Aeronica Tupolev TU-154M YN-CBT "Momotombo" HE573207 Herpa Wings 1:200

This is a die-cast scale model of the Aeronica Tupolev TU-154. The TU-154 is a Soviet-designed trijet airliner that was widely used by airlines in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This model is highly detailed and represents the aircraft in 1:200 scale. Manufactured by Herpa Wings, this model is a must-have for collectors. The political and revolutionary unrest that plagued Nicaragua during the Cold War also had an immense impact on commercial aviation in the country. After ruling the Central American country for decades, the Somoza family was overthrown by the revolutionary Sandinistas in 1979. This also led to the closure of the country's national airline, LANICA, which was majority owned by the ruling Somoza family. The junta in power at the time founded Aerolíneas Nicaragüenses SA, which operated under the name Aeronica, as a successor company in 1981. As an international embargo made it increasingly impossible to keep the former LANICA's Boeing fleet airworthy due to a lack of spare parts, the airline turned to Soviet aircraft to continue operating its international routes. The brand new TU-154M, named Momotombo after one of the country's largest volcanoes, arrived in Managua on December 20, 1989. For just over two years, the aircraft was a frequent guest in Mexico City and other cities throughout Latin America. After the end of the civil war and the political and economic changes following new elections in 1992, the airline was shut down. "Momotombo", with its unusual and colorful livery, was parked at Managua's international airport before being bought by Russia's Omskavia in 1997 and later resold to Iran's Mahan Air, where it remained in service until at least 2005.