1:144 B737-300/400/500 Landing Flaps

Landing flaps for the Boeing 737 Classic in 1:144 scale (LACI)

A resin detail accessory with which a model of the second generation Boeing 737 in 1:144 scale is built with the landing flaps extended. Kits in this scale usually have the trailing edge of the wing cast in one piece, that is in the position for flight. This set makes it possible to show the aircraft in the landing configuration, when the wing is markedly unfolded and the silhouette of the model changes substantially as a result.

The real subject

The second generation Boeing 737 has multi-element landing flaps on the trailing edge, which on extension move backward and drop, so that slots open between the individual elements. The flaps do not run on a simple hinge but on tracks led in aerodynamic fairings projecting under the wing, which on this type are conspicuous even in flight. In the extended position the inner sides of the flaps are revealed, and so is the mechanism that is completely hidden when they are retracted. That is precisely why the landing configuration pays off on a model: an aircraft with its high-lift devices extended looks quite different from the same machine in cruise, and it tends to be the most striking way to give a static model of an airliner life.

Building and painting tips

Count on this being an intervention into the wing. The original trailing edge has to be cut off, which is a step with no way back, so try dry first where the cut will run and mark it. Wash the mold release agent off the resin parts and cut the pour blocks away with a saw. Resin sands differently from plastic, it goes faster, so take material off little by little and finish wet. It is glued with super glue, with a filler where a gap has to be made good. Paint the inner surfaces of the flaps and the mechanism, and emphasize them with a dark shade if you like, before you seat the assembly; once it is glued, no brush will reach them.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the second generation Boeing 737 in 1:144 scale
• Modelers who want to build the aircraft in the landing configuration
• More experienced builders who dare to cut into the wing
• Collections of civil models where the high-lift devices of the wing are to stand out

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted, as a resin casting for more experienced modelers. Glue, paints and a base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.