This was the first model I did after a long hiatus. The 747-400 is a beautiful plane and this model does not disappoint. The pieces are all molded well and the fit is good though not perfect. There are some areas that need a good sanding to make them flush, and the engines are not as detailed as I would like. It can be tricky to get the landing gear attached properly, and they can be very fragile. Also don't forget to add a heavy weight to the nose or your finished model with be perpetually in a state of over-rotation. The windows are simply cutout of the fuselage and there are no clear inserts or decals to cover them. My other small gripe is that the engines mount on the surface of the wings with only two tiny bumps to align them (as opposed to a slight cutout that other models use and makes for a more secure mounting). The decals provided are very extensive and really make this model shine; though applying around 50 TINY No Step decals on the wings can be laborious. Aside from my nitpicking this is a great model that shines as the Queen of the Skies!

Building this giant was fun. I painted it exactly as it appears on the box. You get what you pay for with this kit. Be sure to be carefully glue the fuselage halves together. If any glue leaks out it can damage the front of the aircraft by wrinkling it from the inside out, ruining the panel detail. This is due to the thickness of the front fuselage The only real issue I had with this kit is the landing gear. Unless you put ballast in the front of the model to balance it, expect the landing to break like a twig if the kit tilts backwards. If you want to build a 747 without hurting your wallet or want a kit that gives you long but fun building experience, then this is the kit for you.

Of the 1/144 scale Boeing 747's available, this is one of the older models, and it shows. Poor quality, lots of flashings to trim, parts don't fit well, etc etc. Takes every skill, patience, putty, sanding ....... to make it look good. The main joint: wings to fuselage, is poorly designed, requiring shimming for the joint to be solid. As a result, my main wing uptilt angle ended up a bit off (see photos attached). Decals are the only parts of high quality. Revell's own and Zvevda's 1/144 B747-8, the newer models, are so much more superior, their plastic moldings are simply sharper, nothing to trim, practically snaps into place. However, the 747-400 is still the more classic looking, more common 747, with the familiar wingtip winglets (no winglets in the 747-8 stretched version). Still a handsome plane with the distinctive upper hump. The timeless and elegant Lufthansa color scheme is quite handsome.