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Classic Airfix Concorde for 2019


malpaso

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The latest AMW arrived today with next year’s Airfix catalogue.  November 2019 is the classic box art of the BOAC Concorde.  Does this mean a re-release of their early short-tail and heat-shield cockpit visor is on the cards?  I assumed that the original moulds would have been doctored for the production type...

Cheers

Will

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43 minutes ago, malpaso said:

The latest AMW arrived today with next year’s Airfix catalogue.  November 2019 is the classic box art of the BOAC Concorde.  Does this mean a re-release of their early short-tail and heat-shield cockpit visor is on the cards?  I assumed that the original moulds would have been doctored for the production type...

Cheers

Will

Yes, the moulds for the 1966  Airfix 'concept' BOAC Concorde kit were modified (the best they could be) in 1976 to represent the machine(s) that entered BA service.

 

Thomo.

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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Shame.  I'd love to build 002 in 1:72 one day.

 

The prototype scheme looks very interesting, and it's got the Yeovilton connection as that's my local Museum. 

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I have one of those original kits, still sealed in it's inner bag! 😎  The BOAC decals are shot, but S+M do a set, so easily remedied. One day, I'll build it 'in flight' on it's original Airfix stand. Would look good sat next to the 1/72 kit is the last BA scheme. 

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4 hours ago, Paul Bradley said:

I have one of those original kits, still sealed in it's inner bag! 😎  The BOAC decals are shot, but S+M do a set, so easily remedied. One day, I'll build it 'in flight' on it's original Airfix stand. Would look good sat next to the 1/72 kit is the last BA scheme. 

😁 I have one of these kicking around . I also have one of the kits in Air France colours. I believe that was produced for the French market?.

It does amuse me however that (per the original post) that a picture of a calendar illustration in a magazine can have modellers leaping to a conclusion that   a model kit is maybe being released.Remember all the wild fantasies about a new Sopwith Camel anyone?😂. No offence  to anyone intended by the way!

 

OK, harmless speculation but actually, I do think that Concorde has been very poorly served in model form. So, if Concorde were to appear as perhaps one of the Vintage Classics, I would not complain. I have long given up on the idea of a totally new kit. 

 

Allan

 

Edited by Albeback52
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9 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

Yes, the moulds for the 1966  Airfix 'concept' BOAC Concorde kit were modified (the best they could be) in 1976 to represent the machine(s) that entered BA service.

 

Thomo.

The 1976 Concorde kit was completely new and does not share any parts with the 1966 prototype version. I have copies of both. It would be nice if Airfix reissues the prototype version but with actual prototype markings this time.

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10 hours ago, Paul Bradley said:

I have one of those original kits, still sealed in it's inner bag! 😎  The BOAC decals are shot, but S+M do a set, so easily remedied. One day, I'll build it 'in flight' on it's original Airfix stand. Would look good sat next to the 1/72 kit is the last BA scheme. 

I have one in the Air France livery as well as the BOAC example. I was thinking also that the short nosed prototype Concorde might be a good basis for the German SST seen in the series "Man in the High Castle"

 

Allan

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It's not that long since they did a large new Concorde, the 1/72 offering in 2004, the Heller co-operation.  It certainly was a big old thing, if not the finest-fitting beast.

That kit must be fairly unusual in having had the same plastic released by Airfix, Heller and Revell

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15 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

It's not that long since they did a large new Concorde, the 1/72 offering in 2004, the Heller co-operation.  It certainly was a big old thing, if not the finest-fitting beast.

That kit must be fairly unusual in having had the same plastic released by Airfix, Heller and Revell

...nor the most accurate model of Concorde. 

It would be great if Airfix retooled the 1/72 kit and made it considerably more accurate. I can't see that happening. I don't want a new Airfix standard 1/144, I'd stick with the Revell kit.

 

Jeff

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1 hour ago, Work In Progress said:

It's not that long since they did a large new Concorde, the 1/72 offering in 2004, the Heller co-operation.

