FANTASY FLEET
LEGO CONCORDE
We’ve gone small in this column before, but never 105cm x 43cm x 15cm-small! But then the item in question in this issue of Fleet World is a special kind of Fantasy Fleet entry – and one that is highly achievable to turn into a reality.
“The chances of getting hold of one – in the short-term, at least – are slim; virtually impossible, in fact”
Compared with other products profiled on this page – from electric bikes, through miniature race cars, to electric boats – there are some marked differences. First and foremost, the Lego Concorde is not technically a vehicle – and the only wheels it has make up part of the landing gear. Secondly, it’s effectively static, but should you wish to play, er, I mean demonstrate it to anyone, it’s easy to ‘lift off’ a table and show it off.
Concorde has a huge pedigree and a beloved following – whether the fans are people who were lucky enough to fly on her, or just those who are wowed by the performance she offered. There will only ever be one ‘first’ supersonic passenger aircraft and Concorde was it. Many people argue that Concorde was ahead of its time, but the distinct lack of anything that has come close to it since its creation suggests otherwise. What ultimately held it back was increasing costs, noise complaints and economic instability. At least two of those problems will not be an issue for the Lego version of the airliner.
While there were only 20 examples of the real thing built – six for development and the remaining 14 for commercial operations – the brick-built version will not be as scarce. Lego has not stated the production run, but demand is unlikely to exceed supply. And, unlike the 1960s full-size Concorde, owners of the Lego version will be able to remove the roof to show off the cabin and landing gear. If that’s not enough, there is also the ability to display it horizontally – in flight mode – or angled for take-off/landing!
Construction of the Lego will almost certainly be slower than the ‘twice the speed of sound’ cruising rate of the real thing. And, with 2,083 pieces to fix together, it could take a while, so proposing a literal team-building exercise is probably not a bad idea.
But who doesn’t love a challenge and who doesn’t love Lego? As fleet investments go, it could be a very cost-effective one. The efficiency of the final product might count against it, but fewer miles equals more smiles!
Compared with other products profiled on this page – from electric bikes, through miniature race cars, to electric boats – there are some marked differences. First and foremost, the Lego Concorde is not technically a vehicle – and the only wheels it has make up part of the landing gear. Secondly, it’s effectively static, but should you wish to play, er, I mean demonstrate it to anyone, it’s easy to ‘lift off’ a table and show it off.
Concorde has a huge pedigree and a beloved following – whether the fans are people who were lucky enough to fly on her, or just those who are wowed by the performance she offered. There will only ever be one ‘first’ supersonic passenger aircraft and Concorde was it. Many people argue that Concorde was ahead of its time, but the distinct lack of anything that has come close to it since its creation suggests otherwise. What ultimately held it back was increasing costs, noise complaints and economic instability. At least two of those problems will not be an issue for the Lego version of the airliner.
While there were only 20 examples of Concorde built – six for development and the remaining 14 for commercial operations – the brick-built version will not be as scarce. Lego has not stated the production run, but demand is unlikely to exceed supply. And, unlike the 1960s full-size Concorde, owners of the Lego version will be able to remove the roof to show off the cabin and landing gear. If that’s not enough, there is also the ability to display it horizontally – in flight mode – or angled for take-off/landing!
Construction of the Lego will almost certainly be slower than the ‘twice the speed of sound’ cruising rate of the real thing. And, with 2,083 pieces to fix together, it could take a while, so proposing a literal team-building exercise is probably not a bad idea.
But who doesn’t love a challenge and who doesn’t love Lego? As fleet investments go, it could be a very cost-effective one. The efficiency of the final product might count against it, but fewer miles equals more smiles!
