Concorde new tool?

[Henners]

Been looking at 1/144 and 1/72 kits and the tooling are ancient. Potentially a good time for a manufacturer to release a new tool given 20yrs since the last commercial flight? 

[Bozothenutter]

/sarcasm on:

What's a Concorde?

/sarcasm off

 

While I agree with your sentiment,  the Concorde was a very niche aircraft, not a lot could afford to go on it, in its later years its use didn't make the press anymore. 

I think it's a bit forgotten by the general public. 

[Henners]

Inclined to disagree with this viewpoint. From what I understand channel 4's two parter on concorde a few weeks ago was very well received as was the lego model. Both have occurred this year because of it being the 20th year since final flight. As an airliner it is unique and, until there is an aircraft to surpass it, it will hold huge appeal in my opinion 

[Eric Mc]

Won't be Airfix as they don't do 1/144 any more. ICM perhaps - to go with their Tu-144?

[Whitewolf]

A really decent 1/72 Concorde would sell like hotcakes, but it would need to be accurate!

[BillF67]

36 minutes ago, Whitewolf said:

A really decent 1/72 Concorde would sell like hotcakes, but it would need to be accurate!

No hope. No matter how good a job the designer makes of a kit, someone will spot that the 139th rivet from the end of the 10th row should have been dome headed, not countersunk, the Arctic White call-out should have been Antarctic White, the chocolate bar wrapper that Brian Trubshaw left underneath the seat hasn’t been included (but it will turn up on an Etch sheet aftermarket, no doubt). It’s a matter of perception. I really don’t mean to start a heated thread with this as different people have different ideas on what constitutes accurate. I know from my own time servicing various aircraft types (Hunter, Buccaneer, Jaguar, Tornado) that each aircraft was subtly different but I’m happy by and large with the majority of kits I have. 
 

“As long as it looks roughly like what it’s meant to be, that’ll do for me” - MEDIOCRITAS

[SAT69]

I've been an airplane nut (aka airplane enthusiast) for many years now and if there's one thing I've learned it's that if a manufacturer wants to produce a new model kit badly enough, they'll take the gamble and produce the kit. I've seen kits produced of airplanes I've never even heard of and not seen kits that, to my way of thinking, should be produced (1/72 C-124, 1/48 F-86H). At times, there seems to ryhme or reason regarding what a manufacturer produces while at other times, what is produced appears to be very calculated. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's wise not to write off the potential for a new kit of whatever airplane you like. I just might happen. We modelers have been greatly surprised in the past, so why not now and in the future.

[GrahamS]

3 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

A really decent 1/72 Concorde would sell like hotcakes, but it would need to be accurate.

It would  have to be a good one too to make up for that pile of 💩 that Airfix released.

 

Graham

[busnproplinerfan]

I wonder how many spent the $100+ dollars on the 1/72 Concordes just to get frustrated with how much rework is needed and threw them in the garbage. Just going from reading the builds on them. I have two 1/100 Testors Concordes which I might redbuild into production versions. Thought of selling them and buying the 1/72 one. I know they are worth nothing. But would need a huge stock of bondo. A new tool would be nice, not just a reboxing for that price.

[kiseca]

I'd love to see a new model of a Concorde. I avoided the 1/72 options available now because they are just so bad. I built a 1/144 Revell one. It's an aircraft that deserves a better model.

 

I also disagree that it's been forgotten, at least in the UK. I know that most who were on its flight path still fondly remember and miss watching it fly overhead each day.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if even today, 20 years after its last flight, more people would recognise a Concorde than any other commercial airliner, even a 747.

Anyone who drove to Heathrow will have, for years, seen a rather large model of one. I think it's as iconic as a Spitfire, Lancaster or Harrier.

 

That's a UK perspective. It may be different across the pond.

[GrahamS]

1 hour ago, busnproplinerfan said:

I wonder how many spent the $100+ dollars on the 1/72 Concordes just to get frustrated with how much rework is needed and threw them in the garbage. 

Yeah, that’d be me.

 

God, I hate that kit with a passion.

 

Graham

[Paul821]

55 minutes ago, kiseca said:

 

 

I also disagree that it's been forgotten, at least in the UK. I know that most who were on its flight path still fondly remember and miss watching it fly overhead each day.

 

 

Those that I knew who lived underneath the flight path.were pleased when flights ended as is was so loud. A friend of mine who led services in church told how thet had to pause their Sunday service while it went over.

