The Concorde thread (Don't start a separate one!)

[fokker]

At the risk of being an old curmudgeon;

Great to hear that one has flown again, albeit briefly, but am I alone in thinking it's a bit rich that a Concorde should be displayed in the home of the company and the country chiefly responsible for making it a commercial non-starter? And that was mainly due to the sour grapes of Vast Airplanes Inc., whose own product was feat of chutney.

Ah, well. No doubt it will be presented as a true-blue Boeing design eventually, just like those other wonderful US inventions; the Harrier, hovercraft and telephone.

History is written by him with the loudest voice.


:rolleyes:

[Globaliser]

fokker

Isn't it better to see it like this: She will forever be sitting there, as the centrepiece of one of the world's great aviation museums, reminding Boeing every day that they have never managed to make anything so beautiful.

[Random Electron]

And don't forget, we gotta SR-71 Blackbird at Duxford!!

[747FOCAL]

Just got back from looking over the Concorde that will live in Seattle. Amazingly, I had only ever seen them on TV.

I got to give it to you Europeans, that is one fine machine. One of the most impressive aviation related things I have ever witnessed. My hat is off to you. Hope somebody developes something similiar in the future as I want a ride. :)

Cheers.

[Airbubba]

>>History is written by him with the loudest voice.<<

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." - Napoleon Bonaparte

"If you've done it, it ain't braggin'!" - George Jones

[Tony_EM]

And don't forget, we gotta SR-71 Blackbird at Duxford!!

Nah! That's the Sopwith they nicked the design from

[Freeway]

When she was built the authorities were very quick in stating that she could not fly supersonically over land.
Ironic and somewhat sad that the last flight she ever did was a record breaker flying supersonically over land, albeit remotely populated land.
The Concorde story would have been a very different one if supercruise over remotely populated land had been permitted from the outset.
As someone famously said on 24th October " the world just became a bigger place ".:{

[curmudgeon]

Speaking as I do, fokker, I have to agree with Globaliser!!:D :D :D

cur

[Grob Driver]

Does anyone know if any plans have been put in place to allow people ‘on site’ at Filton on 26th Nov to see the arrival of Corcorde?… I’m hoping to go down there for the day… Just wondered if we’ll be restricted to viewing from the road side (can you even see anything from the road down at Filton? – Sorry… I’ve never been there!)

Thanks

Grob Driver

[PPRuNe Pop]

Please do NOT start another Concorde thread. The bandwidth that these take up is unneccesary. This is where the threads stay. Danny made the decision to move them here and here is where they will stay. Especially after saying that a new thread should not be started.

We have enough to do without chasing Concorde all over the site!

Thanks.


PPP

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Swung by the Manchester Airport Aviation Viewing Park this afternoon hoping to see AC - but no sign of her.

Is she still in a hangar being 'de-commisioned'?

SSD

[Red Spitfire Driver]

Hi again

Have just heard that the last, last Concorde flight

26 Nov - BAW9020C EGLL1120, arrive EGTG 1200.

Is now going to take a bit longer, supersonic around the Bay - then arrive at Filton a bit later than 1200 ....


Cheers RSD

[Fly747]

She's parked at MAN by the cargo sheds up in the NW corner, can't remember the stand number.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Thanks 74

Just heard that 'my' Concorde, AD, has left Heathrow for the last time. Off to NY to rot on an old aircraft carrier:{

SSD

[digidave]

Hi All,

I've put a few pics from the 24th up at the following url...
http://www.middlesexrc.org.uk/Concorde/conc.htm, bigger pics behind the thumbnails.

I've got nothing to compare to the shots taken by DamienB but the shots I've posted do, I think, capture some of the atmosphere of the day.

I'm hoping I'll get a better view and ringing in my ears on the 26th.

To everyone that has posted stills, video and audio, many many thanks.

dd

[DamienB]

Yep SSD, here's G-BOAD departing on her final flight destined to rust away on a barge in New York.

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boad-lhr-101103-1.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boad-lhr-101103-2.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boad-lhr-101103-3.jpg

[paulo]

Digidave - Like the shots. You know the one where the cabin crew are laughing, looking over the crowd... can you remember what prompted their laughter?

Was it, us having taken pictures of them when they waved, that when they took pictures of us we all waved back? That moment put a smile on my face for sure. :D

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Many thanks, DB. One of those is my laptop wallpaper now.

I wonder just WHO made those destination descisions? This one makes no sense at all; same for Barbados.

SSD

[digidave]

Ouch Damien, you could have waited a little while, you take some beautiful photographs.

Paulo, I think it was when we all waved back.

I shot off two rolls of 36 but just wasn't in the right places! I should have been standing next to DamienB, but then I wouldn't have any excuse would I?

I'm really glad my wife and I made the effort to go. I used to watch Concorde do circuits and bumps at Fairford when I was a child, I've always wanted to fly in her - and now I never will.

See you on the 26th.

dd

[willbav8r]

The Intrepid isn't all that bad.

Also home to another impressive piece of kit: The SR71 (A12).

Quite the lineup - and on an aircraft carrier no less.

[paulo]

Digidave - Thanks for confirming!

It was a sweet and spontaneous moment and I'm glad I've managed to find a picture of it - it'll go in my personal collection, a happier memory alongside largely sadder ones. :ok: :ugh:

[DamienB]

Digidave - sorry :E

willbav8r - yes, the Intrepid is that bad. They've let several airframes lapse into quite an awful state and were recently trying to get rid of a French Etendard they'd been gifted because 'the French won't look after it for us' or some such guff. It also does not bode well for the future of G-BOAD that the Intrepid people claimed to have visited Duxford to get advice about preserving a Concorde... and said Duxford's Concorde had to put up with much worse climate conditions!! Oh yes, Cambridge is famous for its New York style winters and the river that runs directly underneath the superhangar must be very well hidden.

[SPIT]

I went to the INTREPID last year and the only place I can see where they can put it is right at the STERN END of the flight deck and they will have some fun trying to get it on board or even trying to get it from JFK by road on loaders???:D :D :D

[willbav8r]

I guess my last visit to the Intrepid was pre 9/11. Sorry to hear things are dilapidated - hope the Conc will change all that (?).

As for the climactic conditions.....agreed. Worrying.

And the Etendard; mebbe a rebellion against things Frog? :ok:

[Jackonicko]

I'm sure that I read somewhere that someone wanted to use several aircraft for research connected with future hypersonic travel, operating them from Scotland when required, but letting them sit in museums for much of the year. Can someone point me at what I read, or did I dream it?

Isn't the real reason for BA's decision its belief that profits on subsonic business class will now be much higher, because no-one will go and fly Concorde instead, and isn't that exactly why the prospect of Branson operating them such an anathema?