It was primarily a Heller project; Airfix just reboxed it as they had done with other Heller kits while they were both under the Humbrol umbrella. Since Heller went off on it's own, other Heller kits have appeared in Revell boxes, most notably, the 1/48 Jaguar GR.1, which had only previously appeared in an Airfix box (Heller did the Jaguar A version). We must assume that Airfix no longer has access to the 1/48 Jaguar tooling as well.

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8 hours ago, pinky coffeeboat said:

...nor the most accurate model of Concorde. 

It would be great if Airfix retooled the 1/72 kit and made it considerably more accurate. I can't see that happening. I don't want a new Airfix standard 1/144, I'd stick with the Revell kit.

 

Jeff

Well, I don't know about "accuracy" but, it was unmistakably a Concorde when built . Good enough for me! I still have one to build!😀 

 

I think the Revell kit is actually an Otaki original? The question of a new tool Airfix 1/144 Concorde is,I think moot. Airfix announced some time ago they had no plans for any new 1/144 airliner kits. 

 

Allan

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11 minutes ago, Albeback52 said:

I think the Revell kit is actually an Otaki original?

Nope! New original Revell tooling in 1983. The only other 144 Concorde besides the Airfix pair is the Nitto kit from 1979. It's now available from Doyusha.

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No, the 1983 model differs ever so slightly from the current model. I always thought the Nitto kit was the same as this Revell 1983 model and having seen pictures of it only "confirms" that feeling.

The new Revell kit (kit number 4257) appears as if it's a tweaked Nitto kit or maybe an entirely new mould influenced by it.

The Airfix kit has some plus points that I feel are better than the Revell kit, but I'll stick with the latter.

 

Jeff

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7 hours ago, Albeback52 said:

Well, I don't know about "accuracy" but, it was unmistakably a Concorde when built . Good enough for me! I still have one to build!😀 

 

I think the Revell kit is actually an Otaki original? The question of a new tool Airfix 1/144 Concorde is,I think moot. Airfix announced some time ago they had no plans for any new 1/144 airliner kits. 

 

Allan

You will find plenty of info on what is all wrong on the Heller/Airfix Concorde. Basically you can point with closed eyes anywhere on the plastic and will point on an issue.  The visor is too long, the passenger windows too large and they follow the fuselage cross section curve, while they should be flat (there is a flat stripe where the windows are), the position of all wheelwells is incorrect, the "belly" is too deep, ... Add to this awful fit and soft panel lines,...

It looks more like a big toy (also because of the "working" visor/nosedrop). Some spring loaded missiles would not have surprized me 😄

To correct this kit comes close to scratchbuilding. Something that has surprized me is that there are no good line drawings available of the Concorde.

 

IF Airfix would announce a new tool 1:72 Concorde this would be just awesome. But I also doubt this would happen.

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The 1/72 Concorde was, I understand, a source of great frustration within Humbrol/Airfix. Heller had a habit of doing their own thing (selling tooling abroad for example) and I beleive the Concorde moulds were designed and built in 6 different tooling shops.

 

You may remember that there was a split in the works between Heller and Humbrol/Airfix that would have seen Heller become a separate company as part of an MBO, but the bulk of the existing Heller moulds would be transferred to Airfix. However, the French Govt intervened and the resultant kerfuffle lead to both companies collapsing, and then Hornby buying Humbrol/Airfix

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My understanding of the monstrosity that is the 1/72 Concorde put out by Airfix & Heller *, was that each company made different parts of it but unlike the real project, it was a complete mess of a kit. As Caerbannog points out, every single part of the kit (perhaps the undercarriage is not so bad) is a disaster of accuracy. It is at best a schoolboy sketch of what a supersonic airliner would look like.

