Back in 2016, I went to Japan aboard a JAL 787 “Dreamliner”, the first time I had flown on one. I was nice, new and super clean. In lieu of physical window shades (the kind that keep falling closed when you are trying to enjoy the outside view), it had LCD windows that went from clear to dark blue. I kept playing with the controls like a five year old, much to the annoyance of my sister.
Anyway, on our last day in Japan, I went to Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara and found the Zvezda 787 kit reboxed by Doyusha. The kit had JAL markings printed by Cartograph, and enough numbers to model the plane I flew on. I normally don’t build airliner kits, but decided that… Aw who was I kidding? I was in Akihabara. At a monster department store with a massive model section. And a discount point card in hand. On my last day in Japan. Ka-ching! My modest sutcase was already full, so I had to hand carry the model back home.
So after many years of looking at the model, I came across Authentic Airliner decals for the 787. These decals feature “occupied” cockpit and passenger windows, and they really add to the appearance of airliner kits.
So once again, my squirrel-like attention span was captivated by another project. [:$]
Since clear parts were no longer an issue, the only thing to do before zipping up the fuselage was to add some nose weight. I cribbed a solution from Fine Mold’s Nakajma Kikka, using a bolt and a couple of nuts passed through a sheet plastic bulkhead.
I stuck the wings and stabilizers to the fuselage and perforned a balance check, making sure the C.G. was forward of the main landing gear attachment points. The engines would provide extra insurance against tail sitting.
More later, after the filler on the windows have had time to dry.
Yeah, not much to see over the Pacific Ocean on the way to Japan. As a kid, I just watched the 747’s wingtip go up and down, and wondered what that big antenna thing on the trailing edge did. My favorite part of every flight was when the plane settled into final approach and those triple slotted flaps fully extended. Watching the runway go rushing by through the flaps when the spoilers deployed always fascinated me.
The 787’s flaps are simpler one piece units that are still Fowler-type, but lack the cool “Venetian blind” look of the 747’s.
Cool, another airliner build! Hasegawa kits provide the bolt nose weight if I recall. Their line of 1/200 airliners are awesome.
I’ll be following this one for sure.
I’d use to fly in 727’s. Half of those wings would turn into flaps it seemed. I love looking out the window, even if it is just ocean. I like watching the ships thinking, wow, you sure are going slow. On land watching cars and trucks wondering how anyone can stand to take that long going somewhere (I use to drive a Simi). But like my wife and I going to Vegas this Aug, I’ll drive 10 hours vs 2 in the air.
I rode on a 727 once, when the FAA over here operated one for nav-aid calibration checks. We got to go with them out to the Big Island. Definitely more fun than having to sit in class in the afternoon!
I flew over to Lanai for the first time this week, in a single engine turboprop. Man, it crawled compared to the jets:
The ride into Lanai was a little bumpy, with one drop enugh for my fat bottom to almost leave the seat. Still, a LOT better than the YS-11 flight over to Hiroshima back in the 1970s. My blood felt like a milkshake from the intense vibration and high frequency noise from the engines. My sis threw up all the way. [+o(]
That YS-11 is a cool looking airline. What’s the plane in your picture?
I flew on one for engine prop plane one time when I was a wee tike, don’t remember what it was though. I’ll fly out of Boise on a Bombardier Dash 8 sometimes and they do go slow, but not as slow as that YS or that one in your picture I’ll bet.
The slow poke plane is a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. There is a 1/72 resin kit out there, but aside from the “glass” digital cockpit, the rest of the real plane was forgettable.
We had YS-11s operating here in Hawaii for a short time, operated by Mid Pacific Air. I never flew them, remembering the flight to Hiroshima.
Hawaiian Airlines operated 4-engine turboprop De Havilland Dash-7s for a while. I rode on one once. Sitting under the wing gave me a great view of the landing gear disgorging from above. No APU though, so our 30 minute stopover on Molokai sucked without air conditioning!
