The year of 2024 purchases have been rough with Gemini's product quality

[LorenzoLommus]

These are some of the items received through out the year. On some of the releases duplicates were purchased in order to pick out one without problem (if lucky enough) and returned the problematic ones.

Below is the Kalitta 747F, ordered 2 copies and both with cracked flap on the wing. One model has it on the tip end the other with 2. The cracked areas will break apart if touch with slight force:




Here's a Polar 747F, smudges or scratches all over the nose door and fuselage:




Another Polar 747F, with bent and cracked engine mount plus missing antenna also a spot that's been badly touched up (right next to the antenna hole):




Here's the KLM 747F, with badly crooked front gear and scratched or smudged up nose door:




And finally a UPS 747F, with a badly touch up paint job that looks blotchy and bubbled up:



Anyone has similar issues feel free to share

 

[acaymeth47]

Maybe I’m out of the the loop but I completely stopped buying GeminiJets back in 2019/20. The subpar or even outright awful moulds and bad build quality became super evident with the quick rise of NG. I remember being particularly annoyed with their A320neo, 737Max, A350 and 747 moulds which I found had engines that were too large or didn’t fit properly, crooked or wonky landing gear, and wings that weren’t placed into the fuselage at correct angles. Even if they produce a model that I’ve been waiting for some time to have, I’d rather just wait for NG, Panda or AV400 to make it, especially with how expensive 1:400 models have gotten over the last decade.

 

[pons399]

2024’s generally been a rough year in 1:400, lots of potential squandered by even more unfulfilled promises.

 

[JJ Skippy]

I’ve said it before but I’ve been pretty lucky with my Gemini Jets purchases this year. I’ve purchased both from online retailers and at collectible shows this year and only got one broken model that was a clean break, so a little dab of super glue fixed it right up. Who are you buying your models from?

 

[Steinar]

My GJ problems are usually crooked or bent landing gears and crooked cockpit print. Latest was United B752 "Saul Bass" N536UA which had a backward bent left main gear.

 

[BHD]

Biggest GJ problem I have is landing gear and tails… the gear always have good chance of it being disconnected from the model in the box for me. And same goes for the tail which topples over from time to time…

 

[LorenzoLommus]

Thanks for the comments above, but I see they are somewhat minor and not as severe as mine.

Has anyone gotten anything that looks worser than anything I posted above?

 

[Lightsnack87]

The more things change... I haven't bought a Gemini model in probably a year, and I've only purchased 3 in the last three years. None of them were even close to the quality of NG, or what we are seeing from Panda, or AV400. With all of the castings available in 1/400 right now, there's little Gemini has, that's worth buying. If they haven't made it, just wait a while, and someone else will.

 

[Mikeymag]

The more things change... I haven't bought a Gemini model in probably a year, and I've only purchased 3 in the last three years. None of them were even close to the quality of NG, or what we are seeing from Panda, or AV400. With all of the castings available in 1/400 right now, there's little Gemini has, that's worth buying. If they haven't made it, just wait a while, and someone else will.

Still waiting for an American A321 Neo!

 

[IndyJets]

The main issue this year has been a lack of retro releases... still holding out hope for Continental, Republic, and Northwest MD-80s.....

 

[Purpleplane]

The main issue this year has been a lack of retro releases... still holding out hope for Continental, Republic, and Northwest MD-80s.....

And USAir last scheme.

 

[LachieHare]

The more things change... I haven't bought a Gemini model in probably a year, and I've only purchased 3 in the last three years. None of them were even close to the quality of NG, or what we are seeing from Panda, or AV400. With all of the castings available in 1/400 right now, there's little Gemini has, that's worth buying. If they haven't made it, just wait a while, and someone else will.

I agree. The only Geminis I have secured this year have been the QantasLink A220 and EMB-190 because they aren't going to be made by anyone else anytime soon but I would happily pay a little more for the NG RAAF BBJ-MAX compared to the GJ version.

 

[JJ Skippy]

The main issue this year has been a lack of retro releases... still holding out hope for Continental, Republic, and Northwest MD-80s.....

I think we got a fair bit of retros this year, mostly everyone except NG… still holding out hope for those subjects.

 

[IndyJets]

I think we got a fair bit of retros this year, mostly everyone except NG… still holding out hope for those subjects.

NG has by far the best mold for the MD-80. It almost might be worth getting these done as customs just to have that mold.

 

[Boeing_3019]

NG has by far the best mold for the MD-80. It almost might be worth getting these done as customs just to have that mold.

Their mould is amazing, but they barely use it

 

[LeoMuse747]

Their mould is amazing, but they barely use it

Indeed... only blank and American Airlines released by now. It's really strange!

 

[Bulgogi77]

Indeed... only blank and American Airlines released by now. It's really strange!

NG is really wasting that mold. It's such a shame. There is so much potential that they're missing out on.

 

[BHD]

NG is really wasting that mold. It's such a shame. There is so much potential that they're missing out on.

Same with the 767’s 757-300 Tristars and TU-154… they have just faded away…

 

[Lightsnack87]

I agree. The only Geminis I have secured this year have been the QantasLink A220 and EMB-190 because they aren't going to be made by anyone else anytime soon but I would happily pay a little more for the NG RAAF BBJ-MAX compared to the GJ version.

Exactly, since they are the keepers of the only E-170/175 and E-190/195 moulds, that's our only choice. Gladly they are nice enough castings, and hold their own as long as you can get the ones you want without any production errors. The CRJs, ERJs, Dash-8s, etc. are the only things GJ has that I want. Fortunately, they haven't been as shy about using those castings as they used to, but I suspect that's largely because they can't ignore the success of the sales affiliated with those moulds.

 

[JJ Skippy]

There are so many more regional subjects (mostly retro) we want to see. GJ’s our only hope until the 3D printed guys come up with more castings…