Concorde to fly again??

I am sure a Concorde could be made airworthy for a one off ferry flight if required, it would entail the robbery of parts from the other airframes and many concessions to life expired parts, but as for semi commercial/airshow use its a complete and utter NEVER.
I personally know of components that were causing real maintenance problems while the type was still in service, let alone after these years of inactivity.
It was only the determination of BA/AF and their subcontractors that just about kept it going to the end.
Since then the expertise, knowledge, spares, test equipment, authorisations, facilities have all been lost. It cannot be brought back.

to be honest, i really don’t know why they aren’t after the one at BAe Filton??? wasn’t that the last one to fly? surely that would be a better candidate?

There is no way that this one could go again. I know people in the Fleet Air Arm Association who worked at Filton, indeed some of the local branch have been involved in her display. I have been told that, as in the TSR2 story, measures have been taken to ensure resurrection is impossible, such as electrical looms being removed or cut amongst others.

SRB would be better off sponsoring or buying a Forumla One team, or by joining in with Red Bull’s Air Races.

Rob you manage to be 100% incorrect.

He’s got the publicity, the £1,000,000 was never in any danger of leaving his bank account.

Either of your two options would involve him actually parting with the money as they are feasible projects, not fantasies.

Moggy

I cannot understand the general public and the media’s apparent obsession in bringing Concorde back, was’nt the reason it was retired because of lack of passengers and the escalating costs involved with Flying them ?

I have seen concorde fly many times and if i was asked which would you prefer a Vulcan or Concorde the Vulcan would win hands down and would be the more cost effective in the long run.

Either that or paint the Vulcan in British Airways colours* and kill two birds with one stone, as 90% of the general public probably could’nt tell the differance anyway.

curlyboy

*I am kidding give me the vulcan without advertising banners over it anyday.

I doubt it would ever happen too.

SRB would be better off sponsoring or buying a Forumla One team, or by joining in with Red Bull’s Air Races. Both would soak up 1m without any bother – yet offer infinitely better returns in terms of publicity.

What a waste of money,why not donate the money to ten worthy aviation causes instead, like the Grace Spitfire, Sally B ,the LPG QRA appeal or the Solent Sky Walrus project.I am sure £100,000 would go a long way to helping them out.

Because the publicity generated for him won’t be anywhere near what he will get if Concorde is mentioned in the same sentence.:mad:

Alan

Well said that man, £40,000 would do to finish the QRA hanger 😀

Cheers

They say Elvis will be doing the test flight.

Well said Gordon, the bullet points summarise the reasons why she’ll never fly again very well, and you’re probably one of the best placed to comment.

Another argument : If someone had £15M would we not like to use that to put the UK Concordes undercover and safe for future generation, rather than get excited about seeing it fly again for 10 years?

Absolutely, otherwise, in ten years time we will be watching the scrappies set about the exposed Concorde airframes with cutting torches as per the recent and ongoing demise of the assorted outdoor Vulcans.

Unfortunatley the reality doesn’t make good headlines or generate pubilcity for certain people – as you say, this chestnut will resurface periodically when it’s a slow news day, or when someone with a vague link to Concorde needs to raise their profile.

Keep up the good work on Delta Golf, hope to get to Brooklands to see the reassembled beauty later this summer.

Paul F

This will be one of these things that come sup ever 6 months ; Someone decides that they can fire up a Concorde and fly it again.

A small (non exclusive) list of why nots:

•No Spares (Vulcan had 80T of ex RAF spares, All BA and AF were auctions/scrapped)
•Majority of OEM overhaul facilities scrapped, inc those for the engines.
•All specialised tooling and test kit scraped/sold
•No Type support for Airframe
•No Type support for powerplant
•Airbus Want nothing to do with Concorde
•BA Still own their aircraft and will not let them fly.
•The museums have the aircraft on long term loan, and would lose revenue streams.

Get it? The task to fly Concorde again would be probably a factor of 10 bigger than the vulcan.

Another argument : If someone had £15M would we not like to use that to put the UK Concordes undercover and safe for future generation, rather than get excited about seeing it fly again for 10 years?

I agree this smells like yet another Branson/Virgin publicity stunt.

There is only one organistion that could achieve a Concorde return to flight and that of course is Airbus, and I do seem to recall reading somewhere that the Concorde at Toulouse has had its systems maintained since retirement.

However it would take several million bucket loads of money and an unusual level of political will to achieve this, which given thier current problems with the A380 seems unlikely. And even if it did happen it would almost certainly be ‘subsonic only,’ which would save a very large sum.

