JJ Skippy
Well-known member
Southwest Airlines in the hobby has been a very popular airline to collect. From the Canyon Blue and Heart liveries that pop to the Mustard livery that rocks, and the state liveries in between, there’s plenty on offer for the Southwest collector. Here’s a look at the models in 1:400 scale.
Southwest’s History
Southwest was founded in 1967 as Air Southwest, planning to fly within the state of Texas to avoid tight regulations at the time. This business model was similar to California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines. After several years of legal battles, Southwest Airlines began flying in 1971 between Dallas Love Field and Houston Intercontinental on the Boeing 737-200.
Southwest’s original livery on a 737-200 (N21SW). After a few years in service, the SOUTHWEST titles were moved to the tail.
As the years passed, Southwest grew within Texas and remained profitable. They also operated several leased 727-200s from Braniff and PEOPLExpress through the late 70s to the mid 80s. Then came the Wright Amendment, made in response to Southwest refusing to move out of Love Field and the worry that flights from DFW would be drawn to DAL. As such, flights out of Love Field could not go beyond the state of Texas and its adjacent states (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma). While Southwest was not affected immediately by the amendment, Love Field did not see any other airline traffic with everyone else going to the much larger DFW. Over time, the boundaries were expanded, and eventually the law was repealed completely in 2014.
Southwest added the Boeing 737-300 in 1984 and acquired Muse Air in 1985. They sold those assets to Frank Lorenzo a couple years later. Their first 737-700 was delivered in 1997. Southwest didn’t have a major incident until 2000 when a 737-300 overran the runway in Burbank and slid to a stop next to a gas station; some passengers sustained injuries. In 2001, Southwest introduced a major rebranding for their aircraft, dubbed the Canyon Blue livery. This remained the standard livery for another decade.
A Canyon Blue livery 737-700 landing in Minneapolis. This was Southwest’s primary livery from 2001 to 2014. The livery was retired in 2024, with N872CB now serving as a heritage aircraft.
Southwest acquired AirTran Airways in 2010, and their 737-700s were integrated into Southwest’s fleet. Their 717s were leased to Delta Air Lines. By 2012, Southwest was flying the larger 737-800 and began phasing out the older 737 Classics. Southwest introduced the current Heart livery in 2014 on a 737-800, dubbed Heart One. The -500s were retired in 2016 with the -300s following suit the next year. Today, Southwest operates over 800 737s with 500 more MAXs on order. They plan on retiring the 737NGs by the end of the decade.
In recent years, their image has taken a hit following an operations meltdown in 2022 and Elliott Investment Management aggressively took over Southwest in 2024, causing widespread changes to the airline’s operations.
A Heart livery 737-700 landing at Chicago O’Hare. Southwest started flying to ORD in 2021 and currently has 9 destinations.
The Models
As of October 2025, 126 Southwest models exist in 1:400 scale. I will spilt this up into two sections, covering the standard liveries (including small stickers) and then the specials.
Standard livery
The first Southwest models were produced by Gemini Jets, both in 2001. They started with the Mustard -200 (N93SW) and a Canyon Blue -700 (N795SW). Also in 2001 were a couple Dragon Wings releases, including The Nolan Ryan Express (N742SW) and another Mustard (N739GB). Hera released a Canyon Blue -700 in April 2002 (N794SW). Two years passed before a 737-500 (N504SW) was released in Mustard colors by Gemini Jets. With the winglets being added across the fleet by this time, Gemini Jets also released a Canyon Blue -700 with winglets (N445WN) in early 2005, and again in 2006 (N477WN). A real throwback was produced in 2009 with an Aeroclassics 727-200 (N406BN), one of the leased Braniff aircraft. Also this year was another -300 (N330SW).
Heading into the 2010s, Gemini Jets began to dominate the Southwest landscape. Another -500 (N514SW) was released in 2011, this time with Canton Blue colors. Southwest’s first 737-800 (N8301J), dubbed Warrior One, was released one year later. They also produced Warrior Two (N8302J) a couple months later. Aeroclassics produced a Mustard -300 (N303SW) sometime in 2013, and followed that up with a Canyon Blue -300 (N688SW). They were also the first to release a Heart livery model, that being a -700 (N708SW) in 2014. Their 500th 737 (N281WN) also got made by Aeroclassics. The last standard Canyon Blue release from Gemini Jets followed not long after on a -700 (N478WN).
