Hands-on After marveling at the Concorde displayed at the Sinsheim Museum, we longed to have our own. Sadly, we settled for the next best thing – the LEGO® Concorde.
This aviation set has been in the market for some time now, yet it continues to be available and stands out as one of the finest creations by LEGO. With intricate details and clever moving parts, the LEGO Concorde competes with the Space Shuttle Discovery in terms of precision and building enjoyment.
With a total of 2,083 pieces, the set is massive. According to LEGO, it measures 105 cm in length and 43 cm in width at its widest point – the trailing edge of the iconic delta wing. Unlike recent builds that are overloaded with stickers, such as the Artemis SLS set, the LEGO Concorde is refreshingly free of excessive stickers, even down to the printed base.
While the construction may have some fiddly elements, removing parts of the fuselage reveals the interior of the passenger cabin. Although not in Minifig scale, the set could have benefitted from Nanofigures. Additionally, there is no cockpit to peek into.
Inside the fuselage are Technic components that allow for the lowering or retracting of the landing gear with a twist of the aircraft’s rear. The flight control surfaces and the famous drooping nose of the supersonic aircraft can also be adjusted.
The drooping nose feature is somewhat controversial as compromises had to be made to avoid creating too many custom parts. Keeping the nose straight gives the model a sleek appearance, while lowering it looks awkward. The exposed inner workings of the model when the nose is tilted down can also be a drawback.
The LEGO Concorde droop – click to enlarge
This flaw is minor compared to the overall meticulous detailing of the model. While the livery resembles that of the test versions of the aircraft, it would have been nice to include options for British Airways or Air France liveries in the box.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the LEGO Concorde remains an outstanding model that offers good value for its price, especially when compared to the cost of the real aircraft.
At £169.99, the LEGO Concorde may not be cheap, but it’s a bargain compared to the original’s costs.