JJ Skippy
Well-known member
Minneapolis was always known for its roots with Northwest, and today for Delta and their large operations, but there is another airline, a low-cost one at that, that has its home in the Twin Cities. Let’s look at Sun Country Airlines and the models that exist in 1:400 scale.
Sun Country’s History
Sun Country started operations in 1983 with its first flight on a 727 between Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Las Vegas. The airline was founded by many former Braniff pilots and flight attendants in the summer of 1982, mere weeks after Braniff ceased operations.
Sun Country’s very first jet and livery on N275AF, a 727-200 leased from Air Florida. I suggested this model to Aeroclassics a long time ago, but it has yet to see the light of day.
Sun Country saw decent growth through the rest of the 1980s and 90s. While Sun Country started as a charter airline, they began regularly scheduled flights out of Minneapolis to major U.S. cities and even a few international cities. At the turn of the millennium, however, they shut down due to financial troubles.
2002 saw Sun Country’s return to the skies. A new livery and new aircraft type signified a new era for the airline as they transitioned to the 737. Prior to 2001, they flew the 727-200 and DC-10. Following a second bankruptcy filing in 2008, Sun Country has seen more positive growth, introducing a new livery in 2018 and a partnership with Amazon Prime Air starting in 2019, where they operate several 737-800 freighters for them.
Today, Sun Country operates over 60 airplanes, including 19 737-800 freighters for Amazon Prime Air. They fly to over 170 destinations, most of them seasonally, and operate a number of charter services for sports teams, U.S. Armed Forces, and other private companies.
A Sun Country Boeing 737-800 in the blue livery landing in Minneapolis. Much of the fleet has been repainted into the Tide Pod livery, which features an orange and white design.
The Models
As of October 2025, 15 Sun Country models have been released. The first release was Sun Country’s first 737-800 (N800SY) in 2001 by Gemini Jets. This airframe now flies with Enter Air out of Poland as SP-ENX. The next year, Gemini Jets released a DC-10-10 (N154SY) with the previous branding, which also got a Schuco release.
A full decade passed before the next Sun Country release, that being another 737-800 from Gemini Jets (N809SY). That registration will come back later. Five more years passed before Aeroclassics released a DC-10-10 (N572SC) featuring an older livery than the one GJ did.
The Sun Country Douglas DC-10 Aeroclassics chose to release. She started her career with Western as N908WA before going to Delta, Scanair, American, Sun Country, Ryan International, and ending with Skyservice USA in 1999. She was scrapped in 2005.
When NG Models came onto the scene, collectors begged for some great releases, and they released one 737-800 in November 2019 (N804SY). I vividly remember seeing this release for the first time; it was my first real exposure with the brand. A few months later, they released the new Tide Pod livery (N830SY). Then it was Aeroclassics’ turn with a 727-200 (N293US) featuring the same older livery as their DC-10.
2022 was a memorable year for Sun Country releases. It started in April with a Transavia hybrid by NG (PH-HXB), then a Panda Models Tide Pod with spilts (N842SY) in May that was released through Waffle Collectibles, then in October and December we got two more 737-700s from NG; N713SY with the modified blue livery and N714SY with the original blue livery. Also sprinkled in was another Panda -700 (N716SY). Gemini Jets did their first Sun Country plane since the 2012 release with N842SY, featuring the 40 Years of Flight sticker, in 2023.
Since then, it’s been pretty quiet, but if you remember N809SY, the Gemini Jets 2012 release, it was repainted with a special Minnesota Golden Gophers livery earlier this year. NG Models released this in August 2025 to much fanfare from the Sun Country fans.
The NG Models Sun Country Boeing 737-800 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers livery. This is the airline’s first ever special livery; why there hasn’t been more is baffling, in my opinion.
And that’s the full history of Sun Country Airlines, both in real life and 1:400 scale! What models do you have of this airline?
Sun Country’s History
Sun Country started operations in 1983 with its first flight on a 727 between Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Las Vegas. The airline was founded by many former Braniff pilots and flight attendants in the summer of 1982, mere weeks after Braniff ceased operations.
Sun Country’s very first jet and livery on N275AF, a 727-200 leased from Air Florida. I suggested this model to Aeroclassics a long time ago, but it has yet to see the light of day.
Sun Country saw decent growth through the rest of the 1980s and 90s. While Sun Country started as a charter airline, they began regularly scheduled flights out of Minneapolis to major U.S. cities and even a few international cities. At the turn of the millennium, however, they shut down due to financial troubles.
2002 saw Sun Country’s return to the skies. A new livery and new aircraft type signified a new era for the airline as they transitioned to the 737. Prior to 2001, they flew the 727-200 and DC-10. Following a second bankruptcy filing in 2008, Sun Country has seen more positive growth, introducing a new livery in 2018 and a partnership with Amazon Prime Air starting in 2019, where they operate several 737-800 freighters for them.
Today, Sun Country operates over 60 airplanes, including 19 737-800 freighters for Amazon Prime Air. They fly to over 170 destinations, most of them seasonally, and operate a number of charter services for sports teams, U.S. Armed Forces, and other private companies.
A Sun Country Boeing 737-800 in the blue livery landing in Minneapolis. Much of the fleet has been repainted into the Tide Pod livery, which features an orange and white design.
The Models
As of October 2025, 15 Sun Country models have been released. The first release was Sun Country’s first 737-800 (N800SY) in 2001 by Gemini Jets. This airframe now flies with Enter Air out of Poland as SP-ENX. The next year, Gemini Jets released a DC-10-10 (N154SY) with the previous branding, which also got a Schuco release.
A full decade passed before the next Sun Country release, that being another 737-800 from Gemini Jets (N809SY). That registration will come back later. Five more years passed before Aeroclassics released a DC-10-10 (N572SC) featuring an older livery than the one GJ did.
The Sun Country Douglas DC-10 Aeroclassics chose to release. She started her career with Western as N908WA before going to Delta, Scanair, American, Sun Country, Ryan International, and ending with Skyservice USA in 1999. She was scrapped in 2005.
When NG Models came onto the scene, collectors begged for some great releases, and they released one 737-800 in November 2019 (N804SY). I vividly remember seeing this release for the first time; it was my first real exposure with the brand. A few months later, they released the new Tide Pod livery (N830SY). Then it was Aeroclassics’ turn with a 727-200 (N293US) featuring the same older livery as their DC-10.
2022 was a memorable year for Sun Country releases. It started in April with a Transavia hybrid by NG (PH-HXB), then a Panda Models Tide Pod with spilts (N842SY) in May that was released through Waffle Collectibles, then in October and December we got two more 737-700s from NG; N713SY with the modified blue livery and N714SY with the original blue livery. Also sprinkled in was another Panda -700 (N716SY). Gemini Jets did their first Sun Country plane since the 2012 release with N842SY, featuring the 40 Years of Flight sticker, in 2023.
Since then, it’s been pretty quiet, but if you remember N809SY, the Gemini Jets 2012 release, it was repainted with a special Minnesota Golden Gophers livery earlier this year. NG Models released this in August 2025 to much fanfare from the Sun Country fans.
The NG Models Sun Country Boeing 737-800 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers livery. This is the airline’s first ever special livery; why there hasn’t been more is baffling, in my opinion.
And that’s the full history of Sun Country Airlines, both in real life and 1:400 scale! What models do you have of this airline?
