Model Review - American Airlines Boeing 767-200 by NG Models

[YesterAirlines]

Two reviews in a week is rather spoiling everyone but the AA 767 arrived on Monday and was too deserving not to get a look in. I have been satisfied for years with my Gemini version but this new NG one is an upgrade, albeit one that isn't faultless.

American Airlines | Boeing 767-223 | N313AA | NG Models

I have owned an American Airlines 767-200 made by Gemini Jets in 2005 for well over a decade, and recently resisted buying the new Aeroclassics edition because I didn't think that it offered an upgrade. The first NG 767s announced in June are now hitting

www.yesterdaysairlines.com

 

[aviation456]

I still think that the Panda version of the 767 has the best cockpit shape printed on. When looking at it, it just looks spot on, but something on the NG looks off. Perhaps that's to do with the silver outlining or perhaps the angle of the side windows?

I am referring to the panda 764 here as, obviously, the shape of the cockpit windows remains constant throughout the 767 family.

 

[Phantom]

Waiting for mine to arrive (usually two weeks late..)

Looks fairly good, my only major critic would be the engines. The hot section is just off. Come on NG?!

Regarding the slightly high cheatline:
Often there's reason to be found in the mould (either wrong nose shape, tail or whatever determines cheatline positions) - here the cheatline is ok around the nose which tells me the nose is the issue (unless the cheatline is printed crooked)
As the high cheatline leaves more space between it and the wing upperside, I'm amazed NG missed another printing detail here: The wing-to-body fairing is only grey where it is composite. The section just above the wing would need to be bare, not grey - at least on the usual AA 767. I know there were a few after repaints, but the pics of 313 suggest they were still bare in its late service years.

Oh and I fully agree on the dome. Why is it so hard to release a model as it was delivered in the 1980's? Year of the classics?

 

[YesterAirlines]

I'd argue the cheatline curves down a little at the nose. I don't think it is a mould issue.

Section above the wing looks grey to me unless I'm misunderstanding:

 

[Phantom]

Then might really be just a printer issue.

Yes, that section above the wing. Reflections on the bare metal skin make it tricky to be seen in many images.
There's an image on A.net showing 313 in its late service life. And here's 313 in earlier years without any reflections:
N313AA Boeing 767-223 American Airlines, Boston - Logan International - USA, August 1990. by Andrew Thomas, auf Flickr

 

[YesterAirlines]

Then might really be just a printer issue.

Yes, that section above the wing. Reflections on the bare metal skin make it tricky to be seen in many images.
There's an image on A.net showing 313 in its late service life. And here's 313 in earlier years without any reflections:
N313AA Boeing 767-223 American Airlines, Boston - Logan International - USA, August 1990. by Andrew Thomas, auf Flickr

Interesting. I was unaware of this. So where Gemini when they made the original 762 I own and, less surprisingly, so where Aeroclassics in January with theirs.

 

[Phantom]

Interesting. I was unaware of this. So where Gemini when they made the original 762 I own and, less surprisingly, so where Aeroclassics in January with theirs.

There seem to be certain details that are commonly ignored throughout all makers - yet at the same time they usually get this very same technical detail correct on the 747s.
Speaking of 747s, erroneous wing colors on 747s is another common sight shared by all manufacturers. The only manufacturer to ever catch such - "I'm not a standard light grey wing" - detail was DW in the past century.

Admited, the detail on the AA is hard to catch on the 767. Here's a good angle of a sistership:
American Airlines Boeing 767-200; N319AA@JFK;25.12.2013/734ai by Aero Icarus, auf Flickr

 

[Phantom]

Oh, kudos to PHX. They actually got this detail on their AA 763.

 

[Mikeymag]

Here is the GJ American 762 N320AA from 2013.

 

[B767Avia]

Waiting for mine to arrive (usually two weeks late..)

Looks fairly good, my only major critic would be the engines. The hot section is just off. Come on NG?!

