| Author | Message |
|---|---|
L-1011 guy Members   
 Add As Buddy Posts: 143
Location:
Occupation: L-1011 guy
Age:
|
Post #77642, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
I’ve discovered that there are no less than five 1:144 777 kits; Minicraft, Revell, Zvezda, Eastern Express and Doyusha. Which of the five is considered the best of the lot; accuracy, detailing, delicacy of those details, etc, regardless of being a dash 100, 200 or whatever? I’m wanting to do at least one really nice (hopefully) 777, and any info would help. Thanks a bunch. Kevin |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
astirrotMembers 
 Add As Buddy Posts: 271
Location: Krefeld
Occupation: glider pilot
Age: 47
|
Post #77643, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Hi, Revell and Zvezda is the same construction. Plastik material is different (Revell white and Zvezda grey) and I think Revell's decal is better. It is a B777-300ER (with bigger GE90-115 engines and raked wingtips). Any other version will need modifications and other aftermarket engines. For me these kits are the only choice. Minicraft's 777 represents a 777-200, but has a lot of mistakes. Comes in different engine options. I sold all my kits after Revell/Zvezda issued their kit. Eastern Express 777 kits might be a copy derived from the Minicraft kit. Not sure about that. Never saw one in reality. Doyusha is similar to the Minicraft kit, I guess. Greetings Daniel Have fun! Life is short enough. |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
lichtjahreMembers
 Add As Buddy Posts: 275
Location: Hamburg
Occupation: Landscape Photographer and Scientist
Age: 128
|
Post #77644, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Hi Kevin, if you aim at accuracy, detailing and delicacy of details you surely want to eye the Authentic Airliners 777, which is with no doubt the best on the market if you want to go for a 200 version. All three early engines types plus the 200LR and 200F are available. Regarding the 300ER, as Daniel said, Zvezda/Revell is the winner, however, these models may have issues with warped plastic along the wings. I opened 5 boxes and 4 of them had unusable warped wings. Maybe I got a bad batch and other modellers may report better experience on the wings. Cheers, Christian Christian Klepp |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
Ken MillerMembers
 Add As Buddy Posts: 1070
Location: Campbell, CA
Occupation: Govt. Employee
Age: 128
|
Post #77647, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
I've yet to finish a 777. The Doyusha kit is definitely not the best kit of the bunch but I do remember the excitement when it was first announced/released. An important" data point for Doyusha is that it comes with three types of engines. On all three types the cold sections are closed which is an issue though. I plan on using some Minicraft engines as replacements on my half finished model. Ken |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
NX28388 Upper Deck Member
 Add As Buddy Posts: 633
Location:
Occupation: Professional overthinker
Age:
|
Post #77648, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
 |
|
The Doyusha kit was remarkable because it was the first, but that didn't equate to quality in all areas (the engines look weird, for one). It got attention back then but has since been surpassed. Still, it's apparently marginally better than the Minicraft kit: according to a comment from Jennings Heilig on this board long ago, the shop in China that cut the tool for the kit didn't go by what was given and instead copied the Doyusha kit and also botched the execution of newer components that had been designed. Al Trendle (for whom Jennings served as an adviser) was upset with the result but the kit came out anyway (MC probably couldn't afford to have the tool remade). I have owned two Minicraft 777s, tried fixing one, and finally gave up and gave them away. It would take an enormous amount of money to persuade me to try that kit ever again. It is very crude, has THICK and boxlike trailing edges, doesn't have the characteristic "kink" in the upper fuselage, and that's just for starters. Just...no. The Eastern Express 777 appears based on the Minicraft kit. Avoid at all costs. The Zvezda 777 is an exemplary kit, if you can get one without warped wings. I had one and the only reason I got rid of it was because I didn't know where I would display the finished model. It got right the things the other manufacturers got wrong. Reviews are mixed on the Welsh vac-form. Some love it, some think its shapes are off. I've not seen one, so I will pass. If you're okay with resin, if you can afford them, and if they're in stock, the Authentic Airliners 777s are in a class of their own. Ten percent of the effort is in the build; the rest is in making sure your paint, decal and finish work are worthy of the canvas Kurt provides. Jodie Peeler "In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." - Sayre's Law |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
Jennings Contributors
 Add As Buddy Posts: 4468
Location: The great desert southwest, USA
Occupation: Nurse Anesthesiologist
Age: 119
|
Post #77652, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Yep, the Minicraft kit was an almost direct copy of the Doyusha kit. I held the 1/96 scale master in my hands (why 1/96??) back in 1999, and it even had the same goofy peg assembly to hold the fuselage together as the Doyusha kit. I had given them detailed four-view drawings of the three engine types, which they sort of used, but totally hosed up. The then owner of Minicraft, Al Trendle, nice guy that he was, but the prototype penny-pincher, didn't want to make any of the many corrections I recommended, and the Minicraft kit you see today is the result. As noted, the Zvezda kit is leaps and bounds better than the others. You can chop it down into a 777F or a -200LR with just a shorter fuselage. Making any other variant will require new engines and other changes. But Zvezda, having had help from Boeing in Moscow, nailed the shapes on the money all the way around. It's a bit simplified in some ways (landing gear for example), but it's definitely shaped like a 777. I'm planning on doing a 777F before it's had its livery applied, with the green protective coating on it. |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
L-1011 guyMembers
Add As Buddy Posts: 143
Location:
Occupation: L-1011 guy
Age:
|
Post #77654, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Excellent. Thanks for all the advice/info, fellas, I really appreciate it.
