Aeroclassics February 2021 Arrivals

I've been quite high on Aeroclassics lately. They have really been on a roll and it's clear by how scarce some of the recent releases are that AC continues to show an impressive acuity for finding the right airline/airplane/paint scheme combos that collectors want.

Getting too optimistic and pragmatic on any one brand these days though seems to offer some pit falls. With quality a continuing issue in a landscape of increasing prices there's always the chance of disappointment and sadly, that's where I've landed with Aeroclassics this month. 

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ATA T-Tail:

This month brought 4 new models into the collection. I could have easily grabbed a few more from this month's releases. Read more about Aeroclassics February 2021 releases here. The most obvious choice for me was the ATA 727. I've been working on my ATA fleet in this scheme specifically since NG Models has released the L1011 and they've provided 3 different versions, one of which is in this same ATA 'runway' scheme from the 1980's. This particular 727 started its career with United Airlines in  1967 and by the mid 80's it was painted up just like this. The registration is tucked right up underneath the engine cowlings and makes finding the aircraft's identity a bit of a chore.

I do sympathize with Aeroclassics, getting that gold/bronze color must be quite a task. There are some instances in which they get the colors all wrong and I have no sympathy for them when they do. In this case however, I'm in a more forgiving mood as N286AT looks great next to it's glorious stablemate, N186AT.

One bone to pick however is that while I do appreciate the modern use of this classic mould, I do not like when the components are not carefully put together. I ca tolerate the cradle mould so long as there aren't unsightly gaps. In this case, I can guess that the 1/1 didn't have a 'see through' section of the fuselage as the 1/400 version does. Not only that, the gold stripe does not fully contain the window line. This is even a bigger error in my opinion than the mould gap.

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TAP Classics:

My favorite move Aeroclassics made this month was to release in unison a classic and a retroject. The combination of the DC-4 and the A321 was a really cool move, and it would have been even cooler had the A321 been any good. The DC-4 was hands down really good. No issues there. The Airbus however can't even begin to be evaluated because it showed up in pieces. Not only was it badly constructed, but its poor construction resulted in some substantial paint damage. 

The other problem with the A321 is that the silver paint is way too silver. It should be more of metic gray and it is even more maddening that it doesn't look very much like the A330 in the TAP retro scheme Aeroclassics released some time ago. There are other issues as well. The glare paint around the cockpit tappers down all the way to the radome and it should come up short of the cheat line. So sadly the A321 is mainly a write off for me, it's only draw is that it sits well in my retro TAP fleet.

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Next Gen Cathay:
Originally intended for Cathay Dragon, and now in Cathay Pacific colors, Aeroclassics brings us B-HPB. I typically do stay away from most of Aeroclassics moderns and between this one and the TAP, it reminds me why I was so shy of AC in the not so distant past. While from far away, the model sure looks like a Cathay Pacific A321 NEO, the closer you get, the farther away it really is to something nice. There are a lot of nit picky things, but the worst to me is detail missing on the wings. There should clearly be the Cathay logo on the inside of the winglets and those are missing. So too are the red painted tips on the flap slats. 

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Conclusion:
This month was a bit of a sobering up on Aeroclassics. The ebb and flow of quality control is such a major turn off in this hobby. I am firmly of the opinion that for premium prices, I should be receiving premium models. At roughly 42 dollars a pop now, having something so far less than perfect is not ok and I will be slowing my roll on AC. There's no shortage of good ideas, just glue, apparently.