Aeroclassics, VARIG Carga 727-173C: PP-VLW

Varig, (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense), or 'Rio Grandean Airways') is historically one of South America's, and certainly one of Brazil's most important airlines. With over 80 models created in the scale between the year 2000 and 2025, there's a good chance most sizable collections have a Varig model in their ranks. While the airline is a major one, their use of the 727 was anything but. So it was surprising to see AC commit two models for the month of February, 2025 to the Brazilian carrier. For a closer look at Varig's PP-VLW, Read on...

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The model represents the 449th 727-100 produced by aircraft manufacturer, Boeing. Her first flight happened on August 25th, 1967. The plane was then delivered in September of that year. She served with PSA, JAL, Yemen Airways, among several others. The airframe was sent to be scrapped in 2004.

The real thing: In this rare picture, PP-VLW (converted fully to an all-cargo config.) appears to be freshly parked on the ramp in Rio de Janeiro as indicated by the wheel chocks. (Photograph by Vito Cedrick, November 18th, 1982, Airliners.net).

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Notes: 
The true appeal of collecting a model like this is that is truly one-of-a-kind. There is probably less than a 1 percent chance anyone else creates, or recreates this model. It is especially niche, but it also fits right in with the rest of the Varig fleet. On the less wonderful side of things, the Aeroclassics 721 casting is really showing its age. The wing seams don't even come close to aligning, and virtually no-one else in the 1/400 production realm is still using cradle moulds. Th production itself is overall good.

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Sources:
Airliners.net
Jetcollector.com
Modelaircraftdatabase.com
Planespotters.net