# Comercial Airline Model Kits



## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Hi gang!

My wholesaler has a full wall of Commercial Airlines, like KLM, Pan-America, Hawaiian Airlines, etc. These are your BIG Jumbo Jets, McDouglas, Boeing 727's, 737's, 747's and the like. There's different scales from very small to very large.

I've always seen these in hobby stores, but I haven't really seen anyone build these kits and enter them in hobby shows in all my years of going to shows. Actually, I've seen 1 at a hobby show a few years ago. 

Also, in my 5 years owning a hobby shop, I've never had a request for them. 

I'm just wondering if anyone builds these.

(I've owned a KLM one since the 1997, but I haven't built it either. I might get the Hawaiian Airlines, but only because I like Tiki stuff.)


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I carry a few basic commercial jets in my shop. You can't go wrong with a Concord, 747, Airbus etc. They aren't stellar sellers though. I sell more Constellations and DC-3's. Or the odd few Cessna and Piper Cub type kits.


----------



## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

My largest airliner kit is a 1/72 scale 747 that I am converting to the "NASA 905" shuttle carrier with the hybrid American Airlines/NASA paint job from the 70's era and mated with a 1/72 scale Monogram orbiter.


----------



## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Trek Ace...that sounds like the one carrying the Enterprise NASA shuttle. 

djnick66...thanx for the input. I guess they're just the "Extra Flavouring" for the hobby shops.


----------



## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

MadCap Romanian said:


> Trek Ace...that sounds like the one carrying the Enterprise NASA shuttle.


Yes, indeed.

The 1/72 747 was produced by HeavyKits. I don't know if they are still in existence. I bought it a few years back.


----------



## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

I've always loved airliner kits, but I've never been able to do one justice.

Larry


----------



## compucrap (Dec 16, 2000)

its really because people interested in airline modeling are starting to build scale model airports. Similar in concept to model railroads, but in scales from 1:200-1:500. a website about model airports

lets face it, why build a one airliner when you can scale down and have an entire fleet with terminals? This isnt all that unsimilar to why we dont see many railroad model kits, people interested in that subject tend to go to HO railroad trainsets and such.

Josh


----------



## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Interesting!


----------



## bambujr8 (Feb 26, 2010)

*Arliner kit*

Hi
I am looking for an airliner kit. do you know where i can get one? (website)
dvit


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Any good mail order place (Squadron for example) carries civil planes. Depending on what you want or your skill level there are a lot to pick from.

Hasegawa makes a nice line of smaller scale kits. Revell Germany does more traditional 1/144 larger kits. They do have some really old molds but most of what they offer are new/newer. Minicraft makes a lot of kits but most are IMHO fairly poor and surprisingly expensive. Airfix has a range of older 1/144 and 1/72 commercial kits. Old plastic with new decals mostly. Doyusha sells the old Nitto 1/100 kits which are quite large. Zvezda has started doing some nice large airliner kits too.

Myself I would probably go with Revell Germany.


----------



## geminibuildups (Apr 22, 2005)

Ive got a TON of airliner kits. Mostly 1/144 scale stuff. I am running out of room for them, so if you want some, send me an Email and let me know what you want. 

Geminibuildups
[email protected]


----------



## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

Are you looking for anything in particular?


----------



## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

compucrap said:


> its really because people interested in airline modeling are starting to build scale model airports. Similar in concept to model railroads, but in scales from 1:200-1:500. a website about model airports
> 
> lets face it, why build a one airliner when you can scale down and have an entire fleet with terminals? This isnt all that unsimilar to why we dont see many railroad model kits, people interested in that subject tend to go to HO railroad trainsets and such.
> 
> Josh


WOW. First I've heard of model airports.

I can see where some overeager homeland security dude might think one were planning a terrorist attack.


----------



## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

I've got a 747 and a 767 from Revell in 1/144 that I intend to build as space ships, the 747 will be an interstelar ship while the 767 will be interplanetary.


----------



## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Revell used to have a whole line of commercial airliner kits, ranging from 1/96 to 1/144 scale. I built a ton of them when I was a teenager. The most fun part was applying the decals, with the elaborate paint schemes many airlines had in the 1950s and 1960s.










Today they just slap a stripe on the side and a big logo on the tail. BORING.


----------



## WarpCore Breach (Apr 27, 2005)

Here's a site for anyone wanting kits, decals, parts, etc for all your airliner-ing needs....

http://www.airline-hobby.com/shop/

To order, you DO have to register with them. I ordered some decals (737-600/700/800/900 conversions) as well as some 747 wing corrogard decals. They did take more or less (probably more than less) the time expected to cross borders but they arrived in a sturdy envelope, well protected.


----------



## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

I built a few commercial airliner kits in my younger days; it was quite a while ago, so I don't remember exactly which kits, but I do recall building Revell's 1/144 scale Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet cutaway.


----------



## CaptFrank (Jan 29, 2005)

I haven't built an airplane for years.
I'm currently determined to build my stash of 30
TREK kits before I buy a new kit. When I do, I plan
to build an Airbus A330. I have a fictional airline
brand I plan to use on it. Someday...


Then, on to military kits! 
Aircraft carriers, planes, maybe a tank...


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

I love airliner kits.
Yes indeed a 'good' hobby shop should have them on their shelves.
Not every single one, but as what was said before, you have your 'staples' then get one or two you find interesting and see how they do. And if they sell, try a couple others. You may find a few new customers interested in those subjects.

A 1/72 scale 747??
I've wanted one of those for years.


----------



## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

There was a 1/72 scale 747 out a few years back. It was a vacuform that I bought from a company called Heavy Kits. There was also a conversion kit available that contained extra parts and decals to create NASA 905, and allowed for mating it with either the Monogram or Revell 1/72 Space Shuttle.


----------



## Roland (Feb 4, 1999)

I have built an Aurora Boeing 707 kit which I painted like the original -80 aircraft. I sometimes build aircraft kits because I work on the real aircraft. Other than that, I pretty much stick to figures/dioramas.


----------

