Herpa Alaska Airlines Lockheed L-1649A Starliner N7316C 1:200 diecast plane Diecast Model

1:200 Diecast: Alaska Airlines Lockheed L-1649A Starliner N7316C (Herpa). This model tells one of the most incredible survival stories in aviation history. MSN 1018 rolled off the Lockheed line in 1957 as "Star of Tigris" for Trans World Airlines (TWA). After a brief stint as a freighter starting in 1960, it found its way to Alaska Airlines in 1962, where it operated until 1968 wearing the fantastic "Golden Nugget Service" livery—red and gold scheme celebrating Alaska's gold rush era, complete with flight attendants in period attire.

After Alaska service, N7316C bounced around operators until 1972, then sat abandoned at Stewart Airport in New York. In 1983, a man named Maurice Roundy flew it out—literally the last flight of this aircraft, on November 9, 1983, to Auburn-Lewiston in Maine—saving it from certain scrapping. There it sat until 2006, when Lufthansa acquired it for a full restoration to flight condition.

Here's where it gets really exciting: In January 2025, after years of work (and €150 million spent), N7316C rolled out of Lufthansa Technik Hamburg on January 17, freshly painted as Lufthansa "D-ALAN". It's scheduled to be displayed at Frankfurt Airport in Spring 2026 for Lufthansa's centenary. Of the 45 Starliners built, only four survive—N7316C is one, alongside N974R at Fantasy of Flight in Florida and N8083H at the TWA Hotel in New York.

Herpa released this 1:200 model (item 573023) in early 2024, capturing the Alaska Airlines "Golden Nugget" livery that this aircraft wore during its colorful 1960s chapter. It's a piece of history you can hold.

Age 16+ only. Not a toy.