FAAM Concorde

[Flyer 719]

I've just been reading through the April issue of Aircraft Illustrated and on page 25 the is a picture of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Concorde as part of a FAAM article.

The Concorde nose and cockpit windows look totally different to the Concordes that entered service. Has anyone else noticed this and does anyone know why it looks like this?

719

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

That was a prototype, and they differed from production aeroplanes in quite e few ways.

The visor was metal on the prototypes, with (IIRC) just two small 'portholes' for the crew to see out. On the production machine, the visor is extensively glazed. Brian Trubshawe's view on the original visor was that one day it would get stuck in the 'up' position, and they'd have to try and land the beast aided by that limited view through the portholes. He reckoned you'd get "two out of ten for a good try" :O ).

The protoypes also had tail bumpers instead of the tailwheels on the production machines.

SSD

[Brit312]

Even with the production nose and visor if the nose stuck in the up position,then during the final approach you would not be able to see the runway straight ahead due to the high nose up attitude of the aircraft . The pilot would do his best with his head up against the side windows or do an autoland
The glass visor was really there so as the crew could have some forward vision in flight and also to allow daylight in so they could read the newspaper
:O

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

The pilot would do his best with his head up against the side windows or do an autoland

Nah. Just open the cockpit side window, put on yer goggles, and lean out, steam-train driver style while you wheel 'er on. :O

SSD

[supercarb]

Also the CAA and FAA would not accept the original design. They refused to certificate the a/c unless a transparent visor was introduced.