Database Structure

I. Eligibility

• It is an aircraft. This includes airplanes, rotocraft, and airships.
• It has been (or will be) produced in a some quantity of identical units. (Samples do not count)
• It is made from metal (die-cast) or plastic.
• Is is a scale representation of the aircraft, with attempted accuracy.
• It was designed for static display. (i.e. No RC or toys)

II. Data Fields

• Scale
• Brand
• Item Number
• Exclusive For
• Airline
• Operator
• Livery
• Special Livery
• Name
• Aircraft
• Registration
• Material
• Units
• Release Date
• Tags
• Remarks

III. Scales

IV. Brands

1. Definitions
1. Brand: an identity that is used to market or promote models.
2. Sub-brand: an identity created by a major ("parent") brand that is different from the parent brand, and that has no outside entitys involved.
3. Commission: a model that is commissioned by an entity (usually an airline, a retailer, or an individual) from a producing brand.
2. Commissions
1. In cases where the producing brand's logo is on the box, the commissioner is listed in the exclusive for field.
2. If the commissioner is the only one listed on the box, then that is the brand used.
3. Unbranded
1. Even if no branding exists on the box, the producing brand may be well known based on the box and/or model.
2. A sub-brand may also be used to help organize by box-style or some other distinguishing feature.

V. Exclusive For

• Use of this field is designed for:
• Models commissioned by one brand from another, and both brands are on the box
• Models that were originally only sold
• by a specific retailer,
• at an airline's shop or only to an airline's employees,
• or; at a specific event
• Use of this field is not designed for:
• Models that were originally only in a certain country or region

VI. Item Numbers

1. Definitions
1. Item number: a unique identifier for a model, usually printed on the box. Also known as SKU, product number, or part number.
2. Set: a group of models that were produced and originally sold together, typically in the same box, and therefore share the same item number.
3. Series: a group of models that share the same item number but are distinguishable from each other, and usually were produced at different times.
2. Determining
1. If clearly marked on the box, use that.
2. Or, if the producer has published an identifier on their website or other media, use that.
3. Or, if the box has a UPC (universal product code), use the last 5 digits, preceded by a two-letter prefix for the brand. An additional digit may be added between the brand and 5-digit code to distinguish the scale (2 for 1:200, 4 for 1:400, etc). This is a standard practice used by several brands and recoginized by many retailers..
4. Last resort, use "N/A".
3. Sets
1. Each model that is part of a set has a separate entry.
2. A number in a circle will appear next to the item number, indicating how many are in the set. Click the number to view all models in the set.

   ITEM123A/2
4. Series
1. Each model that is part of a series has a separate entry.
2. A number in a square will appear next to the item number, indicating which version it is. Click the number to view all models in the series.

   ITEM123Av3
3. If the brand used a different identifier for the re-release (such as adding a letter suffix), then it is not listed as a series.

VII. Airlines / Operators

1. Definitions
1. Airline: an identity that appears on an aircraft with the purpose of representing a brand or organization.
2. Operator: a company or individual that operators aircraft under a single certificate.
2. Use Cases
1. If the operator is the same as the airline, then the operator field is not used.
2. If the operator is different than the airline:
1. For airlines that are only operated by one company, the operator field is not used, but the operator will be automatically listed with the airline.
2. For airlines that are operated by multiple companies, the operator field is used to identify the company that operates the aircraft.
3. Regionals
1. Since most regional brands are operated by multiple companies, the operator field is used.
2. Examples
Delta Connection
 
American Eagle
 
Lufthansa Regional
 
4. Cargo / Other Divisions
1. Some airlines operate separate cargo divisions or other identities.
2. The identity/division is listed as the model's airline.
3. The operator does not need to be specified, but it will be listed automatically.
4. Examples
Korean Air Cargo
 
Song
 
US Airways Shuttle
 

VIII. Livery

1. Definitions
1. Base Livery: a commonly used livery used by an airline over some time period.
• Each base livery should be uniquely identified by years of use, a commonly used namem, and/or a logo used in conjunction with the livery.
• Some base liveries may use the same logos.
2. Special Livery: a limited-use livery used for a special event, promotion, celebration, or other recognition.
• The description of the special livery should be the minimum necessary words to identify it.
• No quotations are used.
• The words "livery", "colors/colours", "titles", and "logo" are not used.
2. Retro / Heritage
1. If airline's standard/current logo appears on the aircraft, than it is used for the base livery, and the retro/heritage is noted in special livery.
2. If the entire livery, including the logo, is equivilant to the retro livery, than it used for the base livery, and also noted in special livery.

IX. Aircraft Name

1. Aircraft names are only entered when it is unique to the aircraft and appears in text on the model.
2. Aircraft with names may also have a special livery, but not always.
3. However, most special liverys do not constituent an aircraft name.

X. Aircraft

1. Organization
1. Aircraft are organized in a tree hierachy.
2. At the top are the aircraft manufacturers, and then each level groups related aircraft types together.
3. Some levels are meant to be for grouping only, while others may be suitable to describe the actual aircraft type.
2. Variants / Specificity
1. Aircraft variants are listed if they are unique, taken in the context of model collecting. In other words, if you can distinguish the difference on the model (with the exception of engines), then it should be listed as a different aircraft.
2. Examples of aircraft listed and not listed:
Airbus A320-100
Airbus A320-200
Airbus A320 w/ Sharklets
Airbus A320neo
Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 w/ Winglets
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Airbus A320-214
Boeing 737-800ER
Boeing 737-832
3. Name Changes
1. When an aircraft program changes ownership and/or name, the more commonly used name is used.
2. Examples of aircraft listed and not listed:
Airbus A220
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
BAe 146-300 / Avro RJ100
Bombardier CS-100
Douglas DC-10
Boeing MD-11

XI. Release Month/Year

1. Release data for past models may be based on announcement of the release or actual availability, depending on the source of data.
2. Due to variability in shipping, all current and future models should have a release based on announcement month only. If the model is significantly delayed, then the release can be changed.

XII. Tags

1. Tags are used to denote commonly-found features of a model. A few examples:
Interactive
Model has exchangeable parts, such as passenger/cargo doors (does not include gears or wingtips)
Flaps Down
Model with flaps and/or slats down
Rotating Engine
Model with engine fan blades or propellers that rotate freely
Foldable Wingtips
Model with wingtips that fold
Removable Gear
Model with detachable gear (usually magnetic, and replacable with a closed configuration)
No Gear
Model with no gear (Note: If neither Gear tag is listed, then the model is assumed to have permanent gear)
Stand
Model with stand included
Fake Registration
Model that represents a real aircraft, expect for the registration
Fictional
Model that does not represent a real aircraft
Ultimate Collection
Used for NG Models only. Indicates that the model is a part of a Ultimate Collection

XIII. Remarks

1. Remarks are reserved for any information that doesn't fit into the other fields.
2. Remarks will not include:
• Any data that is already listed in other fields
• Information about included GSE
• Information about the real aircraft, except in extremly notable cases
3. Commonly used remarks may be turned into tags.