PacMin Studios

Pacmin Studios, once called Pacific Miniatures, makes model aircraft and works as an aviation marketing studio. The company was started in 1946 by Orval Coker and Don Meeker, both then employed by Douglas Aircraft Company. Their early work involved cutaway models of commercial planes for Boeing and Douglas, showing interiors to highlight the luxury and comfort of flying at a time when few people had flown.

The business began in a small facility in Alhambra, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, and produced models in many sizes and types. Fred Ouweleen bought the company in 1986. In 1995, it moved to Fullerton, California, where it now runs a modern facility, with manufacturing also in Tijuana, Mexico, and Shenzhen, China.

Customers began calling the company PacMin, and that name became official in the 1980s. Today it is branded as Pacmin Studios to reflect its specialized work on desktop and large exhibit models, full-scale prototypes, and CGI. Though best known for aviation models, Pacmin Studios has also made projects for automotive, space, and entertainment clients worldwide. In 2018, it launched The Model Shop, a retail site selling officially licensed models to the public, made with the same processes and materials used for airline and aerospace clients.

The company’s main service is designing and building high-fidelity scale model aircraft in common scales like 1:100 and 1:200, as well as large scales such as 1:20. It produces detailed desktop models and large exhibit models, including full-scale prototypes and cutaway displays that show intricate interior details. These cutaway and exhibit models can include working lights, detailed cabin interiors, and custom paint finishes, making them useful for aircraft marketing and product launches.