經典重返雲端 – Airbus A350-900 Cathay Pacific 80th anniversary special livery model
綠白間條再度翱翔天際，國泰航空80周年「生菜葉三文治」塗裝 A350-900 1:400飛機模型收藏國泰最具標誌性的視覺印記。
甚麼是「生菜葉三文治」塗裝？
如果你剛開始接觸飛機模型或航空文化，「生菜葉三文治」這個名字聽起來可能一頭霧水——它其實是航空迷對國泰航空一款經典機身塗裝的暱稱。
故事要從1960年代說起。當時國泰航空正步入噴射機時代，購入Convair 880客機，機身髹上搶眼的綠、白配色，品牌名稱以紅色英文大草字樣書寫。其後到了1970年代至1990年代初，國泰的洛歇L-1011 TriStar及波音747機隊沿用並深化了這套設計——飛機尾翼以白色與Brunswick深綠色相間條紋構成，層層疊疊的效果遠看就像幾片生菜葉夾在白麵包之間，「生菜葉三文治」的綽號便不脛而走。
對於經歷過那個年代的香港人和航空迷而言，這款塗裝就是國泰航空的視覺代名詞。
2026年，經典正式「復活」
2026年是國泰航空成立80周年。1月國泰在揭幕儀式上正式啟動「同心飛躍八十年」周年誌慶。活動焦點正是一架髹上特別塗裝的空中巴士A350長途客機——塗裝結合了經典的「生菜葉三文治」綠白間條設計與80周年標誌，既向國泰傳奇歷史致敬，亦象徵集團持續的成長與發展。除了A350客機外，另一架髹上同款塗裝的波音747貨機亦將於其後亮相，日後更會有第三款特別塗裝面世。根據國泰官網資料，這架特別塗裝A350-900已按每周指定航線投入服務，航班時間表公布至4月，之後會陸續更新更多航線——對拍機發燒友而言，這段時間絕對值得密切追蹤。
認識A350-900：國泰新一代長途主力
對於飛機模型入門玩家來說，選擇收藏一架模型之前，了解它的原型機是很重要的一環——這會讓你對手中的模型多一份認識和感情。
空中巴士A350-900是歐洲空中巴士公司研發的新一代遠程寬體客機，機體大量採用碳纖維複合材料，較上一代機型減少約25%的燃油消耗和碳排放，是目前全球最高效的長途客機之一。A350-900於2016年正式加入國泰機隊，迅速成為其中長途航線的骨幹機型。從乘客角度而言，A350-900的體驗同樣出色：客艙比前代更寬敞，配備全景式大窗戶，機艙氣壓和濕度經過優化，地板平坦且機上設施全面升級，整體乘坐舒適度有明顯提升。對模型玩家來說，A350-900修長流暢的機身線條、獨特的鯊魚鰭翼尖和弧形駕駛艙窗框，都是辨識度極高的外觀特徵——擺在架上，一眼就能認出來。
1:400模型小知識
如果你是第一次接觸飛機模型，以下幾點可以幫助你快速入門：
甚麼是1:400比例？ 簡單來說，模型的每一個尺寸都是真機的四百分之一。以A350-900為例，真機全長約66.8米，1:400模型大約長16.7厘米，大致相當於一隻原子筆的長度，可以輕鬆放在書桌或展示櫃中。1:400是目前飛機模型市場上最主流的比例之一，兼顧了細節表現與擺放空間的平衡，特別適合想要收藏多架不同航空公司或塗裝的玩家。
選購模型時要留意甚麼？ 一般來說，可以從幾個方面評估：塗裝印刷是否清晰銳利、顏色是否準確還原真機、機身接合處是否平整、起落架和引擎等小部件的精細度，以及整體比例是否協調。對於特別塗裝版本，塗裝的還原度往往是收藏者最在意的一環。
這款1:400比例的A350-900「生菜葉三文治」80周年特別塗裝模型，重現經典綠白間條設計在A350-900機身上的樣貌。「生菜葉三文治」的靈魂在於尾翼那幾條綠白間條的比例、Brunswick深綠色的色調深淺，以及整體層次感，這些細節直接決定了模型在展示櫃裡能否一眼喚起那份復古情懷。模型整體做工精密，上色細緻，A350-900標誌性的機身輪廓、翼型弧線和引擎造型均有忠實呈現。
「生菜葉三文治」塗裝在航空迷圈子中有極高的情感辨識度，而這次是它首度以A350-900機型的面貌重生，題材獨特性不言而喻。配合國泰80周年這個重要時間節點，加上真機在現實中已經實際投入航線服務，模型與真機互相呼應，收藏意義更為立體。它背後有從1946年「Betsy」到2026年「同心飛躍八十年」橫跨八十載的故事可以發掘，如果有機會坐上真機的話更可以互相比對。
A Classic Returns to the Skies — Airbus A350-900 Cathay Pacific 80th Anniversary Special Livery Model
Green-and-white stripes soar once more. This 1:400 scale A350-900 in Cathay Pacific’s 80th-anniversary “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery captures one of the airline’s most iconic visual identities.