That said stranger things have happened, aren’t some people attempting to return a Vulcan to the sky? 😉

Steve

Its just a publicity stunt for Branson, If he was serious He would put proper money in, not a pathetic 1M, which he could spare 10 times over without any bother. Apart from that, Airbus will never release the design authority without heavy weight political pressure. whatever 558 ends up costing at first flight, triple it and add a 100% again, and that probably wont even come close to the money required for Concorde. Cant see it happening……..

Blah,Blah,Blah…and Bullsh-te to boot!

Come off it guys.
SRB will waste no oppurtunity to have a go at his main competitor-BA- and this is a prime example and has been doing the rounds ever since the decision was made to retire the Conc. Let us remember that BA was actually making money from Concorde and had just started a cabin refit prior to the AF accident and was not planning a retirement at all. Fingers should be pointed towards nos amis across the channel for the reasons why it was grounded.

Moving back to SRB he is a v.good PR guy and wastes no chances when deriding BA as the big bad guy in the aviation industry-jealousy perhaps?

Take the recent ‘price fixing’ allegations where BA were done up like a kipper and have all but admitted the fixing despite Virgin also being involved up to their follicles in it. But because they blow the whistle they get away scott free despite having colluded ever since the fuel surcharge came into effect!!!

My personal favourites though-‘ Four engines for longhaul’ on the side of their 340’s le BA were using a lot of triples and 76’s on the transatlantic. Guess what though? The 340-600’s fuel burns are so cr-p they decide not to get any more and buy 787’s instead……with,now let me think……one,two engines!!!!!!
Time to get the Hounslow possy with their aerosols on the case!!!

Toodle pip!

‘Depends on your point of view’

Of course, Seand and that is the point of a forum.

If it was STILL flying ,then I would love to see it again, in fact I took my children to see it when it visited BHX on it’s farewell tour.And I am proud of the fact that I took my dear old Nan to see it a few years ago, before she got to frail to go, one of my abiding memories….

BUT my point is it will take a lot more than a million to get it flying and to keep it flying, when there are much more worthy projects, airworthy, potentially airworthy and ground bound ,that could do a hell of a lot with a fraction of the money that she would need.
Concorde had her time,she won’t be allowed to carry passengers any more and there only so many events that she could fly over, I won’t say ‘display at’

Same with ‘558, I will no doubt make a the trip just to see her fly and will savour the moment, but in hindsight is it money well spent?
If they weren’t so far down the road now, I would probably prefer them not to bother, but again it is only because it is a Vulcan, that so many have given their cash .

Alan

Concorde Telegraph Saturday

There was also an article in the travel section (there’s optimistic isn’t it?) of last Saturday’s Daily Telegraph. In the article some knowledgeable chap opined that we keep much older aircraft like spitfires and hurricanes flying why not Concorde? Muppet.:mad:

Oh, btw, I think Concorde is a wonderful aircraft and SRB will do anything (well almost) for publicity.

“waste of money”, depends on your view point, as a kid I use to look up every time Concorde flew overhd, my Nan always wanted to fly in it too in fact I help my Nan pay for a flight in the old girl.

I would love to see her fly again and if Mr Branson has the money, the will power etc to put a Concorde in the air again then good on him.:)

What a waste of money,why not donate the money to ten worthy aviation causes instead, like the Grace Spitfire, Sally B ,the LPG QRA appeal or the Solent Sky Walrus project.I am sure £100,000 would go a long way to helping them out.

Because the publicity generated for him won’t be anywhere near what he will get if Concorde is mentioned in the same sentence.:mad:

Alan

to be honest, i really don’t know why they aren’t after the one at BAe Filton??? wasn’t that the last one to fly? surely that would be a better candidate? i was there on work experience not so long ago, and i spoke to one of the people about it, its had its hydraulics drained etc, but still easier as its in this country and isn’t owned by the french???:diablo:

I think mister Branson should better spend his 1million on the Vulcan. At least that one has a very good chance of flying again! Concorde flying? H*ll no! I think the French are right in not wanting to release the plane!

considering that its cost nearly 6 million pounds to get XH558 back to airworthy status, and that was after she had been kept active and maintained for all those years. it will take a lot of money manpower and commitment, political backing is ok, financial backing is the key! with the exception of the £1 million that branson has said he will give, there is no mention of where the rest is to come from. with a total cost that will surpass XH558 massively. i have to agree with david and say NO!

Geoff – slow news day ! The answer is ‘no’