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Concorde etch set 1:72 Extratech


Caerbannog

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Hi,

I find it extremely difficult to get info on any Extratech set before you actually buy it. I hampered about buying the 1:72 Concorde set ever since it was released but as it is quite pricey and as I could not get any further info despite some small photos of the packing it took me quite a while and a "bargain" to finally grab one set. I really wished Extratech would show what they sell on their webpage or give download links to their instructions like others.

So for those interested - here is what I unpacked this weekend:

The set addresses the wheel wells and doors, the wheel hubs and the exhausts plus the antennas, some vents and wipers...

The instructions covers two pages:

1-72ExtratechConcorde1_zps88157ba6.jpeg

1-72ExtratechConcorde_zps3db55a34.jpeg

Enclosed are two etched frets, which have etched details on either side:

1-72ExtratechConcorde2_zpsba7b1e7d.jpg

And the back side:

1-72ExtratechConcorde3_zpsa423bcbf.jpg

My impression is very good and I am really happy that I bought this set, though I cannot say how good the parts will fit. The instruction appear reasonable but again - unless I started to use this set it is hard to tell how clear the instructions really are. As the Heller/Airfix Concorde is not an easy build and has plenty of nasty errors it will be a task on its own to do the corrections needed. Having done that the Extratech Set will bring your Concorde to the next level. So it is addressed to the fearless and skilled builders. Which makes me wonder why I bought it ;-)

Rene

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Fit is problematic (they say) and lots of mistakes (nose/windscreen, U/C positions, cabin windows to large and not "flat",...). The panel lines are soft and BIGGGG too. I only started to correct the nose / windscreen. Everything else is still in the box along with Airwaves wheels, DIY etched windscreen frame and DIY paint mask for the cabin windows (I plan to cut out the flat window area and insert clear plastic sheet - add the paint masks and hope for the best...). When I really get started ( :shutup: ) I will post it here on BM.

Rene

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  • 1 month later...

I've got a Concorde in the stash and feel I really ought to get on with it, so it's about 7th place in the stash (humongous stash!). I've had a mooch about for the Extratech PE but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Is it still available and if so, how much and where from? :shrug:

I gather the nose wheel isn't correctly placed. Is it a huge job to move it?

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. . . I really wished Extratech would show what they sell on their webpage or give download links to their instructions like others . . .

The link is at the bottom of the page, right hand side, distributor's website:

http://www.pmilona.cz/mitko-1-72/1971-bac-aerospatiale-concorde.html

Nick

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Yes the nosewheel is too far aft and no it isn't a big deal to move it forward. There's a build somewhere on Britmodeller that gives an exact dimension though my record shows it to be "12-13mm". My suggestion would be to work out where the bay is going to go then cut out the new door aperture. Leave tabs over the old openings to help locate a piece to fill the hole once the fuselage halves are together. There may be even simpler ways.

The far bigger issues are to deal with the oversized retractable visor and the missing flat section where the oversized passenger windows are. If you have these covered then dealing with the poor fuselage fit will be a doddle...

Kirk

[PS/ Come on Airfix, time for a re-vamp?]

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It's a great shame Airfix were not up to their current standard when they designed this kit, have 2 of these kits in the stash.

Best Regards,

Paul

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Yes the nosewheel is too far aft and no it isn't a big deal to move it forward. There's a build somewhere on Britmodeller that gives an exact dimension though my record shows it to be "12-13mm". My suggestion would be to work out where the bay is going to go then cut out the new door aperture. Leave tabs over the old openings to help locate a piece to fill the hole once the fuselage halves are together. There may be even simpler ways.

The far bigger issues are to deal with the oversized retractable visor and the missing flat section where the oversized passenger windows are. If you have these covered then dealing with the poor fuselage fit will be a doddle...

Kirk

[PS/ Come on Airfix, time for a re-vamp?]

Many thanks for the advice, I think I've ordered the pack from PM Ilona, costs about £20 by my reckoning. Just waiting for an email regarding carriage which I suspect wont be much (hopefully!). It's Christmas day so I guess they wont be back for a while (even if yesterday was their big day).

The nose-wheel bay I can cope with and I'm going to follow your advice precisely. I don't understand quite what is meant by the flat section at the passenger windows. Also, how bad is the retractable visor and does it still look odd in the nose-up position? I intend to display the model nose-up as per the Concorde on display in East Fortune. I gather the visor is fragile and doesn't move as planned without breakage.

The photo-etch looks good especially around the thrust reversing doors which are highly visible. I've had a few crawls around a number of Concordes and the black area around and under the engines is really a treated dark metallic colour. I wonder if it's titanium on the underside? I guess the really hot stuff in the tail pipes must be nickel steel or similar? Can you dip photo-etch in something to send it black without painting it I wonder? :pipe:

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I had this kit once. It really has to be one of the worst kits it has ever been my misfortune to own.

It fitted where it touched, detail was soft and it frankly only just looked like a Concorde. I decided I didn't want a 1/72 Concorde that much.

I believe that it is an old Heller mould, but I may be wrong, so we can blame the French.........

Graham

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The link is at the bottom of the page, right hand side, distributor's website:

http://www.pmilona.cz/mitko-1-72/1971-bac-aerospatiale-concorde.html

Nick

I've managed to purchase a set now, with postage and Paypal transfer fee it comes to £25 and pennies. Ilona gets back to you personally despite being on holiday, I'd stuck it in my 'shopping cart' thinking it was all automated but the last bit is personal.

