Airbus has a history of producing aircraft with a lot of growth potential. The A330 expanded from a medium range widebody to an all purpose one and like it the A321 with the NEO variants has undergone a revolution in capability that has propelled it to the front of the narrowbody market. That popularity has also been evident in 400 scale with between 50 and 75 model release each year over the past 5 years. Despite this and the large number of moulds available the type hasn’t featured often at the website with only 5 reviews in the past 5 years. The last time I reviewed an NG A321 was back in 2023 so it’s overdue another look.
Each review is to split into three key areas:
- The model mould
- The paint and livery reproduction
- Printing and quality control
Each section can get a maximum score of 10 for a maximum combined score of 30
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MOULD
So far in 2026 there have been 65 A321 releases in 400 scale using the following moulds:
- HX Models 2
- JC Wings 16 – (Babytoyss: 2, Gemini Jets: 4, JC Wings 8, Apollo 2)
- Kylin Models 26 – (Geministar 16, JET Models -9, Kylin Model 1)
- NG Models 19
- Phoenix 2
These represent 5 of the 8 available moulds (others exist from Aeroclassics, HYJLwings and Panda Models) with further moulds on the horizon from Aero Polaris and an updated version from Kylin Models and Panda Models. There is obviously a lot of competition between manufacturers and brands, especially in the China first market occupied by the likes of Geministar and JET.
The market has also become quite price stratified in recent years but that hasn’t stopped brands like Geministar from producing a quite competitive A321, which I reviewed a few months ago here:
NG Models tend to occupy the upper strata when it comes to price, especially with their Ultimate Collection releases such as this one. One of the reasons they can occupy that level is because they have a strong reputation for a quality product and some of the best moulds in the market.
The NG Models A321 first appeared in mid-2022 and I reviewed the samples here at the website:
It was a replacement for the separate HYJL Wings A321 mould that NG had been using since January 2020 and was part of the larger series of NG A320 family members released around the same time. NG had told me that the reason for the new A321 was to resolve the following issues:
- To improve the pylons and ground clearance of the NEO engines
- Add some extra detailing to the fuselage underside
- Fix issues with wing attachment, which saw some QC issues with wings detaching in the box
The resulting NG Models A321 certainly occupies the top end of the A321 pool and competes with the older HYJL Wings and newer, but possibly out of use Panda, moulds in terms of accuracy. With both those moulds rarely seen nowadays it is only the Kylin mould providing real competition in the market.
The base mould has no real weaknesses. The fuselage shape is perfection and the landing gear attached to it excellent too. The nosegear has the slight forward angle of the gearleg accurately depicted.
At the wing the fuselage fairing is tight and accurate. The wing has a good shape and detail, with very nicely shaped sharklets. One of the most obvious mould differences to be found is on the underside, where the maingear doors are shaped to include the small bumps. Until recently this was the only A321 to incorporate this feature, but the newer HX Models A321 also now has it.
The solidcore CFM LEAP engines prioritise fanblade realism and detailing. They also correctly show the asymmetric engine nacelle of the CFM LEAP, which is caused by the placement of the engine’s accessory gearbox and its associated systems. In terms of ground clearance and engine size the LEAPs are better than the competing JC Wings and HX Models moulds.
The NG mould also correctly has the double-slotted flaps of an A321 visible. This is a feature that remains ignored on the Aeroclassics mould, although Phoenix have updated their A321 wing to now feature this.
Although NG Models has been gradually updating its moulds to remove the underside standhole the A321 has not received this treatment yet so will still fit a standard stand, as well as the overwing style stand that this Ultimate Collection version comes with.
Considering the sheer number of A321 moulds it is surprising that it is often the weaker moulds that have gained the stronger usage in recent times, with both the HYJL and Panda moulds seemingly out of commission for long periods. New moulds from Kylin and HX have added more variety but not eclipsed the quality of this NG Models version. Other 400 scale A321s remain some way behind but it will be interesting to see how new upcomings moulds compete. I suspect they will be strong efforts.
SCORE – 10
PAINT & LIVERY
Cathay Pacific introduced new larger style titles in the second half of 2024, initially on the rebranded Cathay Cargo fleet. The rollout on the passenger fleet has been seemingly quite slow but most fleet types are now gaining the larger version.
There has been plenty of discussion over the colour palette used by NG Models for its Cathay releases, even to the extent of debating what colour the main fuselage band is – opinions have varied from green to grey to greyish-blue. Cathay’s own materials suggest it is a light slate grey. The NG version is perhaps a little too light, but not enough to bother me and if you have many NG Cathay models they will all display alongside each other fine.
Outside of colour discussion all the livery elements are placed and recreated very well.
SCORE – 9
PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL
In my opinion NG lead the way in terms of print quality and fineness. Several other brands are running them close, such as HX Models and Panda, but neither can quite match the fineness. JC Wings also have excellent printing but sometimes lack the consistency.
Paint finishing around engine rims and on fanblades is also topnotch. Previous complaints about BabyBus windowline printing do not apply to this model and the only criticism I can level is that the quite heavy line around the wing to fuselage fairing is absent. The only brand I’ve seen print that on an A320 is Aviation400.
Quality control all round is good except the starboard side engine nacelle tilts upwards – an all-too-common problem with several brands.
This model is an Ultimate Collection release and so comes with the premium style magnetic flip-top box. On the inside there is extra printing, as has been seen with several recent Ultimate Collection releases, but there is no collector’s card or booklet.
The model comes with one of the smaller varieties of the new NG overwing stands. They fit the model well, but I admit are also a little frustrating. There is no custom printing on the stand, as with HX releases, and it is very easy to accidentally knock the model off the stand by accident if you clip it in anyway.
Additionally, the transparent plastic part that fits over the wing is rather large and obvious on a small narrowbody type like an A321 and is made to fit only the A320 family, so the stand can’t easily be used for other types.
SCORE – 8
CONCLUSION
NG Models, despite criticism received from me in terms of release choices and some other decisions, remain near or at the top of the pile in 400 scale. Certainly, when it comes to A320 family members they are hard to beat. I also appreciate the premium style box that comes with Ultimate Collection releases, but I admit that in terms of overall value and add-ons the HX Models releases are running them very close and are usually cheaper. I’m also not sold on the new style stands and would prefer a reversion to one that used a standhole.
FINAL SCORE – 27/30
