My Boeing 727 project

[F-27pax]

You are probably right, Adam, about the two DHL 727s being the last to fly in Australia. VH-DHE is still flying, in the same scheme, but somewhere in Asia with an Asian registration. VH-TBS (originally VH-RMS) last flew for Australian air Express and, the last I heard, it was at Brisbane Airport, registered but not flying. It is probably the last 727 in Australia.

Leigh

[F-27pax]

And here, finally, are those last two 727 models. Fittingly, I hope, they are of the first and last 727s in Australia. First, VH-RME which made the first passenger 727 flight in Australia on 2 November 1964. The decals are by Hawkeye. (At the beginning of this project I started making another model of RME but got buggered up with the decals and undercarriage so it ended up in the bin. This model uses revised Hawkeye decals with, most pleasantly, much denser white for the tail decals.)





Here is what I think is probably the only remaining 727 in Australia. It was originally VH-RMS but was reregistered as VH-TBS. After Australian air Freight finished flying it it was given to Aviation Australia in 2005 and repainted in this scheme. I've seen photos of it at Brisbane Airport in 2009 when it looked very sad, but I couldn't bring myself to do all the weathering necessary on such a fine looking aeroplane. The decals are home made, using the Hawkeye Australian air Express 727 decal sheet - suitably modified - for the windows and doors.





To sum up, here's a photo of all 16 Australian 727s in the set. There are a couple more schemes I wouldn't mind having but they are not available commercially and they are a bit beyond my range as a decal maker. Besides, if I never see the inside of another Airfix 1/144 Boeing 727 kit box it will be way too soon. They are in no particular order here but I'm thinking of arranging them in chronological order for the Modellers of Ballarat display day a couple of weeks hence.



Here endeth the lesson.

[Graeme H]

Lovely job on those 2, and what a collection, very impressive

[hrtpaul]

Bloody hell mate. That's a cracker effort on all of them

[Knotty]

Top job on all of them Leigh, look forward to seeing them at Ballarat .

[RayS]

Looks like you have your own B727 airline there Leigh, great line up!

[avgeek07]

That 727 collection is jaw droppingly awesome! fantastic effort!

[F-27pax]

I know that I said I wouldn't be making any more 727s, but fate in the form of TOR, caught up with me and sold me two more Airfix 727-100 kits. Fortunately one of our club members wanted one, so that left me with only one to make. TOR also suggested that a RNZAF 727-100 might look nice so I ordered a sheet for the first RNZAF scheme from Oldmodels and got to work. By now I could probably make the Airfix 727 kit with my eyes closed, but you couldn't do that with the Oldmodel decals. The sheet is actually quite excellent except for the fact that that cockpit windows and doors on the sheet are obviously for another model or in the wrong scale. The line down the side is also too large and I made it better by scanning the sheet and reducing those blue lines by 25 per cent. The doors and cockpit windows came from a Hawkeye set, and the rest was excellent. So, here it is:





And that's it. I am definitely not making another 727 model (unless somebody gives me one with the Jet Set Air Nauru decals to go with it, then I might be tempted).

Here endeth the lesson, again.

[tor lives]

Lovely!!!!......just bloody lovely.
See Leigh, didn't I tell you this would look magnificent. One of the most attractive and classy colour schemes ever carried on a 727-100, civil or military.
Good one Leigh, and a fitting model to see out your 727 odyssey.
TOR
PS: And if I may.....here is VH-TBS in AAE colours

[avgeek07]

Stunning collections you have!!!