Originally Posted by
AC Busted
My question, if I may?
Of course! That's what this thread is about !
I noticed a tail skid in many videos. Did Concorde ever have a need for it?
Two answers.
Only the first three Concordes (001, 002 and 01) had a real tail
skid (coated with hardwood, IIRC, to prvent sparks).
From aircraft 02 onwards, the skid was replaced by two small wheels, that look as if they've come off a Spitfire....
To understand why it's there, look at a drawing of a side view of Concorde.
If a Concorde overrotates at take-off, or lands with the nose too high, the first things that would have touched the ground are the exhaust nozzles / thrust reverser buckets. The tail skid/wheels are there to prevent that.
As to the need for it...
"Tailstrikes" were rare, but they did happen.
Now I don't remember offhand whether it was already mentioned here or somewhere else, but more often than not those tail wheels were not much good, and got shoved back into the tail, with the reverser buckets still hitting the ground : there are photos of repairs to the buckets to prove it !
CJ