Kit: No. SL60
Scale: 1/144
Manufacturer: Welsh Models, 93 Fonmon Park Road, Rhoose, Barry, South Glamorgan CF62 3BG, United Kingdom, 44-1-446-710113. Available from Precision Enterprises Unlimited, P.O. Box 97, Springfield, VT 05156, 802-885-3094.
Price: $54 plus shipping
Comments: Vacuum formed, 62 parts (21 cast metal, 10 resin), decals.
FACED WITH strong competition, Boeing recognized a need for an airliner sized between its 767 and 747. Originally proposed as an extended 767, what emerged from Boeing's computers was an almost new design, retaining only the nose and tail of the 767. The 777 is the largest commercial twin-engined aircraft ever, only slightly shorter in length and span than the four-engined 747.
Welsh Models specializes in 1/144 scale vacuum-formed airliners, so it's not surprising that it has produced the first kit of the 777. The main components are formed in two 1.5mm-thick white styrene sheets. The surface detail is recessed. Resin castings are provided for engine fronts, exhaust cones, and large flap-actuator fairings. The landing-gear struts and wheels are molded in white metal.
Construction is typical for a vacuum-formed kit. After preparing the edges of the main parts on sandpaper taped to a counter top, I had to work on the inboard areas of the wings with sanding sticks because of the dihedral angle. Test fit the parts often so you don't sand too much.
Before closing the fuselage halves, I scratchbuilt a nose-gear well and added 1/2 oz. of lead to hold the model down on its nose gear.
Welsh Models provides four bulkheads for the fuselage. Bulkheads 2 and 3 required a lot of trimming to fit. Reinforce your fuselage seams, as my seams popped in two places during final assembly and finishing. If I had it to do over, I'd leave out the bulkheads and fill the fuselage with urethane foam.
I used Milliput epoxy putty to fill the small gaps between the wings, vertical stabilizer, and fuselage. Set the dihedral of the wings as the epoxy cures. My first attempt was way off, and I had to sand the wing roots and try again. I delayed installing the horizontal tail planes and engines to ease painting.
The windows are molded as slight depressions in the fuselage, so you have the option of drilling them out or filling them in and using the decals provided. I chose the latter.
Welsh's color references give a federal standard number for the upper fuselage gray, but the other colors are given generic names (midnight blue, pale gray). I custom mixed Testor gloss enamels to match photos of the first United 777 in the July/August 1995 Airways. I ignored the instructions' wing- and tail-plane-color notes and painted them pale gray with natural-metal leading edges as per the photos.
The Microscale decals were beautifully printed and went on without a hitch. The pattern of the decal windows differed from the plane in the photos, so I cut the windows apart and rearranged them. Additional registration numbers allowed me to mark my model as the first United Airlines 777.
The basic metal landing gear has adequate detail for the scale. I attached the main struts and braces first, then sat the model on a flat surface to ensure all the tires touched.
I felt the engine locators on the wings were too far forward, but when I moved them back I created large gaps between the engine pylons and the wings. I filled them with Milliput and touched up with dark blue paint. Finally, I gave the model a coat of Future floor polish for an overall glossy sheen.
My model measures close to the dimensions in Airways. It's big even for this small scale, taking up an 18" x 16" space in my display case.
I spent nearly 40 hours building my 777, not bad for a kit this size. You should have experience with vacuum-formed kits before building this airliner. That said, the good fit and detail make this one of the easier kits to tackle.
John Plzak