Lufthansa has been the leader for smart fleets over the years and recently began the transition towards more modern and fuel efficient aircraft including the A320neo and A350. The airline is also adding sharklets to their A320s and A321s. Gemini Jets has added more Lufthansa aircraft to the 1/200 product line and the newest is an A320-200s (D-AIZP) nicknamed Plauen, which was delivered to Lufthansa in March 2013. G2DHL481 certainly has a lot to show as Gemini Jets did not skip a beat on this one and for any collector this aircraft is a must have.
Model Mold
Overall, this model is superb from nose to tail in terms of detail. There’s no question the sharklets were likely very challenging to design and construct, however Gemini has done an excellent job! The sharklets give a nice added touch to the aircraft’s detail. They replicate the actual aircraft in a realistic manner. The one discrepancy I found with the mold is that it seems to have several noticeable gaps, one between the wings and fuselage as well as another between the elevators and fuselage. I will discuss this more in the quality section. These small issues do not take away from the beauty the model has in general.
Score 8/10
Paint and Livery
Once again, G2DLH481 is a superbly detailed model. The Lufthansa logo, aircraft type and nickname are displayed near the front of the fuselage. The interior and exterior areas of the sharklets feature the famous Lufthansa flying crane which is a great touch for this aircraft. The cargo doors are stunning as well! When comparing the left and right nose sections there is a very minor paint chip on the left side near the aircraft’s nickname. Near one of the rear antennas there seems to be a splotch of either glue or paint which sticks out due to the bright orange that brings it out. The underbelly has a noticeable flaw as well as the paint at the left air intake section is slightly uneven when compared with the right air intake. One last issue involves a bit of paint chipping on the aircraft tail near the Lufthansa logo. However, all of these blemishes are only noticeable when the aircraft is viewed closely.
Score 7/10
Quality
The aircraft features spinning engines which give the model more of a realistic feel. The engines also feature detailed markings on the nacelles. When looking at the landing gear, they are not removable and are fixed. The strobe gems are all present which is a nice change from the previous two models I’ve reviewed as one had a missing strobe light. The model being small in size certainly has minor issues which seem to have a glaring effect when displayed. When viewing the tail section there is a small gap between both elevator sections and the fuselage. I also noted the gap issue between the both wings and the fuselage. While these are minimal issues the model makes up for these imperfections with the quality of details shown on the aircraft.
Score 6/10
Conclusion
G2DLH481 is one of many Airbus A320s that Gemini has produced and this one has made an impression on me as it is a very detail oriented aircraft which is something I enjoy viewing on models. I have to say even with the small issues this aircraft would be a nice addition to a collector’s fleet!
Overall Score 21/30
Nice review. I picked up one of these little beauts after flying on one last month. The Sharklets are very cool on the model and in person.
These are quite interesting and Gemini did a good job with recreating the reality of the aircraft in scale model form. Thank you