Last week I had the pleasure of reviewing Gemini Jets 1:200 model of United’s new 777-300ER. This week, I will be reviewing its competition, Inflight 200s version of this model. Just a quick refresher, N2331U is a Boeing 777-322ER delivered new to United Airlines on December, 21st 2016. This was the first of 14 777-300ERs that United has on order, which are destined to replace the aging 747-400 fleet. United has equipped their 777-300 fleet with its new Polaris Business class, in a 60 Business, 306 Economy class seating arrangement, of which 102 are Economy Plus seats. During the unveiling ceremony, United christened N2331U “The New Spirit of United.”
Aircraft Type: Boeing 777-322ER
Serial number: 62642 LN: 1453
Engines: 2 x GE90-111B
Inflight 200 designed and printed this model after United unveiled their 777-300ER to the public. This alone, created a more accurate design of the model which allowed the smaller details that currently exist on the real-life version of this plane. That being said, the last-minute ship number change that United incorporated into the real N2331U, still plagues this model as well. The registration on the box is the correct tail number, which is a step up from the Gemini Jets version. That being said, the ship number of 2331, which Inflight 200 has put on their model, is still incorrect. Towards the end of the build process and before the delivery of N2331U, United Airlines made a number of changes to the fleet, including the way the airplanes were identified. The original ship number on N2331U was supposed to be 0031. However, just prior to delivery, United changed the ship numbers for the 777-300 fleet to 21XX. Which means the current ship number of 2331U is 2131.
Model:
Inflight 200’s rendition of this 777-300ER is another fine example of the time and detail that goes into their products. The model comes in a nicely packaged box with a United grey colored stand to go along with the model. The overall wingspan is 32.5 CM (12.7 inches) and the fuselage measures a length of 36 CM (14.1 inches). This 777-300 that Inflight released has the choice of have the landing gear in either the retracted, or down position. The interchange between the two configurations is made even easier, thanks to the landing gear and gear doors being magnetized. The magnets do a good job of holding the gear in place. However, due to the weight of the overall model, the main gear has a tendency of coming unstuck if the model is rolled on its wheels.
Again, the overall mold on this model is something that Inflight 200 should be proud of. It is true to its original, real life form right down to the fine details of the many antennas, decals and entertainment humps. Once again, it’s pretty tough to find flaws with this mold that Inflight produces.
The paint and details on this United 777 are also well done. The livery is very comparable to its Gemini Jets counterpart and even more so to the original airframe. Due to its later release date, the model has incorporated the “New Spirit of United” decal on its nose. It also has a mini United logo by both boarding door entrances on the left side of the aircraft, which is another nice touch. One other detail this model includes, that its competition does not, is the overwing exit markings. Inflight 200 kept that true to its entire 777-300ER model fleet. One other thing with Inflight that I have been critical on in the past, was the radome markings of some of their previous models. The radomes looked a little over detailed, compared to the real aircraft. That being said, Inflight 200 has done an excellent job on recreating the nose radome on this model and it’s something they should be proud of. The details are still there, however, they are much subtler then before.
With that in mind the overall quality of model, which is to be expected these days, is exceptionally high. The craftsmanship of the Inflight 200 models as of late have been impeccable and once again it’s pretty hard to find any flaws in this model, which makes these especially sought after in the collector’s market.
Grading:
Grading this model will be slightly easier than the previous United 1:200 model. As in last week’s review, I won’t hold the manufacturer responsible for the last-minute change in ship numbers.
- The overall mold of this model is clean and sharp, with little to no flaws on it. For that it will revive a 9 out of 10.
- The paint and livery on this model are very well done, right down to the small details. For that, it will receive an 8 out 10.
- Quality Control on this model was once again outstanding, with no issues noted when removing the model from the package. It too will receive a 9 out of 10
The overall score on this model is a 26 out of 30, which is a great score for this model. The livery was very well done, but with that being said, it’s a rather standard United livery. They did do a great job on showcasing the details on this model though.
Conclusion:
Overall this model is a more detailed version of N2331U then some of its counterparts. Inflight 200 has done a great job in creating this model and livery, which should appeal to the collectors who want perfection out of their models. This model, while is not perfect, comes ever so close to that mark. This model will definitely appeal to both the Boeing 777-300ER collectors, and the United collectors as well.
As I was able to have both of these models together, I was able to take a few side by side shots of the Gemini Jets 200 and Inflight 200 models.
