No first hand experience claimed.
But the Fairey Delta 2 in 1956 was doing 1,200mph level flight with a Delta wing. The Vulcan saw mass produced delta wing aircraft. So you can hardly credit Concorde with advancing that particular technology.
Apart from that what was so technologically amazing about it? Digital computer control for the engines I suppose was pretty new. But the engines were just ripped out of the Vulcan and given an afterburner. I suppose the inlet control was a bit clever as well.
Otherwise surely it was just standard 50's and 60's aviation technology put together into one very expensive package?
A poor mans answer to the Space race which DID bring us all manner of new technologies.
I yield to no man in my admiration of technological progress. In the fields of genetics, communications and computing this country was making fantastic strides during the period of Concordes design and build. But I don't see what the project actually gave us in terms of technology that wasn't already discovered and in use elsewhere.
I'm not bashing the aircraft or the achievement. I don't feel strongly either way about the machine. I am wholly disspassionate about it in fact.
Lets face it - aircraft technology per se was done and dusted by the mid 50's and all we've been doing since then is tweaking.
If the point was to sip Mach 2 champagne at high altitude at dissproportionate environmental cost then - as I said - thats a kind of a naff thing.
Go pay the Ukranian airforce to take you for a ride in a Mig 25, have a real thrill and get to fly the thing. A much bigger boast in the pub - if thats your bag.
I object to the dewey eyed sentimentalism that surrounded some of the coverage of Concordes retirement. Shrieks of end of an era and stepping backwards are frankly sanctimonious bollocks.
Compared to the 70's you can now cross the Atlantic in considerably more safety, more comfort, being well entertained and for a fraction of the cost. In fact you can fly non-stop around the globe in your own private jet whilst video conferencing across the internet to people spead over 4 continents simultaneously.
Thats progress, thats technology and thats got very little to do with Concorde.
Cheers
WWW