Concorde 40th Anniversary

Magnificent aircraft way ahead of its time? Saw the last overflight at Cardiff Airport so sad.

Like redface, I've been over the Duxford one. Decidedly cramped inside.

Tombar, I was standing on Filton Airfield in 2003 and watched as Concord AF touched down for the last time. I remember saying outloud to anyone that was listening, that the world  had just taken a Generational step backwards!

How in heaven's sake could the last supersonic airliner be allowed to pass into History before its replacement had even been designed, - let alone entered service?

Once we could travel to New York in three hours. Today 6-7 at best!  Progress?

Only abandoning lunar exploration before moving onto greater challenges beats such folly. 

TF

Never flown on Concorde (too damned expencive ) but have been on the one at RAF Yeovilton many years ago.Lady Di was passing through on a BA I46 as i remember .I have a very good diecast model of concorde on my dresser.We have one on display at Manchester airport at the viewing centre aswell as on of the original Tridants,s (another plane way ahead of its time).Concorde i,m sure is very sadly missed not only by those who used the service but by all as it stood for everything thats great about british engineering.Will we see supersonic flight in the future ?? Hmmm...........yes i think we will some day.

v9

The Hawker Siddley Tridant.

First flown in 1962 and 117 were built.Its hard too imagine but this plane had a blind landing system that could land the plane in any weather without the pilot ever touching the controls.Another example of british engineering excellence.The one below is the model on display at Manchester Airport.

V9.

Part of the backward step is possibly down to the Yanks. They didnt invent it, they didn't support it, and they certainly didn't fight to keep it! Nothing worse than a jealous USA!

TTDA  That was certainly true in the early years, but my advisers- who are in the industry, are quite definate that at the end it was actually the French that pressurised to call a halt to it, and they who finally pulled the plug!

The most ironic thing though, is the fact that if ever a Concorde does fly again, it will be a French one. That is because  several of theirs were properly inhibited and protected when they were laid up, and as a result could in theory at least be brought back to flying condition.  I understand that at least one is occasionally started and fast taxi'd to keep it alive.

In contrast is is alleged that BA who actually still own the British ones, ensured that theirs could never fly again by draining all of the hydraulics and fluids, thus ensuring  that vital seals would perish.  Such a course of action would indeed  make it almost impossible to bring them back into flying condition.  However I cannot confirm the above which could merely reflect the great bitterness felt locally at the destruction of their beloved aircraft.

But whatever the truth of these stories is, - the cold hard facts are, that none of the aircraft could ever be flown again without the active co-operation and support of the organisation that holds the design rights, i.e. Aerospatial or as it is known today airbus Industries. And I simply cannot see that happening.

TF

One interesting little story about Concorde AF the last one built here in Bristol, and the one that we have back here, concerns a story about her last supersonic flight on the way back from the States.

Concorde lovers will know that during supersonic flight the skin and fuselage of the aircraft gets very hot indeed. As a result the aircraft actually grows in length and there are a couple of places on the fuselage where this is deliberatly allowed to happen, - designed expansion joints. One of them is on the flight deck just inside the door giving access from the cabin. During supersonic flight this expansion area grows to about 2 inches wide.

On the last flight the Captain thrust his uniform cap into that gap which of course gradually closed as the aircraft slowed and cooled down.  That cap is still there and it will remain there forever because there is no way that that gap will ever open again to release it.

The story is true. I was in the aircraft in the last month, and sat in the pilots seat. I saw the cap, - looking a bit faded now but still very visible.

TF

Perhaps someone could provide a link to 

www.saveconcordegroup.co.uk

it makes interesting reading

(don't know how to do it on my eye pad)!