Such a shame because unless the "new" Airfix bite the bullet and make a whole new 72nd scale Concorde (fingers crossed, but with a bit more effort, you know no trenches, no clear part flaws, no inconsistent detailing, no broken parts - no "new"Airfix standards!!) then I seriously doubt anyone would be willing to fill the very obvious gap.

 

Jeff

* - this understanding is based on hearsay and comments by numerous forum members on different sites. It may be completely wrong.

Edited by pinky coffeeboat
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8 hours ago, Albeback52 said:

Well, I don't know about "accuracy" but, it was unmistakably a Concorde when built . Good enough for me! I still have one to build!😀 

 

I think the Revell kit is actually an Otaki original? The question of a new tool Airfix 1/144 Concorde is,I think moot. Airfix announced some time ago they had no plans for any new 1/144 airliner kits. 

 

Allan

The same could have been said about the Eduard Bf109 something that was put out a couple of years ago but was a bit overscale 

and almost caused the whole modelling community to implode with anger. At least it was an accurate model where the parts fitted, just a bit bigger.

I have read that too about Airfix not having any future plans for airliners, obviously too busy keeping the Second World War going...another Spitfire anyone? Yawn....

 

Jeff

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1 hour ago, pinky coffeeboat said:

At least it was an accurate model where the parts fitted, just a bit bigger.

Not quite true! I believe the wings were a different scale than the fuselage.

 

I have the Royal Class boxing of that kit and am holding on to it in the hopes that it's eventual rarity will fund my retirement 🤣

Edited by VMA131Marine
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35 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said:

Not quite true! I believe the wings were a different scale than the fuselage.

 

I have the Royal Class boxing of that kit and am holding on to it in the hopes that it's eventual rarity will fund my retirement 🤣

Oh good grief, different scales!!

 

Not quite as crazy an idea as some may think, because there's a seller on eBay offering an original Airfix prototype Concorde with Air France decals for £70ish. And certain recent Revell kits (BAe146, Fokker F100 and Ryanair 737 especially) that routinely go for 4-5 times the original sale price.

 

Jeff

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7 hours ago, Caerbannog said:

IF Airfix would announce a new tool 1:72 Concorde this would be just awesome. But I also doubt this would happen.

I would bet my mortgage on it won't happen.

 

Airfix have not exactly been profligate to date in re-isssuing their extensive airliner back catalogue. When was the last time they added a new tool kit to their 1/144 Skyking range, the '70s?

 

It will be interesting to see if Airfix do indeed repop their 'concept' Concorde in their 'classic range', I can't see it myself because it can't be made into the the prototype versions without significant bashing around. But, it may pique the interest of some nostagia buffs (particulary if they print a new set of BOAC 'Cunard' decals) wanting to build an travel agent style model, but will that generate enough sales?

 

Thomo.

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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On 01/11/2018 at 05:23, VMA131Marine said:

The 1976 Concorde kit was completely new and does not share any parts with the 1966 prototype version. I have copies of both. It would be nice if Airfix reissues the prototype version but with actual prototype markings this time.

Err...

 

It depends on what one defines as new. Airfix pantographed the 1966 'concept' Concorde and adapted it the best they could to do represent the prodcution machine, as a cheap fix. But, fundementally the basis of the later kit was the 'concept' Concorde kit.

 

 

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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Blast from the past. Back in 2010, I modified one of the original kits to carry a pair of projected Bristol Grand Slam II standoff missiles, (Tony Buttler: Hypersonics, Ramjets and Missiles) from a concept drawing by Arthur Gibson, (though Arthur had his carrying four Blue Steel Mk 1's...which would have been a bit of a tight fit, to put it mildly!).


imageproxy-1.jpg

 

 

 

I built it for our Project Cancelled SIG, (Standoff Missile Carrier Aircraft) as a bit of fun which seemed to go down rather well at shows. The original issue was ideal as source material. Be great to see it reissued!

 

1-P1090966-001.jpg

 

1-P1090975.jpg

 

 

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