Regarding the slightly high cheatline:
Often there's reason to be found in the mould (either wrong nose shape, tail or whatever determines cheatline positions) - here the cheatline is ok around the nose which tells me the nose is the issue (unless the cheatline is printed crooked)
As the high cheatline leaves more space between it and the wing upperside, I'm amazed NG missed another printing detail here: The wing-to-body fairing is only grey where it is composite. The section just above the wing would need to be bare, not grey - at least on the usual AA 767. I know there were a few after repaints, but the pics of 313 suggest they were still bare in its late service years.

Oh and I fully agree on the dome. Why is it so hard to release a model as it was delivered in the 1980's? Year of the classics?

They've made the same mistake with the Delta. 173 should be completely bare on the overwing but they painted it silver. The escape arrows are wrong too. 174 has the correct arrows and colors. Both have the less-detailed cockpit windows (the ones you'd find in the samples, not official releases), but it is what it is.

Getting 174, at least they got one right.

 

[YesterAirlines]

There seem to be certain details that are commonly ignored throughout all makers - yet at the same time they usually get this very same technical detail correct on the 747s.
Speaking of 747s, erroneous wing colors on 747s is another common sight shared by all manufacturers. The only manufacturer to ever catch such - "I'm not a standard light grey wing" - detail was DW in the past century.

Admited, the detail on the AA is hard to catch on the 767. Here's a good angle of a sistership:
American Airlines Boeing 767-200; N319AA@JFK;25.12.2013/734ai by Aero Icarus, auf Flickr

Thanks for this insight. I've amended my review to include it and docked an extra point.

 

[Purpleplane]

Great review Richard. I was considering upgrading my old Gemini American 767-200, but the wifi dome on the NG rules that out for me, as I prefer the way it appeared in the 80's....as it fits my IND retro airport.

 

[YesterAirlines]

Great review Richard. I was considering upgrading my old Gemini American 767-200, but the wifi dome on the NG rules that out for me, as I prefer the way it appeared in the 80's....as it fits my IND retro airport.

Yeah there have been a few models that have done this kind of thing and annoyed me. It happens a lot when website addresses have been added in the second-half of careers of aircraft that arrived in the 80s and 90s. The manufacturer goes and makes the version that flew for the last 5 years of its life. Frustrating and shows a lack of research

 

[Purpleplane]

Yeah there have been a few models that have done this kind of thing and annoyed me. It happens a lot when website addresses have been added in the second-half of careers of aircraft that arrived in the 80s and 90s. The manufacturer goes and makes the version that flew for the last 5 years of its life. Frustrating and shows a lack of research

Yes, that is very frustrating. I'd really like to see more more models appearing as they did when delivered, or perhaps a few years into it's service life.

 

[josecolme]

I'd argue the cheatline curves down a little at the nose. I don't think it is a mould issue.

Section above the wing looks grey to me unless I'm misunderstanding:

View attachment 31993

I would say it is a mould issue actually. Seen it with many models that have a cheatline that goes both straight through the nose and through the windowline ending with a meeting with the rear cockpit windshield. If they lowered the printed window line, the blue line wouldn't meet the windshield. But they can't lower the windshield either because of where the radome ends. If the nose itself was minutely pointer by ending the curve a little lower, then the windshield could be printed lower and the window line also would be lower. I've seen this happen a lot on A300 and A310 models. Though in several American Airlines planes in real life, the cheatline would minutely alter course a bit before the windshield to match properly. Not on the 767 though.

 

[Phantom]

I know what you mean but that KLM 310 strongly looks like a victim of a goofed printe setup (fuselage jig, starboard) and not a mould issue.

 

[SIGWX]

I also wanna add that the box came saran-wrapped. Really putting the Luxury in Luxury Liner.

 

[josecolme]

I know what you mean but that KLM 310 strongly looks like a victim of a goofed printe setup (fuselage jig, starboard) and not a mould issue.

True true its a bit exaggerated but it explains the point

 

[Mikeymag]

I also wanna add that the box came saran-wrapped. Really putting the Luxury in Luxury Liner. View attachment 32005View attachment 32006

My plane arrived that way too.

 

[LiveryCollector]

My plane arrived that way too.

Same here. It looks like the new packaging standard from NG. However, I find it pretty annoying as I always go to check the model out in person. Now you have to remove the foil first to be able to see a model that you are interested in.