I’ve been a fan of the Aviation400 A350 ever since it first appeared in 2017 and have appreciated what AV400 has brought to the scale in terms of feature rich models. In recent years their A350 has been overtaken by new competition, but they have not rested on their laurels and have gradually updated the add-on components like engines and undercarriage. They have now attacked the central parts of the mould itself and combined those with the improved add-ons to produce what is essentially a new mould for the type that is better placed to compete in what is probably the most competitive area of 400 scale.
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
Aviation400 have proven themselves keen to upgrade their moulds regularly, which is a testament to their dedication, but also an admittance that they haven’t always been 100% accurate. Their A350 has generally been very well thought of and on initial release nearly a decade ago easily surpassed the JC Wings / Gemini and Phoenix efforts.
In recent years despite updates to the undercarriage the mould had been surpassed by the NG Models release, as well as latterly the related Panda and Aero Polaris versions. Last year the Aviation400 A350 was further updated with new engine fans, pylons and magnetic detachable gear, however even with those improvements the one glaring issue was the fact the wing still sported the pre-PIP style shorter winglets.
That made it, along with the Phoenix, one of only two A350s still with the old-style winglets and not representative of the majority of A350-900s now in service. This new 2026 mould has remedied that issue and also includes an all-new fuselage barrel with further updates. I have just recently written a piece exploring the gestation of the AV400 A350 and looking at the mould updates so for that see:
The new fuselage barrel on this A350 is an improvement over the previous version, which was no slouch itself. The shape of the nosecone is slightly improved, and the wing join has been rebuilt. Previously, the forward wingjoin was rather rounded, but now it correctly shows the more angular blade like profile of the real thing and has a nicely detailed join to the fuselage itself.
The model still demonstrates AV400’s trademark jewel navigation beacons but has a smaller dome after the beacon on the dorsal. The model has all four aerials, and these are very well shaped and sized. Less well shaped is the larger rear dorsal dome that doesn’t have the teardrop shape defined as well as it could.
The new wings are very similar to the old ones, aside from the sharper leading-edge profile and of course the PIP winglets, which are taller and more angular. With the naked eye the profile of the winglets is very good, and you have to really zoom in to see that ideally, they’d be a little sharper at the tips. I’m not sure that is really achievable at 400 scale.
This mould features the improved engine pylons of the previous v1C mould, which are a definite improvement over the originals. At the engines the model also has the improved fanblades of the v1C and these are rotating hollow-core engines. The number of fanblades has been increased from 18 to 22, which is the correct number. Although a distinct improvement over the original fans the blades are still quite thin and a lot less realistic than the fanblades on the NG and AP moulds.
The new mould benefits from the magnetic detachable landing gear that was fitted to the previous v1C version. This is excellent and aside from the unavoidably tiny size of the closed gear door elements is a really great addition to the mould.
I’d argue that compared to the NG and Aero Polaris A350s there are still small areas where this mould doesn’t quite hit the same heights, mainly in relation to the detailing of the undercarriage and the engine fans. However, neither of those competing moulds is offering the extra features that Aviation400 is in terms of playability such as beacon lights, mag gear and spinning fans.
The new winglets and improved wingjoin are significant improvements over the previous AV400 A350 and elevate it into direct competitor territory with the NG and Aero Polaris. The JC Wings and Phoenix moulds remain some distance behind, although as I understand Phoenix are updating their mould with a new wing too.
SCORE – 9
PAINT & LIVERY
Iberia joining IAG in 2011 was the trigger for the introduction of a new livery two years later and it was a major disappointment. Another bland euro-white easy to maintain and paint scheme with little or no character. Spanish airlines have form here – see Air Europa! At least they kept the yellow and red, although their appearance only on the tail was a massive comedown compared to the masterpiece livery that was this scheme’s predecessor.
At least EC-NIG was brightened up a little in May 2024 when it gained a large ‘Only in Madrid’ sticker on the portside rear- see here for a great photo of the frame. This was advertising the Spanish capital as a tourist destination but was sadly only worn until December 2025.
Aviation400 professionally deliver the base Iberia scheme on the model. The colours are bright and vibrant, the titles are well sized and positioned, the winglets look great and the smaller titles on the engine nacelles are correctly a little lower than mid-height.
The large complex sticker on the rear portside is well placed and sized. With the eyeball it looks rich and well detailed. All the parts of it are present, which includes several people seated at a table, a dancer or two, plus a variety of landmarks. It is a very complex sticker and looks amazing on the model.
SCORE – 10
PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL
Aviation400’s level of printing is commendable but not quite as finely done as is achieved by brands such as NG. Some of that appears to be on purpose and certainly things like the geardoors are much more visible. This difference is rarely an issue for me and sometimes I think I prefer it given how overly fine some printwork has become on NG Models.
Having said that there is a level of fineness and detail missing around the Madrid sticker, which looks great to the naked eye but less good if you zoom in with a macro-lens. At zoom the sticker seems quite dotty and a lot of the details are rather blurry because of this. It also means that some areas of block colour, such as the trees on the bottom left suffer a little. I always feel a little guilty at zooming in on such detailed areas of liveries because the sticker does look fabulous at normal magnification. Nonetheless, I do feel that a brand like NG might have done a better job with it.
Model QC is excellent and there are no issues. This updated mould comes with the new triangular style standhole, which fits the redesigned simple plastic stand well. The stand does the job but isn’t to the same standard as that which come with the AV400 A380s and certainly doesn’t compete well with the stands from HX Models.
Likewise, the box is a standard design and not as attractive as from other brands. There is no collector’s card or extras but the plastic cradle inside the box has been redesigned to fit the stand and gear down elements in separate compartments.
SCORE – 8
CONCLUSION
Aviation400 produce a wonderful colourful range of models using their mostly widebody catalogue. This Iberia version is no exception and having been only announced in June was delivered quite quickly to market. That hasn’t always been the case with AV400 so they are a brand that I wouldn’t preorder from however a lot of the delays have been due to new mould modifications and the end product is high-quality and desirable. They are definitely a brand that I am keen to acquire and offer aspects that no other brand in the scale does. That combination of a strong A350 and the beacons and mag gear make their A350s very strong competition to the other best A350s in the scale, while their relatively small mould catalogue means they can be relied upon to produce models others might skip – this Madrid schemed version for example is only made currently by Aviation400.
FINAL SCORE – 27/30
