Aeroclassics, AeroCaribe DC-9-31: XA-ABQ

AeroCaribe, which was a regional affiliate of the defunct Mexicana was an active carrier from 1972 until 2005. It was renamed Mexican Click as part of a company restructure between 2005 and 2008. Click eventually folded alongside it's parent company in 2010. While Click is known for its use of 717s, it was the DC-9 which replaced a fleet of Fokker 100's that ushered in the use of the well known T-tails. Having a DC-9 in 1/400 scale is important, and Aeroclassics delivers a beauty. For more, read on.

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DC-9-31, line number 943 was delivered to initial customer USAir in March of 1980. The frame served with the company until 1997 and then entered the second-hand market. It was acquired by AeroCaribe next, and stayed with the fleet until 2006, when it was replaced with 717s. It entered into service with 'QA' in late 2000 and wore this livery for about 6 years. 

Stats provided by Planespotters.net

The real thing, XA-ABQ presumably on push-back at Havana, 2001. Photography by Toni Marimon.

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Notes:
AeroCaribe operated 16 DC-9s, nine of them were the pictured DC-9-31. There have only been two AeroCaribe 1/400 scale models ever made, according to MABd. This is certainly an airline that could use some better representation and the DC-9's wearing the 'Inter' livery would be a nice addition.

This particular model, which was made by Aeroclassics in 2018, features the AeroCaribe titles with a red ribbon flourish down the fuselage which AC replicates nicely. The Aztec eagle is nicely replicated on the tail, but is missing a small marking behind the bird's eye. There is a gradient color shift on the tail, but it isn't as nicely replicated on the model as other details are. The Aeroclassics DC-9-31 is a great little casting, and it rarely misses.