Eastern Airlines Flight 401

[Jim B]

It's been a VERY long time since I've build any sort of aircraft. Most of my recent model building has been concentrating on Class 8 trucks. Anyway, I purchased this Airfix Lockheed L-1011 kit back in 1994 while I was stationed at Ft. Polk, LA; but I never really had any plan for it. Several months ago, there was an Ancient Airfix Campaign on another Forum; and I figured that this "ancient Airfix" kit would fit right in. The British Airways decals in the kit were toast (that's them curled up by the wing on the left), so I had to find something else.

Then I remembered Flight 401.

For those of you who are not familiar with Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York-JFK to Maimi International on December 29, 1972, it was the first wide-body airliner crash in US history when it crashed into the Everglades in final approach to Miami International. Growing up in Miami in the 1970s & 1980s; I think everybody knew about Flight 401. Here is the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_401

Well, anyway, back to the build. All I needed was the Eastern Airlines decals, and TwoSix had them!

So, here it is. My "tribute" to Eastern Airlines Flight 401:

Edited April 15, 2014 by Jim B

[cobraman]

Very nice !

[Jim B]

Thanks, Ray.

[tbill]

that's pretty cool Jim!

[TooOld]

That's a beautiful airliner , I always liked the Eastern Airlines colors !

And I remember Flight 401 because I was at Miami Int'l . that night , planning to fly out in the morning . My flight was delayed .

[Jim B]

Thanks, guys.

Bob, I bet your flight was delayed. It was a terrible tragedy.

[jeffs396]

Nicely done Jim!

[Jim B]

Thanks, Jeff.

[Agent G]

Very clean build!

G

[Harry P.]

Wow, that turned out beautifully! Very clean and sharp!

[Hondo]

That is a very nice aircraft there, Jim.

Good job on it.

I can honestly say I have flown on one of those.

I miss ol' EAL.

[mustang1989]

First off James that's a very clean build! Secondly what unit were you with at Polk? I was there at that time frame with 36th Air Med as a Huey crewcheif out on the airfield. Small world we live in I'll tell ya! lol

[Jim B]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

Joe, I was in Btry C, 43rd ADA (PATRIOT), 108th Air Defense Bde.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Jim B

[mustang1989]

Man those were the days right there! I was toolin' around in a little blue 67' Mustang coupe with Cragar SST wheels on it back then. That car was da bomb!! I drove that thing everywhere. Good to see a fellow Ft. Polk resident here.

[peekay]

Very nice work!

[Jim B]

Thanks, Peter.

[Greg Cullinan]

First model plane I've ever seen. I like. Here I go looking at plane kits...

[Jim B]

Well, glad I could help!

[mustang1989]

Go for it Greg!!! lol

[Tony T]

Nice airliner. Nice to build something out of your normal every once in a while.

[Danno]

Beautiful build!

[Jim B]

Thanks!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Nice looking bird. I always liked flying Eastern, and stupidly bought stock in the company shortly before they went belly up.

I think your model has a slightly better looking nose profile than the real 1011, which always reminded me of a dolphin / porpoise.

Two of TWA's old 1011s were parked forlornly on the field just outside a hangar in Kingman Az. where I was working in 2009 or '10. They were home to lots of pigeons, and had been there for years.

I watched them get cut up for scrap during my time there. Kinda sad if you like old airplanes, but they were obsolete fuel hogs and not really worth trying to refurbish.

Images taken from internet sources under "fair use" definition in copyright law

[Jim B]

Thanks, Bill. Actually I had a heck of a time trying to reshape the nose to get it "more correct". Still a little to pointy.

Those are some nice pics of the TWA L-1011. It is sort of a shame that they got cut up, but they are obsolete.