Perennial Question - What is Your Rarest 1:400 Model in Your Collection?

[OscarBravo992]

Not particularly the most popular models, but these ones are one of the more meaningful models in my collection. Back in 2019, I flew from San Francisco to Manila and back (PR115 and PR114), and managed to get these inflight sales exclusive models from Philippine AirlInes. From what I gather, these editions of the PAL 777, A350, and A330 are discontinued from their duty free sales and the market in general.
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What I would give for that A330… Very nice models, do you know who made them? Like @YankeeVictor, I think the 777 looks old GJ and the A330 Phoenix. I think the A350 is also GJ, the landing gear is not the silver colour found on Phoenixes.

 

[CalAviator]

Very, neat, I'd say they classify as genuinely rare (as opposed to eBay **RARE** ) I wish more airlines still sold these in flight...

Do you know who made them? At a glance the 773 looks GJ and the h

All 3 are made by Gemini Jets

 

[quanng]

All 3 are made by Gemini Jets

My bonus would be: the 3 released GJs came from normal GJ release but with different boxes. Still I would keen on seeing more airlines bringing 1:400 models into inflight sales!

 

[hkgdave]

I'm a bit late contributing to this thread but I would say my rarest model, based on number produced and therefore infrequency of appearing for sale, would be an Aeroclassics VIASA CV-880 YV-C-VIB which should have the Viasa / KLM - Split Liveries scheme but was one of three mis-painted with the KLM livery on both sides.
I got it at the Frankfurt Aviation Collectables Fair in Germany about ten years ago from Andrew Klein himself. It was he who told me that only three of these 'mistakes' were made. If I recall. I paid US$50 for it.
Regrettably the model is buried somewhere in one of my many boxes in storage so I'm unable to access it easily for photographing.

 

[Jazajia]

I'm a bit late contributing to this thread but I would say my rarest model, based on number produced and therefore infrequency of appearing for sale, would be an Aeroclassics VIASA CV-880 YV-C-VIB which should have the Viasa / KLM - Split Liveries scheme but was one of three mis-painted with the KLM livery on both sides.
I got it at the Frankfurt Aviation Collectables Fair in Germany about ten years ago from Andrew Klein himself. It was he who told me that only three 'mistakes' were made. If I recall. I paid US$50 for it.
Regrettably the model is buried somewhere in one of my many boxes in storage so I'm unable to access it easily for photographing.

Well... this is really interesting. I did not know of these full-liveried KLM CV-880s with Venezuelan registration. Very nice.

The split Viasa/KLM YV-C-VIB was also a mistake. The only Viasa CV-880 to ever wear the KLM livery on the starboard side was -VIC. -VIC wore two variants of the KLM livery (horizontal, and diagonal stripes). I remember a thread at DA.C in which people brought this up and AK was going to eat them alive lol... he kept swearing that the Jon Proctor Convair 880 and 990 book showed a picture of -VIB with the KLM colors, but I have the book, and the picture he was talking about (he mentioned the page) clearly shows -VIC... of course, back then I did not dare to chime in...

That incorrect Viasa/KLM YV-C-VIB was actually my first 1:400 model, got it from Waffle when the store was still called AirParadigm.

I know there are six Gemini Viasa DC-8s out there with an incorrect registration (YCV-128C instead of YV-128C). I hope to come across one of them one day!

Very cool story HKdave!

 

[thiscooldudeold]

Im currently daydreaming to get that B777-300 Cathay pacific GJ Sample. The problem is that it is 500 USD.

 

[Horizon]

I'd say my Ohana ATR's are pretty rare. I only see them go up on eBay not that much. Kinda wish GJ did a rerelease on them given how much Hawaiian Airlines stuff they've done and plus they went out of business like a few years or so ago.

 

[pons399]

Im currently daydreaming to get that B777-300 Cathay pacific GJ Sample. The problem is that it is 500 USD.

