As far as that goes, GJ still has the 737-300 also, don't they? Perhaps they could do a twin pack. Do they still take commissions from retailers? A Northwest or Republic MD-80 would be very welcome as well.
Is Panda Model The Next Big Thing in 400 Scale?
- Thread starter Jazajia
- Start date
Jazajia
Well-known member
I'll let Richard answer that, but my guess is that if you have the pull and the means required to get GJ to do an exclusive for you, you are probably in a position to start your own brand with your own molds and all
YesterAirlines
Well-known member
That is very very unlikely.
What? The twin pack? Or the NW or RC MD-80?
Decals are available for all of these. It's very tempting to go custom if nobody is going to make them.
YesterAirlines
Well-known member
Gemini don't make twinpacks anymore and rarely make models for retailers either. They also make relatively few classic airliners at all and about 1 or 2 MD-80s a year. It is all unlikely. If you are looking for MD-80s you're probably going to have to hope NG get their act together and don't go bankrupt!
If NG does go bankrupt, I hope there is someone ready and willing to buy their molds!
Sounds like these might end up being custom jobs. Which is just as well; DRAW Decal has all of the decals available except the CO 733 (which they could easily do) and the RC final colors MD-80. And I have leads on a couple of custom painters now.
JJ Skippy
Well-known member
I took a look at GJ’s 2024 releases (excluding their upcoming December announcement) and this is what I found:
- January: Aviatsa 737-200, Delta 757 Widget
- April: Everts Air Cargo MD-80
- May: Eastern Express Saab 340, Guradia Nacional Boeing 727-200*
- July: Delta MD-88 Deltaflot, Reno Air MD-90, Delta Boeing 767-400 Deltaflot
- August: Emirates Airbus A310-300
- September: Delta MD-90 Deltaflot, United Boeing 757-200 Saul Bass
- October: Delta Connection CRJ-900 Deltaflot
- November: American Eagle Dash 8-100**
*aircraft is still active
**wears airline’s current livery but type is retired
In all we have had 4 MD-80/MD-90s (on pace with last year’s number) and a good handful of classics in the majority of releases this year. Reminder this is just 1:400 scale, stuff like the Western 727 Bud Lite and Conquest Air C-131 in 1:200 have only been done in the larger scale!
YesterAirlines
Well-known member
Yeah well I wouldn't class the Aviatsa 737-200, Everts MD-80, Mexican 727, Deltaflot 767-400, MD-88, MD-90, CRJ-900 or the Eagle DHC-8 as classic. Classic isn't aircraft type it is the airline/aircraft combination in my view and those are all post-2000. So that leaves 2 757s (both of questionable quality), the Reno MD-90, Saab and EK A300 (of very questionable quality) as the only classic releases in an entire year. 5 out of around 120 models.
Combining the numbers for MD-80s and 90s is also a bit cheeky. Gemini have made 10 MD-80s in the past 4 years - and two of them are very modern with two of the others being in the 2000s! So that is 6 classic Mad Dog 80s in 4 years. Whoppy doo!
Fundamentally Gemini don't make many classics and if you're looking for MD-80s from them in any volume (or relatively obscure ones for them like Republic) you're probably looking in the wrong place. And that's before we look too deeply at the failings of the mould they're using.
They may squek out 2 or 3 MD-80s next year if you're lucky but since they made zero in 2022 they may not as well.
JJ Skippy
Well-known member
Classic aircraft in my books are of a wider definition. Mostly aircraft that aren’t active anymore are what fit into my rules for such terms, so while it’s a stretch to call the AA Dash 8 a classic it has been a few years since their retirement.
Honestly I have more confidence in Gemini making another Mad Dog than NG, given what the latter has done this year. I could care less about the shortcomings of the JC/GJ mould — your reviews make them known inside and out to readers and frankly I’m just looking to pile up on those Mad Dogs, be it stuff from the 2000s or actual (in your books) classics.
YesterAirlines
Well-known member
By that definition there are classic 737MAX, A320neo, A350s and 787s, which makes no sense to me.
Don't get me wrong I'll buy the GJ MD-80 if the material is correct and I agree NG have been rubbish this year, but assuming NG don't go out of business I'd still bet they make more MD-80s in 2025 than Gemini do. Whether they are good selections is another matter altogether!
What if NG does go out of business and another company (like Panda) picks up the molds?
planes_on_a_shelf
Well-known member
NG's not going out of business afaik. They've got sizeable contracts - Hainan, CUA, CZ, Comac - these are the ones I'm aware of - so yeah they're gonna be around pretty much lol
swagninja84
Active member
Using your own definition.
The Delta 767-400 and CRJ-900, Everts MD-80 are not classics as all of those aircraft are still flying.
LeoMuse747
Well-known member
Sooo a Delta B777-200LR or LATAM A350 would be considered classics? Not at all...
danwashere
Active member
Alright, I stand corrected. But still, I would be worried about making a COA exclusive and then JC or GJ killing your thunder with a release of theirs. It is Continental after all, not your typical obscure airline whose only shot at being released is via an exclusive. Maybe we can see if Altitude Models are interested. They did commission a United A321neo from Panda.
I'm just getting started and that alone was a sizable investment. How about you guys get yourself a Christmas present from my store
Yeah they did the United A320 and I only have a handful left those went fast!
I dont even know if Altitude is running anymore as they guy running it got busy
Purpleplane
Well-known member
In my humble opionon..classic airliners are the Boeing 707, 727, 1st and 2nd generation 737s, 747-100 thru 300, 757, 767....DC-8, DC-9, DC-10. Pretty much everything that was built prior to 1990.
planes_on_a_shelf
Well-known member
If the aircraft type would have been introduced commercially before 1990,
That'll make the A320ceos classics as well (strange, no?)
With the 744 & 333 borderline classics. Which is a stretch I'd think
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planes_on_a_shelf
Well-known member
Although, I would really like to propose a broad definition of the 'classic' based on whether it's launch variant was full FBW ('fly-by-wire') or not.
That'll make a clear distinction between Concorde, VC-10s, L-1011s, A300s etc that had partial FBW, and thus are legitimate classics
And so the A320-100, the first full FBW commercial aircraft, could legitimately be called the first 'modern' airliner.
That'll make a clear distinction between Concorde, VC-10s, L-1011s, A300s etc that had partial FBW, and thus are legitimate classics
And so the A320-100, the first full FBW commercial aircraft, could legitimately be called the first 'modern' airliner.
LeoMuse747
Well-known member
You guys are going totally offtopic (myself included in my previous post, I assume my blame)