A new Mustard -700 with winglets (N792SW) was released in the fall of 2014 by Aeroclassics. Gemini Jets took their first dive into the Heart livery with a -700 release, the same reg as the Aeroclassics. Also in the same release was a Canyon Blue -300 (N394SW). Heart One (N8642E) took over a year from its debut to be released. In 2016, the Fred J. Jones (N96SW) was released by Aeroclassics. This airframe is notable for being the only 737-200 to wear the Canyon Blue livery. As Southwest introduced the MAX 8 to their fleet, Gemini Jets was first to the market with N8705Q in September 2017. Aeroclassics responded by producing several registrations the next year (N8702L, N8706W, N8710M, N8717M, N8719M, N8727M). 8706 got a Gemini Jets release in 2018.
Mustard planes returned to release lineups in 2019 as Aeroclassics produced a PEOPLExpress-leased 727-200 (N564PE) and a couple 737-200s (N53SW, N63SW). The original livery, featuring full Southwest Airlines titles (N21SW), was finally made this year as well. NG Models produced their first Southwest example in November 2019, an -800 Heart (N8686A). A few months later was a Canyon Blue -800 (N8627B) then another in August 2020 (N8650F). Panda Models joined the scene in 2021 with a Heart -700 (N950WN), and an RM Model Store exclusive that featured the spilts (N963WN). A second RM exclusive was released (N7855A) a few months later. NG produced a Canyon Blue -700 spilts (N252WN) around the same time. Panda produced another exclusive for Prairie Diecast, a Mustard -700 (N724SW) the same time Gemini Jets released their third MAX 8 (N8730Q).
In 2022, Panda produced a Mustard -300 (N654SW), and NG released a couple Heart -800s (N8541W, N8565Z) and a couple Canyon Blue -700s (N957WN, N251WN). Panda then released the Heart Two aircraft (N8645A) in 2023. Phoenix was a surprise appearance in the Southwest scene right after with the 1000th 737 sticker (N8885Q). NG produced their first MAXes with N8859Q, a -8 variant, then a -7 with N7203U. Gemini Jets produced their first 727-200 of Southwest in December 2023, the same reg Aeroclassics made fourteen years earlier. It was also during this time that NG went on a Southwest spree. Another three Heart -700s (N221WN, N269WN, N410WN) and MAX 7 (N7207Z) were released in 2023 and 2024. Currently, the latest standard Southwest model is a Heart -700 with spilts (N943WN) by Gemini Jets.
Southwest’s History
Southwest was founded in 1967 as Air Southwest, planning to fly within the state of Texas to avoid tight regulations at the time. This business model was similar to California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines. After several years of legal battles, Southwest Airlines began flying in 1971 between Dallas Love Field and Houston Intercontinental on the Boeing 737-200.
Southwest’s original livery on a 737-200 (N21SW). After a few years in service, the SOUTHWEST titles were moved to the tail.
As the years passed, Southwest grew within Texas and remained profitable. They also operated several leased 727-200s from Braniff and PEOPLExpress through the late 70s to the mid 80s. Then came the Wright Amendment, made in response to Southwest refusing to move out of Love Field and the worry that flights from DFW would be drawn to DAL. As such, flights out of Love Field could not go beyond the state of Texas and its adjacent states (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma). While Southwest was not affected immediately by the amendment, Love Field did not see any other airline traffic with everyone else going to the much larger DFW. Over time, the boundaries were expanded, and eventually the law was repealed completely in 2014.
Southwest added the Boeing 737-300 in 1984 and acquired Muse Air in 1985. They sold those assets to Frank Lorenzo a couple years later. Their first 737-700 was delivered in 1997. Southwest didn’t have a major incident until 2000 when a 737-300 overran the runway in Burbank and slid to a stop next to a gas station; some passengers sustained injuries. In 2001, Southwest introduced a major rebranding for their aircraft, dubbed the Canyon Blue livery. This remained the standard livery for another decade.
A Canyon Blue livery 737-700 landing in Minneapolis. This was Southwest’s primary livery from 2001 to 2014. The livery was retired in 2024, with N872CB now serving as a heritage aircraft.
Southwest acquired AirTran Airways in 2010, and their 737-700s were integrated into Southwest’s fleet. Their 717s were leased to Delta Air Lines. By 2012, Southwest was flying the larger 737-800 and began phasing out the older 737 Classics. Southwest introduced the current Heart livery in 2014 on a 737-800, dubbed Heart One. The -500s were retired in 2016 with the -300s following suit the next year. Today, Southwest operates over 800 737s with 500 more MAXs on order. They plan on retiring the 737NGs by the end of the decade.
