Gemini just released a model of an airplane that has never carried a passenger, is years behind schedule, and might be wearing different paint by the time it actually flies. It's the most talked-about piece in the June drop. It's also not the one I'd spend my money on.
The June 2026 sheet is deep, and the internet has already crowned its favorites. I think the internet is wrong about a couple of them. Here's how the drop actually ranks, from the piece everyone's overrating to the one that's quietly going to be worth real money.
A note before the verdicts: as of right now these are announced and open for pre-order, not in hand. Gemini reveals a month's lineup, opens orders, then ships the metal weeks later. So this is your window to call your shots before the print runs are spoken for.
The overrated one: USAF VC-25B "Air Force One"
USAF Boeing 747-8i, GJAFO2401, Reg 31000, $79.95
Everyone is posting this. I get it. It's the new Air Force One, it's a 747-8i, and the box looks important on a shelf.
But think about what you're actually buying. The real aircraft hasn't entered service. The program has slipped repeatedly and keeps slipping. And the livery itself has been publicly contested and could change before the jet ever flies a mission. You are buying a model of a plane that doesn't exist yet, in a paint scheme that isn't final.
That's not a knock on the casting. It's a knock on the bet. If you love it, buy it because you love it, not because you think it's an investment. Right now it's hype with an asterisk.
The saturated one: British Airways Concorde G-BOAA
British Airways Concorde, GJBAW2390, G-BOAA, $60.95
This is the enthusiast pick, and it's a genuinely good casting of a genuinely significant airframe. G-BOAA was the first Concorde to enter British Airways service, the one that flew the inaugural supersonic route in 1976, now preserved in Scotland. First-of-fleet pedigree is real.
Here's the honest question though: how many Concordes does your shelf need, and how many does the market need? Concorde is one of the most-cast airframes in the hobby. The history is what separates this one from the pile, so if you're a BA or Concorde completist, the first-into-service registration justifies it. If you already own two white deltas, this is a want, not a grail.
The sleeper I'd actually buy: EG&G "Janet" 737-600
EG&G (Janet) Boeing 737-600, GJEGG2419, N319BD, $57.95
This is the one nobody's leading with, and it's the one I'd put my money on.
Janet is the unmarked white fleet that flies workers out of Las Vegas to restricted desert sites. It has a cult following that doesn't overlap with mainline collectors, which is exactly what you want in a flip. Janet releases have historically run in smaller numbers and dried up fast, and the 737-600 represents the current fleet rather than a retired one.
Fifty-eight dollars today. Ask anyone who passed on the last Janet what they're paying now. This is the quiet release that looks boring in June and looks smart in two years.
The long hold: the centennials
- American Airlines "100" Boeing 737-800, GJAAL2417, N840NN, $57.95
- Lufthansa "100" Airbus A320neo, GJDLH2413, D-AING, $58.9
Both airlines turn 100 in 2026, and both anniversary schemes are in this drop. Neither is exciting. Both are smart.
Anniversary liveries are tied to a single year. The airline retires them, Gemini never reissues a sold-out model, and a few years later the only way to get one is the secondary market. You're not buying these to flip next quarter. You're buying them because in 2030 they're the piece a collector can't find. Park them and forget them.