Kevin |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
radioguyUpper Deck Member 
Add As Buddy Posts: 634
Location: Montreal
Occupation: Misplaced
Age:
|
Post #77656, posted on 02-21-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Just an added observation. The EE kit might be a Minicraft clone, but only to a point. I had a - 200 and ended up tossing it. The fuselage comes in 3 section, forward, mid, and aft. This is probably so that they can box either a -200 or a -300 using common fore & aft molds with only the mid section changed. That makes for 6 fuselage parts instead of the usual two. Aligning them is a chore. The RVG/Zvezda kit is from the same mold. Either will make up nicely. As others have noted, the resin kit from Kurt is the gold standard. Alan Aronoff |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
NX28388Upper Deck Member
Add As Buddy Posts: 633
Location:
Occupation: Professional overthinker
Age:
|
Post #77659, posted on 02-22-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
Quote Although I'm not a fella, you're welcome regardless.  Jodie Peeler "In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." - Sayre's Law |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
Ken MillerMembers
Add As Buddy Posts: 1070
Location: Campbell, CA
Occupation: Govt. Employee
Age: 128
|
Post #77660, posted on 02-22-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Speaking of the Minicraft kit Jennings mentioned Al Trendle. The kit must have been released just as Al sold the company to David Huff RIP. Remember the "dust-up" on AMD where Mr Huff insisted the kit/engines were pretty much perfect and the nitpicker/rivit counters correctly pointed out than in one engine type the fans rotated in a different direction and the blade count was off by a few on the others? I always try to stay positive about things and give Minicraft credit for their kits. Some are very good and others not good at all. Still that "discussion" about the Minicraft 777 engines was a classic and part of the kit history. Ken |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
L-1011 guyMembers
Add As Buddy Posts: 143
Location:
Occupation: L-1011 guy
Age:
|
Post #77661, posted on 02-22-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
Quote Sorry about that. I suppose the name Jodie could be interpreted either way. Plus I suppose I don't really expect females to be active in model airliner stuff, as they're generally not on other modeling forums I'm a member of. Thanks again for all the help, folks. Kevin |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
LH707Upper Deck Member
Add As Buddy Posts: 1330
Location:
Occupation:
Age:
|
Post #77666, posted on 02-23-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
As mentioned, the good ones are the AA kit and, if you can find an un-warped one, the Zvezda. The fact that so many are warped though leads me to suspect their QA practices. My suggestion would be to figure out which original you want to model, that will drive your kit choice. Ignoring the 777-9 for which I'm unaware of any models, there are 2 lengths (200 and 300), 4 physically different engines, and two wingtip configurations, as listed here: 200/200ER/300 Blunt wingtips GE90-77/8*/90 PW4077-4090 RR T800 200LR/F/300ER Raked wingtips GE90-115B Bigger tires Different gear parts on the 300ER The 300 and 300ER had tailskids until 2016ish, when they improved the tailstrike software and deleted it on new builds. The 777-9 is longer than the 300ER, and has completely new wings, windows (787 size IINM), engines, gear, and tail feathers. The 777-8 might not even get built, I'm not holding my breath.... |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
L-1011 guyMembers
Add As Buddy Posts: 143
Location:
Occupation: L-1011 guy
Age:
|
Post #77687, posted on 02-25-2021 GMT-5 hours
|
|
Thanks, LH. At this point, I'm strongly considering KLM, but have no idea what's what there, though I imagine I can figure it out. Thanks again.
Kevin |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
LH707Upper Deck Member
Add As Buddy Posts: 1330
Location:
Occupation:
Age:
|
|
|
For sure. For KLM, they've got the 777-200ER with the GE90-90, and the 300ER with the GE90-115B. I'd recommend AA for the former and Zvezda for the latter.
|