Panda vs. NG: the better Achim?

[Phantom]

Both Panda and NG did a model of Condor's retro 767-300ER D-ABUM "Achim" and I used the chance to compare both product side by side.
I have a clear favourite but leave it up to you to decide.
Enjoy the pics.

NG on top, below the Panda for the following pics:

The tail and winglet up close

Front section, engines, gears...

Front view

Panda to the right:

Top view
NG to the top left

And bottom
NG again top left

 

[MIAv8Diecast]

Both Panda and NG did a model of Condor's retro 767-330ER D-ABUM "Achim" and I used the chance to compare both product side by side.
I have a clear favourite but leave it up to you to decide.
Enjoy the pics.

NG on top, below the Panda for the following pics:

The tail and winglet up close

Front section, engines, gears...

Front view

Panda to the right:

Top view
NG to the top left

And bottom
NG again top left

If NG actually used 767 winglets instead of 757 winglets I could live with both…

 

[bakejobb_23]

comparison photos are fantastic! Which color on the tail is correct? NGs is much darker and Pandas more vibrant.

 

[Aircrafter93]

Panda, without a doubt. But it’s not without its faults. The engine and pylons for the GE engines are off.

 

[Phantom]

Which color on the tail is correct?

NG's is roughly matching the yellow on their LH retro 748 (v2) which is a good approach however is slightly on the red/dark side IMO. So I'd say the Panda has a more realistic feel here.

However, always keep in mind that it makes a big difference what you compare to: images of the real thing or actual color swatches - the latter can turn out a lot darker than what the eyes are used to seeing in jpegs.

 

[LeoMuse747]

Panda wins for me. Both are nice, though. It's an interesting battle.

NG is nice, but the thin winglets are definitely a drawback.
The nose gear angle is also more correct on the Panda version, although this could be a case of poor QC by NG (nose gear poorly fitted in position).

On the other hand...
NG have more detailed wheelhubs.
The grey area of the center fuel tank seems to be correct in the NG version and incorrect in the Panda version.
Check the grey area above the wing on the real plane:

 

[BubblesAviation]

Both Panda and NG did a model of Condor's retro 767-330ER D-ABUM "Achim" and I used the chance to compare both product side by side.
I have a clear favourite but leave it up to you to decide.
Enjoy the pics.

NG on top, below the Panda for the following pics:

The tail and winglet up close

Front section, engines, gears...

Front view

Panda to the right:

Top view
NG to the top left

And bottom
NG again top left

Panda 100%

Is it just me, or are NG’s “Condor” text stretched horizontally?

 

[Jazajia]

Panda. Obviously.

 

[planes_on_a_shelf]

the comparison we've been waiting for!

D-ABUM was my very first NG CRP wish - so yeah I 'had' to get it - even though I already own the Panda version.

NG needs to fix those winglets - and their botchy printing on those (the logo is about to slide off into space) - as well as the usual engine logo printed in the wrong place.
Panda's engines need fixing - and there's a visible casting joint (?) that runs along the centre of the hot section.
Panda also seems to have correctly printed the darker grey section on the wing leading edge at the pylon junction?
NG's gear struts and tyre hubs are far more detailed.
The details on the doors also differ.
There's so much to discuss with these photos - gosh!

Mould wise - this is as close as it gets! It's good to see this level of competition - but both manufacturers really need to use them more often.

The tail logo position differs as well - which one's more accurate? Let's look at that now

 

[Battlecry]

The Panda rendition is superior. Not only because of a more accurate mould, but because the NG has a glaring printing issue: the windowline is printed too high. That's the first thing that stuck out to me when I looked at them side by side.

 

[planes_on_a_shelf]

The Panda rendition is superior. Not only because of a more accurate mould, but because the NG has a glaring printing issue: the windowline is printed too high. That's the first thing that stuck out to me when I looked at them side by side.

Yep. And perhaps as a consequence, the titles are squeezed

 

[Purpleplane]

The Panda rendition is superior. Not only because of a more accurate mould, but because the NG has a glaring printing issue: the windowline is printed too high. That's the first thing that stuck out to me when I looked at them side by side.

Yes, the NG window line is definitely too high and very noticable, much like Panda's 737-700s for example.
This comparison of the Panda and Gemini Southwest N943WN California One shows it well. Upper photo is the Gemini model, lower one is Panda,


Right side, GJ on top, Panda below.

 

[Battlecry]

Yes, the NG window line is definitely too high and very noticable, much like Panda's 737-700s for example.
This comparison of the Panda and Gemini Southwest N943WN California One shows it well. Upper photo is the Gemini model, lower one is Panda,
View attachment 67930
View attachment 67932
Right side, GJ on top, Panda below.
View attachment 67931
View attachment 67933

Panda Models has this issue too; one of their SAS A340s I acquired years ago has the issue. But it's a consistent issue with NG A330s, 767s, and even A320s (like on their Air France releases).

I'd like for manufacturers to take more care with print accuracy, especially cockpit window sizing, positioning and windowline height; as this really impacts the look of the model.

 

[planes_on_a_shelf]

But it's a consistent issue with NG A330s,

I won't say consistent - but it does keep happening

 

[Phantom]

Yep. And perhaps as a consequence, the titles are squeezed

Yes, that's pretty annoying. I initially thought that's due to the nose being slightly off on the NG forcing both cockpit and cheatline too far up, but the moulds are actually almost identical around the nose with a slight edge for the Panda.
What NG however did was printing the cheatline crooked. If you look close at the side-on comparison, you can see how it curves down from the Condor titles to the radome. Panda has it perfectly straight. I wonder how the titles got squeezed on the NG? Did they realize their cheatline error late and re-printed the titles "squeezed" on purpose in order to position them ok?
The engines are interesting. Panda has the fan cowl smaller than NG but the hot section cowl larger. While Panda's aren't great, especially the pylons, NG's engine/pylon assembly just doesn't look good at all. Wonder what's up with NG in recent years.
No clear winner on the details. While there's more details and attention to detail on the NG and some printing details are crisper ("Achim"), others again are much better on the Panda like the window frames.
NG has one glaring artwork error on their model though: the tail logo is the current one. Achim of course had the old logo.

Anyways, both moulds sure are the top 2 763 moulds currently available and even though the Panda is the winner in my book the NG certainly isn't a bad model (the crooked cheatline would be that only real let down for me)

Here's a bonus shot, tail to tail:
(edit: note to self... edit those cruel red CA's next time)

 

[keji833]

IMO Panda is much superior, NG's wing angle looks very off on the 767s