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Will Concorde fly again as a private or military flight
I recently visited Concorde at Filton before they closed it as a public exhibit. The Filton Concorde had the most modifications of the fleet and is in pristine condition.
The reason behind closing the exhibit to the public is also strange. It seems that Concorde was taken into a hanger for maintainance and received a visit from RAF dignitries, why?
Some say that Concorde will once again grace the skies over London for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. Why keep a museum piece in flyable condition having undergone maintaininace?
Below is their explanation
'Ownership of Concorde Alpha Foxtrot remains with British Airways, who have an agreement with Airbus at Filton this special Concorde must receive regular maintenance and care. Airbus have therefore elected to withdraw Concorde Alpha Foxtrot from display for the winter so that she can be moved into the Brabazon Hangar – where the British Concorde fleet was built – for inspection by aircraft engineers who will undertake any work required.' It would be nice to see a one off special flight to remind us that we can achieve the seemingly impossible.
I bet if a concorde trust was started, with a guarantee it WOULD fly again, they would have no problems raising whatever it took to get her.....In my humble opinion the greatest aircraft ever built......in the air again.
I dont believe funding would be the issue.....but the word Bureaucrat.....and dare I say it Health and safety and tree huggers might stop it happening!
You might want to visit the thread Concorde question . As well as a huge amount of fascinating information from people who designed, built, maintained and flew her, the question of reviving her is addressed. I have to say that the chances of that happening are vanishingly small for an enormous number of reasons, of which cost (probably many tens of millions of pounds) is only one.
EXCELXLS. It isn't kept flyable. Being in flyable condition means just that. This aircraft would need vast amounts of work and vast amounts of money to enable it to fly again. Remember that there are no current crew, so it would never, ever be a 'one-off ' flight. If you think of the problems involved, all the answers as to why it will never fly again will become apparent.
No flight crew, no C of A for the type, no spares, no-one willing or able to provide technical support or spares(least of all Airbus, apparantly). I could go on.
Shanewhite: Don't hit me with those negative waves: the illustious words from Donald Sutherland. Anything is possible. 1/ Cost: about £15 million I would guestimate. Mere loose change from the budget
for 2012 2/ Crews: There would be a stampede from ex Concorde crews 3/ Ditto engineers, and I guess there are shed loads of spares about. 4/ Cof A. Not necessary. it could fly privately on a permit .That would also get
away from the problem of lack of type certificate support This would make the opening of 2012 the best ever. I really hope they do it and proove all the doom mongers wrong. I would put my quid in the fund.
Lastly it would really P off the French who bid for the games, so it must be worth doing!
If you have that much money to burn and really don't understand the logistics of trying to get an old hen to fly again then please PM me. I'll provide you with my account details. You can then make me richer as you learn the lessons of life.
As an iconic world-beater that we allowed to be prematurely retired by political cowardice and French commercial treachery, what message, exactly, would Concorde be giving by overflying the Olympics? Welcome to museum-land where nothing good is allowed to work any more? We could once-upon-a-time?
I struggle to think of anything less suitable. Well, a parade of bankers, perhaps.
Well I had a good look around her before she went off for maintenance and they are keeping her in excellent condition, everything is sealed and secured to prevent damage and deterioration. There was still fuel in the tanks and hydraulic fluid. That Concorde was kept because it contains all the updates and improvements. To me that says that they have kept the most likely aircraft to fly again and they would not waste money on regular maintenance if there was no possibility of it ever flying again.
Concordski still flies in Russia for research funded by the yanks, so why can’t we revive Concorde like the Vulkan?
EXCEL. If that aircraft has fuel in it's tanks and hydraulic oil in it's pipes, I would be very very surprised. Are you a qualified engineer?, or just looking at it from a 'wishful thinking ' point of view. It seems to me that you are ignoring many facts regarding it's safe operation. Putting this back in the air is not simply a matter of 'kicking the tyres and lighting the fires' Where are the crews going to come from, how many training flights are going to be needed, engineering support from full-time engineers, costs, not to mention the fact that NO insurance company will touch it with a barge pole. Your facts are wrong about Concordski. It's isn't flying. Some years ago it did about 7 flights funded by the Americans, but research flights, not as an air-display machine. Also, I am still intrigued by your mention of the failure of the sweptwing competitor to Concorde that the Americans built, which you mentioned in a previous post. I think this was news to most of us on this thread!!!!. Abandon your pipe-dream, because that's all it is, I'm afraid.
Sygyzy Ha Ha you make me laugh; you want to teach me the lessons of life? I think you had too much to drink for Chineese New Year, I guess you must still have a hang over! CLDRVR has it correct, but they are not old hens they are beautiful old birds but most people know about my love of old Hawkers and I can take the jokes from play station pilots (sic)
I went to see Concorde at Filton and spoke to an engineer, the aircraft was parked after its last flight and put to bed. So it still had fuel and hydraulics on board and looked in better shape then most light aircraft/ Air Atlanta aircraft. If you have ever been on an Air Atlanta aircraft you would understand.
All covers were on and the rudders were locked to prevent the wind moving them and causing damage.
I never said they would fly her again, I only said it would be great if they did. It does interest me that it has been pulled into the hanger for maintenance.
