Just Aircraft UK - Star Jets History

Star Jets History

In 2000 a new company from the USA appeared producing die cast models in the 1:500 scale, �Star Jets�.Their first release being the Air France 747-400 #001 in May 2000.
The attention to detail plus the whole model including tail and landing gear, being in metal, (only the plastic detailed engines being the exception) even the packaging has a quality feel to it! The only draw back being the visible seam in the tail area, most apparent on the 747.
Soon other moulds were to follow including the A340 / A330, TriStar ,DC-8 ,A320,A321 727,757,767 and the excellent MD11 mould, instantly making them the most detailed in the 1:500 scale. (The long established manufacturer Herpa soon answered this with the introduction of their own improvements in the form of new generation.) So healthy competition is a good thing!!!

In 2001, the German company Schuco known for their die cast quality joined forces with Star Jets to promote the models, all of which are produced in China.
In Europe, the models are often released under the name Schuco. In October 2001, #7500 a Lufthansa A340-300 was the first Schuco release for Europe. Elsewhere, it was released under the name of Star Jets. The box packaging can sometimes feature just Star Jets, or both names.
This new joined company is also known for being the producers of Gemini Jets in the 1:400 scale, and the 2002 introduced 1:200 scale Star Jets models.

There is a dedicated website, www.starjets.com where information on a club offering exclusive models can be found, such as the excellent Aer Lingus MD-11. There is also a model database.
Some models are produced by Star Jets as exclusives for airlines, that are not available through the normal model shops, an example of this would be the JAL inflight sales. Also, other sought after models are produced in limited runs, such as the Air Transat L-1011-385 produced for the ILA 2002 show.
In 2002, the moulds of some models continue to evolve, such as the 777 new mould that no longer features the tail seam, compair the Air France 777-200 with seam, and El Al 777-200 without seam. The future holds new moulds such as the recently introduced KLM 737-900.

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