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello,

I would not mind paying a bit extra for a good kit of Concorde in 1/72. However, with two Airfix kit in my stash I would certainly wait a while for a good build review before buying one. However, chances for a new mould kit are slim, 20th anniversary of the last flight (26th November 2003, Heathrow to Filton) or not. On a New year Eve it is going to be 55th anniversary of the first flight of Tu-144, but I doubt anybody expects a new kit of that plane will appear in 1/72 because of that. I know there is a Modelsvit kit available, but with a price tag of about 400 € ... no, thanks. Cheers

Jure

[Henners]

17 minutes ago, Paul821 said:

Those that I knew who lived underneath the flight path.were pleased when flights ended as is was so loud. A friend of mine who led services in church told how thet had to pause their Sunday service while it went over.

I lived under the flight path. It was an event everytime it flew over. The noise prompted you to head to the window to watch and enjoy

[Welkin]

One of the most beautiful aircraft ever built!

 

I was living in Bahrain when BA started their scheduled service.

Muharraq airport has a main road running around its perimeter.

When Concorde was taxying out to take off EVERY vehicle on the road stopped and watched until it had taken off.

 

A new-tool Concorde in any scale would be great!

[tony.t]

Hph do a nice one in 1/48 scale

http://shop.hphmodels.cz/en/model-kits-in-scale-148/82-concorde-101102-v-meritku-148.html
 

My own wish is for a 1/72 injection new tool moulded in crisp plastic (not the linoleum Airfix used).

Tony

[Swamp Donkey]

15 hours ago, Henners said:

I lived under the flight path. It was an event everytime it flew over. The noise prompted you to head to the window to watch and enjoy

Yep, me too. Lived about 4 miles off the end of (what was) 28R from the 60’s until I moved to Reading in the late 80’s (still under the flight path). I loved every single Concorde departure. Stopped to watch first commercial departure from school and my #2 son (now 30) was born at The Royal Berks (Reading) just as Concorde crackled over - magnificent (Concorde, not George who won’t be reading this!!!!!)

 

SD

[kiseca]

2 hours ago, tony.t said:

Hph do a nice one in 1/48 scale

http://shop.hphmodels.cz/en/model-kits-in-scale-148/82-concorde-101102-v-meritku-148.html
 

My own wish is for a 1/72 injection new tool moulded in crisp plastic (not the linoleum Airfix used).

Tony

That isn't cheap, but I bet the finished item is hugely impressive! I'll need to check out a few builds, I think that would be a great flagship in almost any collection, and I'd guess would probably be a aimilar size to Revell's 1/48 B1-B.

[Whitewolf]

4 hours ago, kiseca said:

That isn't cheap, but I bet the finished item is hugely impressive! I'll need to check out a few builds, I think that would be a great flagship in almost any collection, and I'd guess would probably be a aimilar size to Revell's 1/48 B1-B.

Looks very impressive, if only it were injection moulded plastic as opposed to fibreglass 

Edited December 17, 2023 by Whitewolf

[modelldoc]

So what, we have the only 1:72 from Heller / Airfix / Revell, okay not the best, but the only once.

I'm not sure if a compyny come with a new kit, many people like to buy it, because they have rhe other one, like this:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21603181@N08/13383226265/in/dateposted/

 

modelldoc

[redcap]

Given the quantum leap in kit quality by Airfix since their  deservedly well criticised 1/72 Concord kit was released, if they were to revisit this subject in 1/72 and do it to the same standards as the current stuff they are releasing as military aircraft subjects, then it would be magnificent. The question would be, what would it cost and could enough buyers be found to pay for the tooling costs and then make a worthwhile profit..?

 

Gary

[Noel Smith]

It would be magnificent if it were retooled by Airfix. But would it sell enough to justify the cost?  I think not!I'm

The core market for the kit is not the die hard enthusiast, so as long as most get to build a reasonable representation of the Concorde, they will be satisfied. That is probably how Airfix view the market !

 

[Whitewolf]

3 hours ago, Noel Smith said:

It would be magnificent if it were retooled by Airfix. But would it sell enough to justify the cost?  I think not!I'm

The core market for the kit is not the die hard enthusiast, so as long as most get to build a reasonable representation of the Concorde, they will be satisfied. That is probably how Airfix view the market !

 

I think it would sell enough, more than enough. There is a gaping whole in the market fot a decent, accurate model of one of the most famous aircraft of all time!!

[Mike]

14 minutes ago, Whitewolf said:

I think it would sell enough, more than enough. There is a gaping whole in the market fot a decent, accurate model of one of the most famous aircraft of all time!!

I'm leaning toward this point of view, but I'd say it would need to be 1:144 to be popular, and if Airfix have sworn off 1:144 (first time I've heard that), that excludes them. A 1:72 Conk would be way too large for your casual modeller, I'd suspect.

[kiseca]

I think that's a question to be asked with the release of every new kit. Will it sell enough to pay off the cost?Airfix thought there was room in the market for a brand new 1/24 Spitfire, Revell for a 1/48 Blackbird... I see plenty of owners of Concorde 1/144 and 1/72 kits on here too. I don't think it's a niche aircraft.