Heller Boeing PanAm B707-321
This is the big Heller Boeing B707-321, in 1/72nd scale, done with 26 decals. The kit comes with Air France livery decals, but the 26 Pan Am decals were available, so I used them. The kit itself is so-so, and is made from some very weird plastic, that felt chalky, and flaked away in layers when sanded (The weird plastic was OK, once primered and painted). Since I was using decals for the windows, the kit window holes had to be filled; I used superglue and accelerator, and a lot of sanding for this. Likewise, the cockpit clear parts were glued, coated with super glue, shaped, and painted, then decalled. The engines, while generally OK in shape, required some attention. The blow-in doors were in the wrong place, so these were filled, the relocated farther forward. The kit compressor faces were used, but the bullet fairings were replaced with ones with a more blunt shape. Also, the engine intakes were lined with aluminum tubing, to hide gaps, and give a little more realistic appearance. The landing gear main struts were replaced with aftermarket metal ones, to hold the weight of this big model. ModelMaster Metalizer non-buffing Aluminum, was used for the NMF, and a homebrew was used for the coroguard wing area. The white is Tamiya white primer (rattle can) polished with MicroMesh, then coated with Pledge clear acrylic floor shine.
Please note that the starboard stab is askew, since I haven't glued it in place yet.
This is a fairly big model, which measures aprox. 25" X 24", so you need to designate some shelf space if you are going to build one.
Flawless work, a real beauty. I wonder how many years this Heller kit has, any idea?
Thanks, Pedro. A check on the Scalemates site shows the Heller B707 in 72nd scale was first released in 1985. The boxing I used was released in 2016, with a new box and decals, same plastic.
I think it's around 1970 +/-, so about 50 years.
Nice work. I have one of those in the stash that features Air France and BOAC decals. The only reason I haven’t built it is because the plastic has a pebbly finish that’s going to need a few weeks of sanding to prep for an aluminum/white scheme. How much time did you spend on surface prep?
Thanks, John, I appreciate it. Yes, the plastic that Heller used to mold this kit is weird; it's not the smooth plastic used by most companies, almost like the ingredients weren't mixed properly, before injecting into the mold. I spent a good deal of time sanding to get things smooth, but a lot of that sanding was to close up the cabin windows. Once sanded and primered, things got better. I use Tamiya white primer (in the rattle can) for my white color, because it gives good coverage, and sands beautifully. The Tamiya white primer becomes the final color, once it is polished out...no need for any other white paint.
Great Model Marvin... I made several airliners but they are all in 1/144th scale.They are big in that scale too.
Anyways it's nice to know that you are still building.
Rodney
Thank you, Rodney. I have been following your posts here on iModeler, and I learn something everytime I read them. The remarkable thing is that many of your pix go back to the last century, but they still show what a true artist that you are. Thanks for sharing all those great builds.
Excellent work! Looks great in Pan Am scheme.
Thank you, Robert. Your comments are always appreciated.
Excellent work, Marvin. I am deeply amazed. The livery bared a (very) distant resemblance to the Olympic Airways 707 I grew up with.
What a beautiful airliner; what a beautiful model;I might find one and finish it as Olympic Airways. Thanks for the inspiration.
All the best!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Thank you, Spiros. Yes, The Boeing 707 is a classic aircraft; Olympic Airways livery would be a perfect choice to do. Get the kit and decals, then go for it. It will loook great, for sure. Thanks again.
Nicely done! It builds up into a good-looking 707 - a real classic of the skys.
Thank you, Greg, I appreciate it. The B707 was the aircraft that really opened up air travel to the masses. A true classic pioneer. Thanks again.
Can there be anything more beautiful than a Boeing 707 in Pan Am livery?
excellent work Marvin!
Thanks, Paul. No, not many aircraft look as good as a B707 in Pan Am livery. Simple, and gorgeous.