Where can I Purchase Lufthansa Modell Edition aircraft?

   There is no easy answer to this question as the Lufthansa Modell Edition is no longer being produced. Your best bet is to check out the auctions on Ebay (www.ebay.com) as a number of models come up for auction quite frequently. Search for the following:  “herpa 1:200”, “herpa 1/200”, “model edition”, “modell edition”, and “lufthansa”. Also check out Ebay Germany (www.ebay.de), while the cost of shipping is a bit more, prices tend to be a bit lower. Be sure to check with the seller how they would like payment (most often in DM cash) and if they will ship internationally, do this before bidding on the aircraft. Some online dealers (www.aviation-center-usa.com, www.airplaneshop.com) offer these models from time to time and it is worth a look, however you will pay a bit more than on Ebay.

Where can I Purchase the Herpa Premium aircraft?

   There are a few places to purchase the Herpa Premium series, however the cheapest, although not the fastest, is directly through Herpa. Check out their Online-Shop where they offer the four premium models, as well as display cases. They accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express, and they do ship worldwide. Shipping is around $45 USD (90 DM) so it is better to purchase more than one model and save on shipping. Expect a 1-3 week delivery time from the date you place your order. There are also a number of other vendors selling the aircraft (www.eztoyz.com), and the shipping is cheaper.

Where can I Purchase the Lufthansa Expo Boeing 747?

   This is a tough one… If you live in Europe you can order directly from Lufthansa at skyshop.lufthansa.com. However if you are in the United States you are out of luck, as Lufthansa does not ship to the US. If you live in the US your best bet is to check out Ebay and search for “Herpa EXPO” or “Lufthansa EXPO”. Make sure you are bidding on the 1:200 scale premium model and not the 1:500 diecast! J Also check Ebay Germany at www.ebay.de. While the cost of shipping is a bit more, prices tend to be a bit lower and you may save a few bucks. Be sure to check with the seller how they would like payment (most often in DM cash) and if they will ship internationally, do this before bidding on the aircraft.

What are the Herpa 1:200 Non-Premium Models?

   See our Herpa 1:200 Non-Premium page for more details.

How do the models come packaged?

    This all depends on the model you purchased. The LH A300 and LH 737 were packaged in foam, in plastic hangers that were inside hinged boxes. The remaining models, included the Premium series are concealed in contoured foam inside hinged cardboard boxes:

The LH A300 and some LH 737s were packed in a hanger which was inside a box. White packing foam was used for shipping.	The other models are shipped without a hanger, comfortably nested in gray contoured foam in a black box.

I’ve heard that the Lufthansa Modell Edition aircraft are subject to the white plastic yellowing and the gray plastic turning green. What caused this and what can I do to prevent this from happening to my models?

    This problem affected numerous early Modell Edition aircraft and there are many rumors floating around that attempt to explain the cause of the yellowing/greening plastic. Often you will hear that the packing foam used to cradle the aircraft in its package emitted a chemical fume that reacted with the plastic, hence causing it to turn green or yellow. This explanation, while not proven, has been denied by Herpa. Their explanation is that in the Modell Edition a type of plastic called ABS was used for the aircraft, however for the Premium Editions and "Expo 2000" Herpa used PS plastic. PS is more Ultraviolet resistant than ABS.

    If your models have not turned colors by now this does not mean you shouldn’t take precautions as other factors can cause plastic to turn colors. One of the worst enemies of any type of plastic is sunlight. The Ultraviolet or UV rays from the sun often turn plastic different colors if exposed for extended periods of time. Cigarette smoke as well as fluorescent lights can also cause plastic to do funky things (Just ask the author of this web site what happened to his Long Prosper LH 747 1:250 model after being displayed under florescent lights at work for 2 years…can you say yellow?!). Regardless of what caused the issue, and what state your aircraft are in, the best thing you can do is to display them in a cabinet out of direct sunlight, and without any type of direct light (halogen, spot, etc) shining on them. If you do have lights on your models, be sure to install UV filters on them. Not to mention that if you do smoke, don’t smoke near them

Part of my model is broken, what can I do to repair it?

