For 1/72 Stratocruiser which livery .. PAA or Boeing House?

[Henry Tenby]

Today I got the refinished 1/72 Boeing Stratocruiser from our workshop and it is now ready for livery choice after a very detailed restoration.

This solid oak model dates from the 1940s or early 50s and is amazingly accurate. It is hard to believe that a craftsman back in the day was able to shape the wood so accurately into a Stratocruiser. It is almost more accurate than a plastic kit or modern day display model, which is remarkable given that it was made by hand. Notice the accuracy of the engines, how beautifully turned they are, with the stacks, cowlings etc. It is a very unique piece.

Now I have to make a decision and welcome your input. Should I make it all silver livery Pan American? Or shall I make it in Boeing house livery. You can see I have both decals on the 1/72 Academy decal sheet that I acquired over a decade ago with the model kit. I sold off the model .. as I only bought the kit to get the decals!

It is a tough decision. Both liveries are all bare metal schemes. I will have to get some fuselage window decals made up for either livery. But I welcome your input as to which will be the better scheme to depict on this model.

[Brian Laurance]

Henry, it's beautiful! Since Pan Am was the first and largest operator of the Stratocruiser, it would be cool to see it in the early, bare metal Pan Am livery. (I'm sure that you're not surprised that this would be my choice!)

This look would be a contrast to the later "white top" livery that Atlantic Models used for my 1/72-scale Stratocruiser:

[Henry Tenby]

Hi Brian, Your Atlantic Models PAA Stratocruiser looks really nice. They did a good job. To be honest I am leaning towards the bare metal PAA scheme too.

I will make my decision next week. For me, model collecting and restoration is a very long term commitment. Not only does it take a long time to find such models, but once you find models, they often need repairs. So finding decals, and sanding, filling, touching up, it is all a major effort. But well worth the satisfaction of the finished product.

Stratocruiser models are not so common. Westway models made a 1/72 metal period model in the 1950s. I used to have one in BOAC livery. There. Was. Also a two piece metal casting done in the 1950s with fuselage separate from wings. It was quite accurate but I do not known the maker of that model. Would like to get an example for my collection one day.

[Brian Laurance]

Henry, have you seen the very large scale Boeing Stratocruiser model that hangs from the ceiling of the gift shop of Seattle's Museum of Flight? It's finished in the bare metal Boeing house livery, and is a cutaway on one side. It's very impressive, and I doubt whether there are any extant examples like it.

[Henry Tenby]

Yes Brian I have seen that model in the museum gift shop. It is very impressive. I recall in the late 1990s, there was a publication called Miniature Aircraft Quarterly.

They published a photo of a similar sized period model of a Stratocruiser owned by a Seattle collector named Larsen, possibly first name Jim. I don't remember precisely. As he had one of these models, also in Seattle, I am thinking they might have originated with Boeing back in the 1950s.

There cannot be too many of these models around in this day and age. They are fabulous pieces of aviation history.

[Brian Laurance]

Henry, I stumbled across an image of a large-scale 377 Stratocruiser cut-away model, permanently displayed at the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. The model reflects Pan Am's final livery for the type. I'd love to someday see this model first-hand.

[Henry Tenby]

What a superb Start model ... this is similar to the one that was owned by Jim Larsen a photo of which I saw in the IMAC newsletter about 15 years ago.

So these large Stratocruiser cutaway models are out there. This example appears to have been recently restored. They did a wonderful job! Next time I am in Honolulu I will be sure to go to this museum and have a look!