It won't ship until he's back on 7th Jan but I may push this to the top of the stash and possibly do a WIP.

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The nose-wheel bay I can cope with and I'm going to follow your advice precisely. I don't understand quite what is meant by the flat section at the passenger windows.

You're very welcome to the advice - though it was a bit lazy. I'll look up the builds I referenced in a bit but let's deal with "the flat section" first. If you imagine taking a slice through the model's fuselage, you'd see that all the section above the wing is curved. In the real thing, the curve stops either side of where the windows are, so if you had a big plank that you could hold up against the side of the aircraft, it would lay flat against the window area whereas above and below it would wobble along its width. I can't come up with a simple way in which this could be replicated on the model. :shrug:

Here is a link to some useful photo reference. Shout if you don't have the invaluable concordesst, heritage concorde and brooklands concorde links. Watch out for "death by reference drowning" syndrome; gets me every time.

Here is a link to a Britmodeller post that itself links to a Russian build (or 2 - I can't remember). What grey cells still remain are telling me that this build included a complete reshape of the under-fuselage area (the conic section is much too short in the model and the rectangular cross section into which it blends is too large) and a reduction in size of the windows to more realistic proportions.

Here is another link within Britmodeller to 1:72 Concorde stuff.

Also, how bad is the retractable visor and does it still look odd in the nose-up position? I intend to display the model nose-up as per the Concorde on display in East Fortune. I gather the visor is fragile and doesn't move as planned without breakage.

Those links above should give you a good heads up on the visor. Basically it is about a couple of scale feet too long and sadly it really shows if built out of the box. If you change your mind and want a moving nose then the geometry of the model mechanism is probably just OK but the materials used are not up to the job. Re-create in brass? Hmm. A job too far I think. Far better to put your efforts into creating the missing panel under the visor.

The photo-etch looks good especially around the thrust reversing doors which are highly visible. I've had a few crawls around a number of Concordes and the black area around and under the engines is really a treated dark metallic colour. I wonder if it's titanium on the underside? I guess the really hot stuff in the tail pipes must be nickel steel or similar? Can you dip photo-etch in something to send it black without painting it I wonder? :pipe:

I wonder if (other than annealing it - which would be no bad thing) heating the PE would cause sufficient discolouration? Please post pics of your progress as I too have one of these in the stash. I was planning on building it in flight so all the wheel bay detail would be wasted on me though I'd love the nozzle detail. I was thinking of putting a set of the PJ productions crew in the seats...

Cheers,

Kirk

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I thought the 1-72 Concorde was a joint-venture between Airfix and Heller - they even shared the molds but in a very strange manner - something like this: Airfix did the left side and Heller the right which also explains the fuselage parts do not really fit. Well that is what I read somewhere.

Regarding the visor here is what I did so far:

1. closed the nose topside just iunder the visor (like the real thing)

2. Shortened and reshaped the front of the kit windscreen (the visor) and sanded all framings down. This will be my master for a vac visor. The framing as done as PE part - hopr it will fit in the end but it looks good so far.

Regardsing the flat area and the oversized windows I plan to:

1. Cut the area which should be flat from the kit parts.

2. And fill the cut with clear plastic sheet sheet.

3. Apply DIY vinyl masks of the correct window size.

4. Paint the thing white and remove the masks to reveal correctly shaped windows. Hopefully.

I do not expect Airfix to retool the Concorde - as cool as this would be...

Cheers,

Rene

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Top tip for the windows Rene - and so much simpler than the complex sanding jig thoughts going through my head. I guess the trick will be to get the masks aligned really well.

I'd heard that the joint venture between Heller & Airfix split the nosecone and tailcone to Airfix and the fuselage to Heller - hence the step. I believe the generally accepted fix is to glue the each of the sides together (nose, fuselage, tail) before bringing port to meet starboard. It's either that or add a shim to the nose & tail halves before joining them.

Kirk

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Honestly - I would not bother with window strip unless you redo the whole thing as well - it's so minor.

What is far more important - completely wrong nose, completely wrong underbelly, completely misplaced nose wheel bay. Take a look at this, for example:

as it should be

IMG_1338.jpg

as it is

IMG_1337.jpg

Edited by Pin
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As I plan to do the Landor livery I have to change the window size (I do not like to replicate windows as decals in this scale) - so I suppose my inserted-strip idea will work best.

The nose is already corrected and the U/C positions will be changed as well - I think there is something odd with the main u/c too - but I will check this when I put the thing together. Btw.: Does anybody know of trustworthy and detailed line drawings of the Concorde?

Rene

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Hi Pin,

You seemed to address lots of corrections on your build. Did you use the Extratech etch on yours? Are there any pictures of it online?

Kirk

PS/ Drawings wise, there were some dimensioned profiles beneath Jonathan Mock's model in the little museum next to where AF is decaying ( :angrysoapbox.sml: ) which I guess are part of the Bristol Aero Collection. They may respond well to an email?

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I did not use any aftermarket - it was not available. The models is not finished, so perhaps I will use it although I don't see much value in it for the price

Cutaways do not count as there are no measurements

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