Concorde SST drop model information

Here are the images of the Tornado models as promised.

The drop test model spent some time at NASA and was dropped from a helicopter as shown below.

It had some rather interesting company…

And this is how it looks now

The other model in its new paint

The sqn website is www.134.org.uk if anyone is interested.

There was (and probably still is) a selection of 1950s and 60s wind tunnel models hanging in the Manchester air space museum thingy.

http://www.msim.org.uk/Galleries.asp?menuid=877

Yes they were still there on December 27th 2006. 🙂
Some were hung some mounted on the floor and an enormous Vulcan one against a wall.

I go past them every day and i have always wonderd what they are. Now i know, one is now painted in Rasberry ripple colour scheme and the other is camoflaged.

As I used to be CO of 134(Bedford) sqn at the former RAF Cardington site, I guess I can help clarify some points on the Tornado models. I will post some images later tonight of the aircraft in service use, and life in their current home.

The F2 (yellow) aircraft is now painted as an F3 in air defence grey, and has had undercarriage specially made for it so that it can be displayed as a gate guardian. A considerable amount of work went into the restoration of this model and thanks to the drive of AWO Ollie Browne, it now looks superb. The other model was constructed from a large amount of wood, and the glue has failed over the years. The restoration is still in progress, but the Tornado will represent the BAe Bedford airframe when complete. This is the aircraft that used to be painted in camouflage.

Concorde drop models

Hi Magdrop
The drop models I worked on were not radio controlled. The control surfaces were driven by small battery powered motors operated from a pre programmed timer. the timer switches were operated by cams. The model could even be put into a spin and recover. The final switch operated the parachute but occasioally the battery would have run out by then !!

Paddy R

as promised here are the pics of the drop test models while at bletchley park.

‘As FMK.6JOHN points out, it was 3 years ago and the model has since been auctioned at Christies with much Concorde memorabilia to whom and where I would be interested to know. Is it the one at Yeovilton?’

The model at Yeovilton has been there for many years as part of various Concorde exhibitions, at least 21 years to my knowledge

The camoflaged one was originally painted yellow, when we had it at Bletchley park. I will try to get my son to post some photos of them tomorrow.
Dave

We used to have two drop test models at our museum at Bletchley park, a Tornado and a Hermes (which was a concept aircraft, which we never did find much out about.). The Tornado is with the other drop test Tornado out side the Air cadets at Cardington now.

I go past them every day and i have always wonderd what they are. Now i know, one is now painted in Rasberry ripple colour scheme and the other is camoflaged.

Thanks Paddy for raising this thread again.

I knew of one of the RAe Bedford models and remember its parachute hatch as shown in wessex boys image however it was now painted in BA colours. Fantastic craftsmanship.
Paddy was the drop model radio controlled from the ground along with the parachute release mechanism or barametric switch? Any clues in that magazine article wessex boy? Film exists as I can remember seeing a couple of seconds worth of video of the model being dropped from the Wessex but what video?

As FMK.6JOHN points out, it was 3 years ago and the model has since been auctioned at Christies with much Concorde memorabilia to whom and where I would be interested to know. Is it the one at Yeovilton?

Thanks all.

Is this a record?, three years (almost to the day) between first and second post:eek: .

John.

My guess is that the black stripes on the wings in the photo are for orientation purposes

Concorde drop models

Hi
The Concorde drop models I worked on were always painted matt black so they could be easily photographed from the ground.
The drop tests were usually held at Larkhill on Salisbury plain in the 60s
using Whirland helicopters. and filmed from the ground.
I wonder if those films still exist in some archive.

Paddy R

The Concorde drop model along with several wind tunnel models are on display next to 001 at Yeovilton

There was (and probably still is) a selection of 1950s and 60s wind tunnel models hanging in the Manchester air space museum thingy.

http://www.msim.org.uk/Galleries.asp?menuid=877

The Tornado is with the other drop test Tornado out side the Air cadets at Cardington.

Oh…that’s what they are! :rolleyes:

I found this in my copy of Aircraft ’69, a 12′ model made of GRP dropped from a Helo at 4000′

Aren’t there a number of models at the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yelvilton? Or is it just wind tunnel models of Concorde? I know they have a drop model of the BAC221 research aircraft though (modified Fairey Delta 2).

Try contacting the research dept at Yeovilton, they might have some info on the programme.

We used to have two drop test models at our museum at Bletchley park, a Tornado and a Hermes (which was a concept aircraft, which we never did find much out about.). The Tornado is with the other drop test Tornado out side the Air cadets at Cardington now.

Hi,
There were two test models, one like you have said with the nose perminantly down and one with the nose up.

Richy.

Concorde dropping models

Yes Magdrop

I worked on the dropping models at RAE Bedford in the 60s I produced wiring diagrams for the controls and the recovery parachute.

Are you still interested?

Paddy R