What Is the “Lettuce Leaf Sandwich” Livery?
If you’re new to aircraft models or aviation culture, the name “lettuce leaf sandwich” probably sounds baffling — it’s actually the affectionate nickname aviation enthusiasts gave to one of Cathay Pacific’s most beloved paint schemes.
The story begins in the 1960s, when Cathay Pacific entered the Jet Age with an expanded fleet of Convair 880 Jetliners sporting smart green-and-white liveries, with the airline name printed on the fuselage in red, upper-case lettering. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, Cathay’s Lockheed L-1011 TriStars and Boeing 747s carried a refined evolution of the look — the tailfin was painted in alternating stripes of white and Brunswick green, resembling a stack of salad leaves. The “lettuce leaf sandwich” nickname stuck, and it has endured ever since.
For Hongkongers and aviation fans who lived through that era, this livery is the visual identity of Cathay Pacific. As former Cathay Pacific pilot Captain Colin Couch once recalled, when you saw that iconic livery, you knew it was Cathay Pacific.
2026: The Classic Officially Returns
2026 marks a momentous milestone — Cathay Pacific’s 80th anniversary. Over the last eight decades, the airline has grown from a single aircraft and a big dream into a premium travel lifestyle brand with a network spanning over 100 destinations.
Under the banner of “80 Years Together,” Cathay is celebrating throughout 2026 with special events and initiatives. The centrepiece is a heritage-inspired programme the airline calls “Heritage in Motion”: an A350 and B747 aircraft dressed in the classic “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery — with one more special livery to come later in the year.
According to Cathay’s website, the specially liveried A350-900 is already flying select routes around the world, with itineraries announced until April and more routes to follow. For planespotters, the airline encourages you to capture the special liveries and tag @cathaypacific and #80YearsTogether for a chance to be featured on their social channels.
Getting to Know the A350-900: Cathay’s New Long-Haul Workhorse
If you’re just getting started with aircraft models, learning about the real aircraft behind a model adds a deeper layer of appreciation to every piece in your collection.
The Airbus A350-900 is a next-generation, long-range widebody airliner. Its airframe makes extensive use of carbon-fibre composites, cutting fuel consumption and emissions by roughly 25 percent compared with the previous generation — making it one of the most efficient long-haul aircraft flying today. Cathay Pacific took delivery of its first A350-900 in 2016, and the type quickly became the backbone of the airline’s medium- and long-haul network. For passengers, the improvements are tangible: a wider cabin, panoramic windows, optimised cabin pressure and humidity, and a flat floor throughout — all contributing to a noticeably more comfortable ride. For model collectors, the A350-900 is equally distinctive: its sleek, elongated fuselage, signature sharklet wingtips, and curved cockpit window frames make it instantly recognisable on any display shelf.
1:400 Scale — A Quick Primer
New to aircraft models? Here are the essentials.
What does 1:400 scale mean? Every dimension of the model is one four-hundredth of the real thing. For an A350-900 with a real-world length of about 66.8 metres, that translates to roughly 16.7 centimetres — about the length of a ballpoint pen. It fits comfortably on a desk or in a display cabinet. The 1:400 scale is one of the most popular in the hobby because it strikes an ideal balance between detail and space efficiency, making it especially well suited for collectors who want to build a fleet spanning multiple airlines and liveries.
What should you look for when choosing a model? Key things to evaluate include the sharpness and clarity of the livery printing, colour accuracy against the real aircraft, how cleanly the fuselage halves are joined, the fineness of small components like landing gear and engine nacelles, and overall proportional accuracy. For special-livery editions, faithfulness of the paint scheme is typically the single biggest concern for collectors.
A Closer Look at the Model
This 1:400 A350-900 in the 80th-anniversary “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery recreates the classic green-and-white stripe design as it appears on the real A350-900. The soul of the livery lies in the proportions of the tail stripes, the precise shade of Brunswick green, and the sense of depth between the layers — details that determine whether the model can evoke that wave of nostalgia the moment you glance at your display shelf. The overall build quality is refined, with crisp paint application and faithful reproduction of the A350-900’s signature silhouette, wing profile, and engine contours.
Is It Worth Collecting?
The “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery carries enormous sentimental weight in the aviation community, and this is the very first time it has appeared on an A350-900 — a pairing that is unique by definition. Tied to the milestone of Cathay’s 80th anniversary and backed by a real aircraft already in revenue service, the model and its full-size counterpart mirror each other in a way that gives the collection piece genuine depth.
Cathay’s story began in 1946, when Roy Farrell purchased a converted Douglas DC-3 — affectionately nicknamed “Betsy” — and, together with fellow wartime pilot Sydney de Kantzow, founded an airline with grander ambitions from the start. This model carries that eight-decade narrative forward, all the way to the “80 Years Together” celebrations of 2026. And if you ever have the chance to spot — or even board — the real thing, you can hold the model up and compare, bridging the gap between the sky and the palm of your hand. That, ultimately, is what makes collecting aircraft models so rewarding.
