What's Concorde?
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
Unlike the race to the moon, or even the NHS, it was expected that Concorde WOULD be a commercial success and certainly the two manufacturers involved were pinning there hopes on the fact that it would be. It was expected that a supesonic airliner was what the European civil airliner manufacturers needed to produce in order to establish a technical and COMMERCIAL advantage over the more conservative American manufacturers.
In 1962 they could very well have been right. Unfortunately, by the time the aircraft was ready to enter service in 1976, air travel had changed utterly and Concorde was the wrong aeroplane at the wrong time.
Do you not think the US legislagtion also had an effect on its lack of success? The Americans certainly didn't make it easy for Concorde. In 1962 they could very well have been right. Unfortunately, by the time the aircraft was ready to enter service in 1976, air travel had changed utterly and Concorde was the wrong aeroplane at the wrong time.
I was always lead to believe that Concorde was killed off by the price of oil?
According to the article below, 17 airlines expressed a very firm interest in operating them.
http://heritageconcorde.com/?page_id=3103
I have very fond memories of Concorde, as a kid I watched in awe as they flew over my school on delivery into Heathrow, and in 2003, watched them all return for the last time.
According to the article below, 17 airlines expressed a very firm interest in operating them.
http://heritageconcorde.com/?page_id=3103
I have very fond memories of Concorde, as a kid I watched in awe as they flew over my school on delivery into Heathrow, and in 2003, watched them all return for the last time.
Edited by onyx39 on Sunday 8th January 16:39
RichB said:
Eric Mc said:
Unlike the race to the moon, or even the NHS, it was expected that Concorde WOULD be a commercial success and certainly the two manufacturers involved were pinning there hopes on the fact that it would be. It was expected that a supesonic airliner was what the European civil airliner manufacturers needed to produce in order to establish a technical and COMMERCIAL advantage over the more conservative American manufacturers.
In 1962 they could very well have been right. Unfortunately, by the time the aircraft was ready to enter service in 1976, air travel had changed utterly and Concorde was the wrong aeroplane at the wrong time.
Do you not think the US legislagtion also had an effect on its lack of success? The Americans certainly didn't make it easy for Concorde. In 1962 they could very well have been right. Unfortunately, by the time the aircraft was ready to enter service in 1976, air travel had changed utterly and Concorde was the wrong aeroplane at the wrong time.
They only ever took out "options" rather than proper orders and were only doing so because they did not want to be left behind by the competition. For instance Pan Am did not want to be NOT operating Concorde if TWA was.
Once it was obvious that the economic operation of the aircraft was going to be difficult, particularly after the 1973 Oil Crisis, the airlines rushed to cancel their options - and they all breathed a huge sigh or relief.
Eric Mc said:
There are a number of Comcordes preserved in the UK, G-BBDG at Brooklands, G-AXDN at Duxford, G-BSST at Yeovilton, G-BOAC at Manchester, G-BOAF at Filton and G-BOAA at East Fortune.
And F-BVFB is on the roof of the Auto and Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany, next to a Tu-144. You can even go inside them:-
Sorry about the quality - there's a perspex screen blocking off the cockpit which confused my camera.
I was very fortunate to be treated by my wife to a flight in Concorde as a 40th birthday celebration. A wonderful experience which I will never forget, not least because we all got to visit the flight deck and while chatting to the captain he said he had a TVR. Returned to my seat and mentioned this to my wife to which she remarked "take you on Concorde and you end up talking about cars!" 
Eric Mc said:
simonrockman said:
I lament that I've flow faster than my sons ever will.
I can't see supersonic passenger travel being widely available in their lifetimes and they are teenagers.
Don't despair.I can't see supersonic passenger travel being widely available in their lifetimes and they are teenagers.
I expect that there will be at least one supersonic biz jet in use by about 2030.
The market for airliner supersonics never existed (only 15 Concordes were ever operated by any airlines). The type of person who was the target customer for Concorde is the type of person who today will be looking at executive jet travel.
Until supersonic aircraft are allowed fly at supersonic speeds over built up areas, we will not see a supersonic civilian aircraft again. However, there is a lot of work going into high altitude supersonic crusing - high enough to prevent the sonic boom from disturbing people on the ground below.
Simon
A little while ago I hosted a couple of community days, where local schools would come in (years 4-6 normally, kids were 8-11). I work at Rolls-Royce, so naturally Concorde is one of our more mentioned historical items. The meeting room we used to use overlooked the Airbus runway at Filton, and you could see the Concorde parked up about halfway up the strip. As part of the presentation I was doing, Concorde appeared on the slide and I mentioned that the kids could, table by table, go up to the window and peer out at a real life supersonic machine.
All well and good until I got the heartbreaking question, "what's a Concorde?" I explained it to the kid and said that his parents may have known about it, to which he replied, with all the innocence you could imagine, "it sounds really old, everything now must be better!"
All well and good until I got the heartbreaking question, "what's a Concorde?" I explained it to the kid and said that his parents may have known about it, to which he replied, with all the innocence you could imagine, "it sounds really old, everything now must be better!"
Eric Mc said:
If you want a very good "Concorde Experience", go to Brooklands where they have G-BBDG on display and a guided tour which is extremely interesting.
I think they blow dust in your eyes at points through the experience. My Dad took me up on a car park at Heathrow to see one leave when I was a kid, I really should thank him sometime...Eric Mc said:
simonrockman said:
I lament that I've flow faster than my sons ever will.
I can't see supersonic passenger travel being widely available in their lifetimes and they are teenagers.
Don't despair.I can't see supersonic passenger travel being widely available in their lifetimes and they are teenagers.
I expect that there will be at least one supersonic biz jet in use by about 2030.
The market for airliner supersonics never existed (only 15 Concordes were ever operated by any airlines). The type of person who was the target customer for Concorde is the type of person who today will be looking at executive jet travel.
Until supersonic aircraft are allowed fly at supersonic speeds over built up areas, we will not see a supersonic civilian aircraft again. However, there is a lot of work going into high altitude supersonic crusing - high enough to prevent the sonic boom from disturbing people on the ground below.
I have a picture of Concorde on permanent display in my classroom as well as a few other design classics like the original Mini, Routemaster bus, Spitfire and Blower Bentley.
Students often ask about them and of course it leads to interesting discussions about how technology has changed.
Students often ask about them and of course it leads to interesting discussions about how technology has changed.
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