Diecast Model Aircraft 1:400 - Pepsi Concorde

Few aircraft have ever looked as extraordinary on the ground as Concorde did in Pepsi blue. This 1:400 scale diecast replica captures one of aviation's most iconic and short-lived liveries — the 1996 "Project Blue" promotional scheme worn by Air France's Sierra Delta, a moment where supersonic engineering met pop culture at 60,000 feet.

• Scale: 1:400
• Aircraft: Concorde (Air France F-BTSD "Sierra Delta")
• Livery: Pepsi "Project Blue" promotional scheme (1996)
• Material: High quality diecast metal
• Length: Approximately 16cm
• Includes: Removable display stand

About the Pepsi Concorde

In the spring of 1996, one of the most ambitious and unusual marketing projects in aviation history took to the skies. Air France's Concorde F-BTSD, known as "Sierra Delta," was temporarily repainted in a vivid cobalt-blue Pepsi livery as part of Pepsi's global "Project Blue" rebrand.

The aircraft, instantly recognizable for its sleek, needle-like shape, now carried the bold Pepsi logo across its fuselage and tail. For several weeks, it toured major cities in Europe and the Middle East, hosting media and VIP flights. It was a spectacular sight — a daring collaboration between engineering prestige and consumer branding.

The Science Behind the Paint

Concorde's original white paint was not chosen for design flair but for performance. At speeds of up to Mach 2, the aircraft's skin was subjected to immense frictional heating — the nose could reach temperatures well above 100°C, while the fuselage typically reached around 90°C. The highly reflective white paint helped dissipate this heat efficiently, keeping the airframe within safe thermal limits.

Pepsi's striking blue was a different story. Dark colors absorb far more heat than they reflect, and when tested on Concorde's aluminum skin, this quickly became a problem. Engineers at Air France Industries and Aérospatiale calculated that sustained flight at Mach 2 with the blue paint would raise surface temperatures dangerously close to the structural tolerance of the fuselage.

The Engineering Compromise

In response, strict limits were imposed. During the Pepsi campaign, Sierra Delta was advised not to remain at Mach 2 for more than about twenty minutes, with most promotional tour flights planned at subsonic or reduced supersonic speeds.

As a further precaution, only the fuselage received the dark blue finish — the wings remained white. This was not a design choice but a thermal management decision, as the wings housed fuel tanks that acted as heat sinks during high-speed flight. Even so, engineers observed that the blue-painted panels heated up faster and cooled down more slowly than expected. The short-lived experiment confirmed once again that Concorde's reflective white finish was essential for safe operation at top speed.