    If the part is user-replaceable (engine, landing gear, etc.) You can write to Herpa to request a new piece. Our CO 737 had a bad engine when it arrived, the fan wouldn’t spin. A quick note to Herpa landed us two new engines attached to a complete wing. We replaced just the engine and opted not to try to replace the wing. If a major part has broken off (tail, wing tip, etc.) we recommend sending your model to Herpa for repairs. Keep in mind that Lufthansa Modell Edition aircraft may not be repairable as they have been off the market for some time now. Contact Herpa first via email to find out how they will handle your particular situation. Herpa’s email address for both types of issues is: wings@herpa.de Incidentally, if you collect 1:500 models, the same applies. Herpa's mailing address is:

What are the markings on the belly of the aircraft?

    The Lufthansa Modell Edition carries a few items under the fuselage: the serial number of the plane, the model type (B737, B727, etc), “Made in Germany” and “Lufthansa Modell Edition”.

    A few select number of  the B737-300 D-ABXC "Delmenhorst" aircraft carry LHV on the belly in addition to the other stampings. The abbreviation "LHV" stands for "Lufthansa Vorstandsmodell", indicating a Lufthansa model of the director's board. A small amount of about 150 numbered and marked "LHV" models were produced in addition to the regular sales edition of 5000 pieces. The LHV stamping was done to avoid a conflict with the limited edition's collectors market. These served as the directors' boards giveaways to VIPs and selected passengers. These LHV models may be regarded as rarities.

    The Premium Series Edition I contains only the model type, “Made in Germany”, the Herpa Logo, and “Premium Series 1:200”. 

How many models were made?

    In the Lufthansa Modell Edition, 5000 of each “city” were made, with the exception of “Reutlingen", of which only 2000 were produced. There were 13 cites, so the total number is 63,000 models, however production doesn't end there. A small number of models for executives and frequent fliers were made, these were marked with LHV on the belly. And an even smaller number of samples were produced, and are extremely rare. As for the Premium Series Edition I, the number produced is unknown, however no one that we know of has seen an edition serial number over 1000. Premium Series Edition II is limited to 1000 each.

Why are the models so expensive?

A: Good question…we figured you’d ask that one! J If you accustomed to collecting 1:500 scale Herpa aircraft then you are most likely used to paying $10-$25 USD per model. The Modell Edition and Premium Series models are just a tad more expensive, ranging from $160 to $400 per model. The reason has two parts, first the time and money that went into the design and creating the molds and parts (The engineering, design and molds can cost upwards of $500,000 per type of plaine!) Second, the labor of assembling the aircraft is done in Germany rather than in Hong Kong (where the 1:500 assembly is performed). The labor rates are higher in Germany, thus it is reflected in the price. Personally, we’d love to see a “do-it-yourself” premium kit that comes in hundreds of pre-painted pieces…however do to the complexity of the model, we understand that is impossible with out special tools.

What is the sandwich effect?

    The answer to this question goes back to the Lufthansa Modell Edition. In order to produce a perfect cheat line down the fuselage of the aircraft, Herpa designed the fuselage mold for the A300, B727 and B737 in 3 pieces. The top would be molded in white, the middle section with the windows would be molded in blue, and the bottom portion molded in gray. By combining these three pieces a crisp demarcation line between the three colors could be achieved.

    Because the molds were designed for the old Lufthansa livery, when Herpa produced the Premium Series with new liveries the middle, top and bottom portions of the fuselage were molded in the same color (white). The result is the “sandwich effect” of three pieces molded in the same color coming together. Molded as one piece the models would be much more appealing to the eye, Some collectors dislike the sandwich effect, however from a distance the lines are hard to see, however up close it does look a bit cheap. The “sandwich effect” is only noticeable on the CO 737 and EM A300. The DL 727 livery is somewhat similar to the LH 727 livery, so the effect is less. The 747 fuselages is molded in two pieces, however the effect is also less noticable.

What other models was Herpa going to produce?

    After the Modell Edition was release Herpa and Lufthansa planed to produce the models listed below. Unfortunately none of these models made it to production.

• 1990 - Lockheed L-1049G, Super Constellation, Boeing 707-300B

• 1991 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, Airbus A320-200

• 1992 - Airbus A340, Convair CV-440, Boeing 737-500, Airbus A310-300

• 1993 - Douglas DC-3, Convair CV-340, Lockheed L-1649A Starliner

What other models will Herpa produce in the future?

    Another great question, and unfortunately one we can’t answer. Not because we can’t tell, but because we have no idea. Your best bet in getting a sneak peak is to check out Herpa’s message boards. Here at least once a month someone asks that question. While Herpa has stated they will release four planes per year, the mystery of what planes and liveries still remains. Hopefully we will see a new aircraft in the near future!