B747 with Shuttle
The U.S. Space Shuttle Orbiter is incapable of in-atmosphere flight on its own and is simply too large to transport on land so a pair of Boeing 747s have been extensively reworked and modified to carry shuttles from their landing site back to the Kennedy Space Center. The 747s were chosen for modification for a number of reasons including the fact that a civilian model aircraft would allow NASA to own the transports rather than lease them from the U.S. Air Force. In the initial years of operation during the Space Shuttle's testing the first shuttle ferry still bore the American Airlines paint scheme that the aircraft was originally intended to operate with. NASA eventually replaced the coloration in the 1980s and this is how the aircraft is modeled here in a precisely detailed reproduction of NASA's own paint scheme. This high-quality model of a very unique aircraft will make a prized part of any collection.About Toys and Models CorporationSince 1982 Toys and Models has created exquisitely detailed historically accurate replicas of aircraft. New technology and materials combined with painstaking detail ensure that when you purchase a model from Toys and Models you'll admire it for years to come. Toys and Models is located in Mahwah New Jersey.