Airfix BAC/Aérospatiale Concorde, British Airways 1:72

A quick note on the afterburner assembly

Again we find a weak join of the two halves, so I recommend strengthening with some styrene strip. You can see the tab that aligns onto the nacelle, no problems there, but the other face is where it will mate to the wing training edge. This could be sufficient but I suggest some small raised tabs here too to increase the contact with the wing lower surface. Bear in mind any tabs will be hidden under the nacelle so you can be as rough and ready as you please here.

At the very top of the picture you will spy the tabs for the opposing nacelle.

No doubt it’s possible to paint the metallic of the engine nacelles at a later stage, however as I wanted to achieve some measure of weathering effect I opted to complete some of that at this point.

My reference photo has some very distinct metallic heating effects visible, not easy to replicate when stuck to the wing.

After some primer a base coat of stainless steel was applied to the rear half of the nacelle, then using elastic bands as masking, an overshoot of a darker shade applied. My thinking was normal masking tape would create too sharp and uniform an edge. To see how this effect works out you will have to wait ☺.

Masking this, then applying some metallic panels to the upper afterburner surface, these will all be enhanced with some hot metal and blue-ing effects later.

Nose section

We are done ‘down the back’ as they say, so onwards to the last major section, that beautiful sleek supersonic nose.

As we are going to display as “in flight”, some crew are required and I found PJ Productions do a 1:72 scale figure set of civilian flight crew, as none are supplied with the kit.

These are nicely cast in resin with poseable arms and should paint up neatly, not that they will be easily seen through the restricted view of the visor and windscreen.

Read on…