GJ? They don't do Cathay.

 

[thiscooldudeold]

GJ? They don't do Cathay.

I said sample

 

[hkgdave]

GJ? They don't do Cathay.

They have in the past. Apart from some samples, they have released a Tristar and a couple of B747-400s in 1:400 under the Dream Jets brand. Quite nice models - I have them. The Tristar was the first, and for a long time, the only version available in the scale.
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https://database.diecastmodelaircraft.com/search.php?airline=Cathay+Pacific&manuf=Gemini+Jets&scale=1%3A400

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Wings900 Model Database - Advanced Search

 

[pons399]

They have in the past. Apart from some samples, they have released a Tristar and a couple of B747-400s in 1:400 under the Dream Jets brand. Quite nice models - I have them. The Tristar was the first, and for a long time, the only version available in the scale.
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https://database.diecastmodelaircraft.com/search.php?airline=Cathay+Pacific&manuf=Gemini+Jets&scale=1%3A400

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Wings900 Model Database - Advanced Search

Didn't know that, thanks for the info.

 

[Atlspotter]

Probably my 2018 releases, the Virgin Atlantic A340-600 “A Big Virgin Atlantic Thank You” and REX Saab 340, maybe my BA 747-400 w/ the Ireland Utopia tail.

 

[IndyJets]

For me..(without knowing the actual production numbers which were no longer published starting around 2008), it would most likely be my Aeroclassics Eastern DC-9-51 N413EA...only 168 pieces were made.

What about the Frontier 737-200?

Also that USPS 727 might be a nice get if the price ever comes down. After all their hub was at IND...

 

[Mark22]

I'm a bit late contributing to this thread but I would say my rarest model, based on number produced and therefore infrequency of appearing for sale, would be an Aeroclassics VIASA CV-880 YV-C-VIB which should have the Viasa / KLM - Split Liveries scheme but was one of three mis-painted with the KLM livery on both sides.
I got it at the Frankfurt Aviation Collectables Fair in Germany about ten years ago from Andrew Klein himself. It was he who told me that only three 'mistakes' were made. If I recall. I paid US$50 for it.
Regrettably the model is buried somewhere in one of my many boxes in storage so I'm unable to access it easily for photographing.

Really awesome model, are the titles on both sides still correct?

 

[Purpleplane]

What about the Frontier 737-200?

Also that USPS 727 might be a nice get if the price ever comes down. After all their hub was at IND...

Yes, but there were 312 of the SMA Frontier 737-200's made. That USPS 727-100 would be a great addition, still pricey even though there were 600 of them made.

 

[Jazajia]

GJ? They don't do Cathay.

I think this is the specific model he is talking about: https://www.wafflecollectibles.com/1400-Gemini-Jets-Cathay-Pacific-Boeing-B-777-200-B-HNA-NA.html

Waffle has had it listed for about two years. Not sure who'd buy it...

 

[Jazajia]

Really awesome model, are the titles on both sides still correct?

I don't believe any CV-880 ever wore the full KLM livery. I want to say that Viasa's YV-C-VIC was the only jet-powered Convair airliner to ever have KLM titles painted on it.

 

[hkgdave]

Really awesome model, are the titles on both sides still correct?

I haven't seen the model for quite a long time Mark. As I said, it is buried somewhere in my storage place.
As I understand it, it is not correct because no CV880 aircraft wore KLM livery on both sides. As far as I remember. the livery worn by the model is the diagonal stripe tail livery which the real aircraft had on one side.
As has been pointed out, the real aircraft had a different registration from the reg on the model.
So, if the released model's KLM livery is correct, then I assume my one is correct apart from being so wrong!

 

[Mark22]

I know it didnt exist in real life, I meant to ask if the livery looks like a correct KLM livery, or that the KLM titles are mirrored / misprinted where the VIASA titles were supposed to be.

 

[1/400collector]

Please share with us some photos of it