Concorde's Last Flight (Merged)

[Feathers McGraw]

Cunliffe

Concorde had a large wing surface area containing fuel immediately above the undercarriage and a very high tyre rotation speed, so any debris thrown off was travelling more rapidly than on other aircraft.

In addition, the Concorde wing produces essentially no lift until rotation, so the downward component of the control forces rotating the aircraft increases the load on the tyres just as they reach maximum rotation speed.

At the last count, Concorde suffered at least 57 incidents where tyre debris hit the airframe. I don't know if that number includes the Gonesse crash.

[JEM60]

Barnstormer. I knew the US co-operated in returning a TU144 to the air for tests etc., but was not aware that it had flown in or over the US. Can anyone elaborate on where it visited?

[John Farley]

JEM60

I agree it was my understanding that all the NASA tests were flown in Russia.

[JEM60]

Many thanks JF. [ It was a delight to have attended one of your after dinner talks.]

[Bronx]

Frangible

What is it about Concorde that causes normally sensible people not to agree with my opinion?

Life's a bitch sometimes.

[RealFish]

Hangar Video

Thanks FL.

That's the one! and the lump in the throat is still there.

RF

[DozyWannabe]

BEagle:
And then the worthless ba rolled over to French pressure and announced that they were killing off their Concordes.

Funny, I could have sworn it was because Airbus (a pan-European conglomerate, including the UK) could not continue making spare parts in a way that was financially viable, and that, at the end of the day, was a final and irrevocable factor that meant her time in the air was up.

[Vitesse]

Concorde Spare Parts

Twenty odd years ago I was given the job of hand-delivering some electronic components that were made specially for the Concorde fleet. If I remember correctly, they were a custom-packaged chip of some sort. Exact part evades me now.

These chips were the last made from the last certified wafer known to exist.

Just a small illustration of the task that faces any restoration team.

Still like to see it happen, though.

[AndoniP]

with the advances in technology since concorde's production, nothing is irreplaceable, especially microchips of any sort.

[breakadjuster]

Concorde

Yes PPRuNe Pop, there was slight sarcasm in my statement regarding Walpole. In fact after the event any extra fuel carried on BA aircraft was called "Walpoles"! This incident was well covered up by BA at the time

[Vitesse]

with the advances in technology since concorde's production, nothing is irreplaceable, especially microchips of any sort.

While nothing is irreplaceable, the cost of replacement is an issue. You could set up a wafer fab up or re-design the board the component sits on or replace the module or replace the system.

I suppose you could use some parts found in the back of a drawer with no documentation, though.

[West Coast]

Concorde was built both by the French and the British from components made in both countries.

The A380 has a substantial number of parts built in the US, doesn't make it an American plane. Same said of Boeing aircraft, not French aircraft however.

The Concorde was built in France, it's a French aircraft.

[BEagle]

Your facts are incorrect, Westie.

Concorde components were made at the relevant manufacturing site. However, there were 2 productions lines, one at Aerospatiale's Toulouse (France) site and the other at BAC's Filton (UK) site.

There were 20 Concordes, built as follows:

Prototype F-WTSS was built at Toulouse, prototype G-BSST at Filton.

Pre-production F-WTSA, Toulouse, pre-production G-AXDN, Filton.

Development F-WTSB, Toulouse, development G-BBDG, Filton

Air France aircraft F-BTSC, F-BVFA, F-BVFB, F-BVFC, F-BVFD, F-BTSD and F-BVFF at Toulouse.

British Airways aircraft, G-BOAC, G-BOAA, G-BOAB, G-BOAD, G-BOAE, G-BOAG and G-BOAF at Filton.

Anglo-French - half were built and test-flown in France, half were built and test-flown in the UK.

[MerchantVenturer]

I can only think that West Coast is doing a bit of winding up. I can't believe he really doesn't know that Concorde was a British-French initiative.

If he doesn't perhaps there is a general perception in the USA (I assume the West Coast part of his nomenclature is that of the USA) that Concorde is completely French which either says much for the Gallic publicity machine or very little for Britain's.

If he still needs convincing he need do no more than visit Bristol (the original one - in England) where many retired engineers will be pleased to tell him how they built Concorde at Filton which is on the northern outskirts of that city.

[JEM60]

I've met Americans at US Air Shows that are convinced [or have been!] that the AV8B is a wholly American design, including, would you believe, the engine!!! At Oshkosh once, the only way I could convince a guy that this was not so was to take him to the static park, and show him the engine makers plate!!!!! America.....Land of the free, home of the brainwashed......No offence, just that you guys seem to be fed an awful lot of mis-information about stuff.,

[West Coast]

that the AV8B is a wholly American design

The B is an American aircraft, a vast improvement over the A&C. The design came from the Brit's. Happy now?

[heated ice detector]

I used to be involved with the manufacture of Concorde parts during my apprenticeship,
All welded aluminum components that we made still had to be gas welded as electric welding was not approved for Concorde,(early eighties) Finished Items then went to Filton.
Were still making fuel tanks for Canberra's would you believe.

[Mike7777777]

Concorde is probably mankind's greatest technological achievement to date, perhaps eclisped only by AGR nuclear power stations.
It is a golden rule that engineering masterpieces can only be created where bean counter involvement is minimal.

[JEM60]

WESTCOAST. I was always happy to know that the 'B' was American, and a good job they made of it too. My comment was more about the guy who assured me that the engine was also American, which it ain't.
Concorde is French and British. Happy now!

[Wander00]

Don't forget that apart from the first aeroplane, the droop nose and visor was designed by Marshalls at Cambridge and built there