and debuted the hooked aerials as early as November 2023. Gemini is still cutting corners with aerial usage. The Aeromexico connect from 2025 is missing the lower forward aerial fitted to all the JC Wings versions.
So there's progress, but usually way after JC Wings and with some caveats still.
Where Gemini has been a leader is usage of the interactive moulds, especially the 777-200F.
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
Here’s some things I’ve noticed. I’m an American collector but I am also huge into collecting Japanese and other East Asian models. GJ’s products have been more America focused because NG has stopped releasing lost of North American models. GJ’s pricing is higher due to US Tariffs and I’m sure they’ll calm down eventually. We already saw the first price drop for the December release. I do have interest in NG’s Asia releases, but even within Asia it’s very China heavy. Like my previous example of NG making 21 Xiamen Air 737 aircraft this year. The fact that Asia is their “focus” yet airlines like Singapore Airlines, ANA, JAL, Air India and others haven’t been released much (JAL once, and ANA hasn’t been released at all, the futures are also already common special liveries)
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
I agree with this. Aerials should have been in use way before that, my J-Air E170 is fairly old and has the detailed antennae and aerials, and it’s strange that Gemini releases from the same time (My Alaska E175 for reference) didn’t have them either. That’s my only main criticism of GJ.
swagninja84
Well-known member
GJ released 48 models from US, Canada, Mexico
NG released 39.
NG and all other models coming into the US are subject to the same tariffs.
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
Once as in it’s the same plane! Only an A350 just a bunch of the same A350. NG also has released NO models from Canada this year. A high percentage of the US and Mexico releases have just been duplicates of existing releases, or new releases with multiple registrations. There have been very few Gemini releases this year that have had two of the same plane in the release, usually just a flaps down version.
A bunch of A350s doesn't count as different releases, especially if they are in the same release set.
Ryan_426
Active member
First of all, the difference between the A35K and A359 model wise is pretty substantial, and if you take a look at the NG future releases you'll see that there are a multitude of different airlines from NA, Europe and South Asia including your much desired Air Indias, JetBlues, Mexicanas, other Asian airlines (like Phillipines, Cathays, Koreans) and many more. NG also released a lot of original models that GJ hasn't made like the JetBlue x Dunkin a320,
Yes, there has been a little decrease, but they are still putting the MSRP of a normal 773er at almost $74, and a flaps down is $6 more on top of that. Imo, that's hardly anything to brag about.
swagninja84
Well-known member
A350-900 and A350-1000 are different planes.
- A350-1000
- A350-1000 "Airbus A350-1000 decal"
- A350-900
- A350-900 "Green"
- A350-900 "Red"
- A350-900 "Silver"
- A350-900 Oneworld
- A350-900 Shojet
Neither did GJ.
Funny how for GJ is the same release window, but for NG is overall a duplicate.
- DL 767-300WL
- NW 757-300
- DL 717-200
- AA 787-9
- UA EMB-175
- UA 777-200
- DL 757-300
- AA CRJ-200
- HA 787-9
- UA A321neo
- UA CRJ-550
- DL A330-200
- HA 717-200
- FX 767-300
- HA A330-200
- Boeing 747-400
- Boeing 747SP
- United 787-8
- AA 787-9
- UA SAF 787-9
- Atlas Air 777-F
Keep moving the goal posts when facts do not match your feelings.
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
Let’s debunk this.
JAL A350s. Eight versions of the same airline on the same aircraft family. Plus there were also duplicates with different registrations.
A duplicate and a rerelease are two separate things. A duplicate (by my standards) is a model that a manufacturer released at least two of within one release or within only a few releases of each other. The GJ rereleases were all high demand models, usually with prices soaring into the hundreds of dollar range. (United CRJs and E Jets.) Once again, they were high demand releases, and the last time a majority of those were originally released was years ago… yes NG may have made a few good rereleases but most are duplicates (AA MD80s, Xiamen 737’s etc).
I also said “A high percentage.” Not all. You named the exceptions. You also just named the three flaps down models. A flaps down or interactive doesn’t count as a duplicate in my book.
Your entire argument just proved my argument correct. The facts DO match my feelings, and maybe NG’s facts don't match yours.
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
First here, yes I understand they are different planes. However there were still duplicates of both. And the NG futures are futures. Not from 2025, likely not being released for a few months. They have made some great futures, but have not released them. Also, the US models they did release this year (Like the Dunkin A320) was great, and I’m not complaining about that. However that is a special livery and… normal livery demand is still way higher. Not many NG JetBlue New liveries but GJ has done a ton now.
Ok guys I can see where this is going and we've done this merry-go-round before to nobody's satisfaction so let's not do the GJ vs NG US release argument again in this thread. That wasn't the original topic.
Ryan_426
Active member
Even not considering the futures, of the 26 1:400 scale models released in January, just 5 were registered in China. In fact, nearly half of the releases were European Registrations.
Starz10p Aviation
Well-known member
I’m impressed with NG’s futures, and the January release was good. Not for US collectors but for Europeans I’m glad they get some recognition.
Agreed.
