The LEGO company got its start in 1932. Originally a maker of wooden toy bricks, the company progressed to interlocking bricks in the late 1930s. By 1958, the basic pieces were made of plastic and looked similar to the LEGO pieces we know today.
Over the decades, LEGO has continued to evolve. They introduced Duplo bricks, which are larger and easier for smaller, younger fingers to manipulate. They added motors to some pieces, so they could move. They started making minifigs to enhance the build and play experience.
Since the 1950s, LEGO play sets have included thousands of themes. Space. Robots. Trains. Castles, etc. Over the years they’ve also licensed themes from popular TV shows and movies. Pirates of The Caribbean. Harry Potter. Marvel. Minecraft. However as LEGOs have expanded to be more than just “toys,” but also “models” for adults to build, they’ve also taken on more adult theming, with models that had many more pieces. Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon. The Taj Mahal. The Titanic.
For travel fans, there have been a handful of LEGO models that might pique their interest:
A few airports
(there are more than just these two)
A boutique hotel (part of their ICONS series)
Japan’s Imperial Hotel (part of their Architecture series)
Even a model hotel for kids (part of their Friends series)
I personally haven’t built anything with LEGOs since I was a kid. But I have a decent-sized handful of friends who loved LEGOs as kids and have continued making their models as adults. They all know I’m interested in travel, so it wasn’t super surprising that, not one, not two, but THREE of them recently told me that LEGO was going to release a model of the Concorde later this year. It will be part of their ICONS series.
The Concorde, of course, is a now-retired French-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation. It made its first transatlantic crossing in September, 1973 and it inaugurated the world’s first scheduled supersonic passenger service on January 21, 1976. Its maximum cruising speed was 1,354 miles per hour.
Due to high operating expenses, Concorde operations ended in 2003. Only 14 of the aircraft were ever made.
The Concorde was an aviation icon, so it makes perfect sense for LEGO to introduce a model of the famed supersonic airliner.
From LEGO:
Welcome aboard Concorde
Recreate a detailed replica of the world’s most famous supersonic commercial passenger airplane with an immersive project that takes creativity to new heights.
Embark on a supersonic journey with the LEGO® Icons Concorde (10318) model building set for adults. Take time out for a mindful building experience as you craft a detailed replica model of the world’s most famous supersonic commercial passenger aeroplane.
Super-authentic detailing Just like the real-life Anglo-French passenger jet, this detailed replica model has a tiltable droop nose, functioning landing gear, a retractable tail bumper wheel, delta wings with movable elevons and hinged upper and lower rudders. It also features an accessible seating area and comes with a stand for display in flight, takeoff or landing modes.
This video shows all the detail they put into the model.
They say the model will have 2,083 pieces and will be for Ages 18+.
It will be 6″ tall (not including the stand), 17″ wide and 42″ long.
The LEGO Concorde will be released later this year (exact date TBA, but if it was Sept 26, it’d be exactly 50 years since its first transatlantic crossing!) and is expected to have a retail price of $199.99.
Click here for more details about the upcoming LEGO Concorde.
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