1:144 Airbus A-320

The real subject

The Airbus A320 is a twin-engined airliner for short and medium routes with a single aisle in the passenger cabin. It entered scheduled service at the end of the 1980s and is one of the most widespread airliners of all. It is powered by two turbofan engines slung on pylons under the wing. Among its design novelties were electrical flight controls with no mechanical link between the pilot's stick and the control surfaces, and a side stick in place of the traditional yoke.

What the set contains

This is a classic kit in injection-molded polystyrene. The parts are held on sprues, from which they are nipped off with sprue cutters, and decals and assembly instructions are included in the box.

Building and painting tips

The fuselage of an airliner is a large smooth surface on which every irregularity shows up. It therefore pays to sand the joint of the fuselage halves carefully and to polish the whole surface before varnishing, because a gloss white or silver finish needs a perfectly smooth base. Decals on airliners tend to be extensive and run across windows and changes of shape. Apply them over a gloss varnish and use a decal softener so that they settle into every recess. A sharp division of colors on the vertical tail and on the engine nacelles is best achieved with masking tape applied before spraying.

Who it is for

1:144 scale is the usual one for airliners and the finished model takes up little room on a shelf, so a whole collection of types fits side by side. The kit assumes basic experience of gluing and painting plastic models. Paints, glue and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.