In recent years, their image has taken a hit following an operations meltdown in 2022 and Elliott Investment Management aggressively took over Southwest in 2024, causing widespread changes to the airline’s operations.
A Heart livery 737-700 landing at Chicago O’Hare. Southwest started flying to ORD in 2021 and currently has 9 destinations.
The Models
As of October 2025, 126 Southwest models exist in 1:400 scale. I will spilt this up into two sections, covering the standard liveries (including small stickers) and then the specials.
Standard livery
The first Southwest models were produced by Gemini Jets, both in 2001. They started with the Mustard -200 (N93SW) and a Canyon Blue -700 (N795SW). Also in 2001 were a couple Dragon Wings releases, including The Nolan Ryan Express (N742SW) and another Mustard (N739GB). Hera released a Canyon Blue -700 in April 2002 (N794SW). Two years passed before a 737-500 (N504SW) was released in Mustard colors by Gemini Jets. With the winglets being added across the fleet by this time, Gemini Jets also released a Canyon Blue -700 with winglets (N445WN) in early 2005, and again in 2006 (N477WN). A real throwback was produced in 2009 with an Aeroclassics 727-200 (N406BN), one of the leased Braniff aircraft. Also this year was another -300 (N330SW).
Heading into the 2010s, Gemini Jets began to dominate the Southwest landscape. Another -500 (N514SW) was released in 2011, this time with Canton Blue colors. Southwest’s first 737-800 (N8301J), dubbed Warrior One, was released one year later. They also produced Warrior Two (N8302J) a couple months later. Aeroclassics produced a Mustard -300 (N303SW) sometime in 2013, and followed that up with a Canyon Blue -300 (N688SW). They were also the first to release a Heart livery model, that being a -700 (N708SW) in 2014. Their 500th 737 (N281WN) also got made by Aeroclassics. The last standard Canyon Blue release from Gemini Jets followed not long after on a -700 (N478WN).
A new Mustard -700 with winglets (N792SW) was released in the fall of 2014 by Aeroclassics. Gemini Jets took their first dive into the Heart livery with a -700 release, the same reg as the Aeroclassics. Also in the same release was a Canyon Blue -300 (N394SW). Heart One (N8642E) took over a year from its debut to be released. In 2016, the Fred J. Jones (N96SW) was released by Aeroclassics. This airframe is notable for being the only 737-200 to wear the Canyon Blue livery. As Southwest introduced the MAX 8 to their fleet, Gemini Jets was first to the market with N8705Q in September 2017. Aeroclassics responded by producing several registrations the next year (N8702L, N8706W, N8710M, N8717M, N8719M, N8727M). 8706 got a Gemini Jets release in 2018.
Mustard planes returned to release lineups in 2019 as Aeroclassics produced a PEOPLExpress-leased 727-200 (N564PE) and a couple 737-200s (N53SW, N63SW). The original livery, featuring full Southwest Airlines titles (N21SW), was finally made this year as well. NG Models produced their first Southwest example in November 2019, an -800 Heart (N8686A). A few months later was a Canyon Blue -800 (N8627B) then another in August 2020 (N8650F). Panda Models joined the scene in 2021 with a Heart -700 (N950WN), and an RM Model Store exclusive that featured the spilts (N963WN). A second RM exclusive was released (N7855A) a few months later. NG produced a Canyon Blue -700 spilts (N252WN) around the same time. Panda produced another exclusive for Prairie Diecast, a Mustard -700 (N724SW) the same time Gemini Jets released their third MAX 8 (N8730Q).
In 2022, Panda produced a Mustard -300 (N654SW), and NG released a couple Heart -800s (N8541W, N8565Z) and a couple Canyon Blue -700s (N957WN, N251WN). Panda then released the Heart Two aircraft (N8645A) in 2023. Phoenix was a surprise appearance in the Southwest scene right after with the 1000th 737 sticker (N8885Q). NG produced their first MAXes with N8859Q, a -8 variant, then a -7 with N7203U. Gemini Jets produced their first 727-200 of Southwest in December 2023, the same reg Aeroclassics made fourteen years earlier. It was also during this time that NG went on a Southwest spree. Another three Heart -700s (N221WN, N269WN, N410WN) and MAX 7 (N7207Z) were released in 2023 and 2024. Currently, the latest standard Southwest model is a Heart -700 with spilts (N943WN) by Gemini Jets.
