Memories of a bygone era with BA's 100th anniversary special by Inflight

Price: £169.99 
Ref No: BA100
Scale: 1/200

As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, British Airways has painted four of its current fleet, including three Boeing 747s, in retrospective liveries to celebrate its heritage.

The first to receive its new 'old' colours was 747-436 registration G-BYGC and it will wear its new BOAC livery, originally seen from 1964 to 1974, until the end of its service with BA in 2023. The re-liveried aircraft arrived at Heathrow on 18th February, before entering service the following day. This coincided with the 50th anniversary of the first Boeing 747 flight only a few days earlier.

BOAC (which stands for British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the British state-owned airline, created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd., and it continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the passing of the Civil Aviation Act 1946, European and South American services passed to two further state-owned airlines, British European Airways (BEA) and British South American Airways (BSAA). BOAC absorbed BSAA in 1949, but BEA continued to operate British domestic and European routes for the next quarter century. A 1971 Act of Parliament merged BOAC and BEA, effective 31 March 1974, forming today's British Airways.

The diecast replication by InFlight is a marvellous thing to hold, a proper weighty feel with exquisite detailing both in terms of the graphics and physical extras. Starting, of course with that hugely evocative BOAC livery that still manages to stir some serious emotions amongst civil aviation enthusiasts (your Editor included!), the application of the body banding with its integrated door and window relief is especially pleasing and this is complemented by the logo and branding.

The replication of British Airways' retrospective paint job is astonishingly accurate, right down to the aircraft's registration and "British Airways 100" image just ahead of the tail fin. Additionally, the extra branding on both sides of all four engine nacelles is spot on too. The wings can be easily missed too but these have not been forgotten about and the markings/painting is second to none.

Turning our attention to the underside of the aircraft, the undercarriage is well detailed and sturdy enough to support this weighty aircraft but the model does come with a suitably sturdy stand to display with a little more drama. The undercarriage is fixed though and there are no alternative parts to display it 'wheels up', as if in flight.