just a question about Concorde >>>

Black boxes

The intake control system on Concorde was redesigned a few times to make it work with absolute safety. There were eight computers, all cross-linked, in the final design.

I wrote some manuals for the mechanical bits in the engine bays (intake system).

The B1 bomber designers never got their similar system (on its side) working – so we should keep the technology from them even now!

Bri:dev2:

Whats vital fluids?:confused: Are they trying to get one off the AF Concordes to fly or do Taxi run’s ?

James

Hydraulic fluids James, as explained in a post above. Pretty ‘vital’ by the sounds of things.

Flying Concorde

There was a nesw article not that long ago on one of the French Concordes and it might have been if Flight Magazine.

They have one in a hangar I don,t know if it is at Orly or Charles du Gaulle they keep all the systems going and the aircraft is checked regulerally.

I don,t no if the enginges are run but the rest as far as I am aware is kept going and the have a deadacated team of engineers looking after it.

This is one in the eye for British Aviation but if the petition that is around at the moment people are signing to try to get one in the air it all depends on us to go out and sign

Long live Speedbird Concorde 001?

vital fluids drained so don’t expect one in the air ever again.

Whats vital fluids?:confused: Are they trying to get one off the AF Concordes to fly or do Taxi run’s ?

James

1. Some of the technology to do with intake ramps and engine airflow management has been removed from the grounded examples as it was possibly still considered as “classified” – though this perhaps seems unlikely given that the technology would be nearly fifty years old by now…

I’m not sure where this story has originated from but with the greatest of respect it’s nonsense. The Filton example still has all of this in place, and last Dec, I went to a wonderful public lecture where one of the techy wizards who designed all of the intake technology, put up slide after slide explaining how it all worked *. In terms of hardware, the Filton Concorde only has the ground power electrical connector and internal batteries missing, deliberately removed to prevent the A/C electrical systems from being powered up (fire risk).

What will really keep Concorde grounded forever is the draining of its Hydraulic system. Concorde’s unusual “Oronite M.2V” hydraulic fluid changes acidity when exposed to moisture and that will in turn degrade all the hydraulic seals within the system. An empty hydraulic system will inevitably now contain condensation. One of the Concorde in service was accidentally water contaminated in the late 80’s and the cost of changing every single seal in its hydraulic system almost declared it a commercial write off. …… And that was even when the specialist and expensive Oronite hydraulic servicing facility existed!

* Slightly off topic but he also told an interesting story of Concorde intake technology transfer to the original B1 program.

Alpha-Charlie @ MAN isn’t, nor is Alpha-Fox @ Filton…

I stand corrected, thought BA had removed them all… ?

Websites try http://www.concordesst.com/

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thank you for the informations and the links about the Concorde

my interest is due to its altitude/speed performances that may be applied to some kind of missions involving suborbital vehicles (with a Concorde that works as mothership)

of course, if they can’t fly or has part of their technology classified, that can’t happen …or, maybe, they can… someday

.

All the BA examples are engineless and have had their vital fluids drained so don’t expect one in the air ever again.

G-BOAC at Manchester has still got it’s engines. I THINK that the same goes for the examples in Seattle, and Bristol. The engines were removed from the JFK example so that the could put it onto a barge. The LHR and East Fortune aircraft had not had engines fitted for a number of months/years as the were never returned to flight status after the Paris crash. In fact the East fortune example was never going to fly again any way.
I have only heard on the net that the intake controls were “sensitive” never from anyone “in the know” so that MIGHT be an urban myth. Certain “black boxed” had componants inside of them that needed to be removed, i.e batterys and toxic materials. They were removed from the boxes and the boxes then refitted. this is proberbly were the “Classified” story comes from.
BA took all the bit of the aircraft that could be used on the rest of the normal fleet but took great care in preserving the look of the aircraft. I do remember talking to the guys who de-commisioned OAC and they were heart broken.
Non of the BA ones will fly again. I do wish that the campaigners would concentrate their efforts into getting them all indoors! Because IMHO two of the British based example and two of the overseas example are at risk in the long tearm.

Rgds Cking

All the BA examples are engineless…

Alpha-Charlie @ MAN isn’t, nor is Alpha-Fox @ Filton…

I believe it’s well documented elsewhere, both in specialist press and in the general media that Concorde will never fly again for the following two reasons:

1. Some of the technology to do with intake ramps and engine airflow management has been removed from the grounded examples as it was possibly still considered as “classified” – though this perhaps seems unlikely given that the technology would be nearly fifty years old by now…

2. Airbus owned the design authority for the airframes, which it inherited from BAC/BAe and Aerospatiale the original builders, but Airbus have withdrawn that authority, and have said they will not reinstate it. So, unless they sell it on to a third party who is prepared to resurrect, maintain, and take responsibility for the DA (i.e. a major financial commitment), which seems unliekly, then the airframes can never regain certificates of airworthyness, as someone needs hold a “valid” / “live” design authority for the airframe seeking the CofA before one can be issued. I guess this does not theoretically stop them being flown under some form of “experimental” classification, (and without carrying passengers), but it would seem very unlikely?

One of the Forum members “Gordo” runs the ConcordeSST website, and is probably the best authority on all things Concorde – perhaps he can confirm the status for you/us.

Paul F

All the BA examples are engineless and have had their vital fluids drained so don’t expect one in the air ever again.

The Concorde’s new homes are as follows:
F-WTSS Le Bourget
F-BTSD Le Bourget
G-BSST Fleet air arm museum,Yoevilton
G-AXDN Imperial war museum,Duxford
F-WTSA Musee Delta, Orly airport
F-WTSB Toulouse
G-BBDG Brooklands museum,Weybridge
F-BTSC crashed,Paris
F-BVFA Smithsonian museum,Chantilly,Virginia
F-BVFB Sinsheim museum Germany
F-BVFC Toulouse
F-BVFD destroyed
F-BVFF CDG,Paris
G-BOAA East Fortune museum
G-BOAB Heathrow
G-BOAC Manchester airport AVP
G-BOAD USS Intrepid museum New York (Temporarily moved to Brooklyn due to works on the site)
G-BOAE Grantley Adams Airport,Barbados
G-BOAF Filton,Bristol
G-BOAG Museum of flight,Seattle.
A couple of good sites about Concorde are:
http://www.concorde-jet.com/
http://www.save-concorde.co.uk/
AFAIK most of them are still able to fly (after a fair bit of work,though) but none of course have airworthiness certificates.