Bac/ Aerospatiale Concorde to fly again
 

GREAT news if its ok; BBC Ceefax page 109, today. An Air France machine. £15 million project to make her fly for heritage flypasts.

Also here: BBC News - Work starts in £15m plan to get Concorde flying

I can't see it really being a practical proposition, let alone in the current economic climate.

Head and heart in conflict again. I worked on two Concorde noses/visors at Marshalls, 69-70. I would LOVE to see Concorde in the air again, but 15M, £ or €, is a heck of a price to pay, recession or not. If someone has that much spare cash, put it into promoting aviation amongst the young, and especially general aviation.

While I'd love to see this happen, it is going to be a bigger money hole than the Vulcan, and launching a project which will need so much funding in the middle of a huge recession is a ludicrously enormous task!

From playing with old cars, I know that even a short layup can lead to all sorts of faults just from lack of use.

I assume it's the same with aircraft?

I shudder to think of the work required for something like Concorde.

Still like to see it flying, though.

Just be another bottomless pit for money, like a certain other triangular shaped object!

Agree totally with HEATHROW DIRECTOR.
15million is only a start!!. Who is going to crew it, how many test flights at heaven knows what expense, how are the crew going to keep current as per a host of regulations, and, perhaps biggest expense of all, who the hell is going to insure it.
It's all very well for SCG to be hopeful, but, though I'd like to be proved wrong, they might as well p..s in the wind. Not a snowballs chance in hell in my opinion.
Whilst a wave of nostalgia is fine, sometimes things have to let go, and people must move on. Nothing lasts for ever, and I just hope the public doesn't throw money at it before it becomes the inevitable dead duck.
Sorry to be pessimistic, but then I had to eat my hat metaphorically when I said the Vulcan project would fail, which, of course, it may still do, despite some success. Concorde is a non-starter, a hugely technical beast, unlike the relatively simple Vulcan, so thumbs down from me, I'm afraid.Cheers from John, ex- Concorde passenger and current realist.

I was of the opinion that this possibility was officially no more. I also thought that all the spars had been cut through to prevent such a re-fly happening and that the c of a had been revoked on both sides of the channel. I had also heard that AFR had also kept one frame in reddiness to fly. La France perfide?

Concorde to the Sky?
 

Anyone got any further background on this story?
Work starts to get Concorde flying

Apparently they want to get it flying for the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

The British group behind this is the Save Concorde Group but I can't say I have ever heard of them.

Well perhaps pleming can show them how it's done ? :E



SHJ

Try here http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...fly-again.html

Annex 2 Complex Category aircraft per chance?

Don't suppose there is a soon to be ex-558 project director looking for a new "challenge"...

Might be just what is needed to to help the Vulcan secure its future:E

Shortly to be followed with flypasts by a Space Shuttle; they're retiring any time, so a 'going' one must be easy to pick up & maintain !

One can't help wondering " what's the point ? "

If aircraft enthusiasts don't see 4 glowing afterburners they're going to feel cheated, and it would be a huge amount of effort by ground & air crew just to roll a bit; and as others have commented, £15,million sounds like the tip of the iceberg.

If the French were holding the Olympics I might see a sort of point; 4 x Olympus etc.

I forget the names, Sir Stanley Hooker & his rival / chum from Bristol engines ( apologies, Gordon Lewis & Ralph Hooper are in the frame but I don't think the name I'm groping for - I'm sure JF could help ! ).

When the Olympus reached the same thrust in pounds as Mount Olympus in feet, he sent a postcard.

The reply was " how does the weight compare ?" .

this is an irrational and sentime tal statement but with every aircraft I feel we should keep at least one of each type airworthy...believe me govt's piss away more than the cost of ANY aircraft on complete nonsense...in NY they want to give everyone a penny for each cigarette butt they return:ugh:

P.A,

I agree with your sentiment to keep an airworthy example of interesting types flying, but the effort !!!

Sod the cost, I agree governments probably spend more on getting the perfect pen or seat...

Trouble is slippery shoulders leave the cost to the public; also I'd love to know how certain other major aircraft restoration projects funded their 'top' people from 'charity', while you and I actually have to work...

If funds were available, I'd much rather see, in NO order of merit;

Hustler

Voodoo

Lysander ( too rare & important for UK )

Valkyrie ( well there's one left, and that WOULD be a show-stopper ! )

SR-71

Short SAC 1

BS 188,

HP115,

FW190,

Heinkel 111,

Walrus,

Need I go on ?!

All more interesting than a trolley-dolly's wonderjet.

Now where do I go and wave a can whipping up funds ? Thought not.

DZ

This doesn't instill confidence in the project: Save Concorde Group Vice Chairman bio.

I/C

SR-71:(

Double Zero

Why'd you have to go do that? :{:{:{