Concorde

I wish them well. Anything can be done with enough money and there’s plenty of money swilling around still, albeit nowhere near me!

What would essentially be a restaurant with a Concorde on it is going to do well in the centre of London, just look at how popular the AVP at Manchester is these days.

A return to flight would obviously be hard, but I find it unlikely the organisation wouldn’t already realise this. They don’t seem to be particularly shaking the donation bucket, concentrating more on big business and individuals who would like their names tied to it. Times change, because its not going to happen tomorrow doesn’t mean it might not in the future.

As with the Vulcan, it doesn’t really take any money away from other projects because its largely different money. The £18m Man would reach far more people with one Concorde than spreading it amongst the whole aviation community.

I am reminded of the Handley Page Herald which was put on top of the terminal building at Gatwick as a tourist attraction. It was supposed to be open for a fee, but always seemed to be closed when I was there. Eventually it seems to have been relegated to the back of the airfield. Is it still there?

Quite – whilst I mourn Concorde’s passing, I really don’t think we need another project that drains all the potential resource from other heritage projects.

I also deplore the idea of multiple airframes mounted above major rivers – the airframes will last a fast five minutes….

Bruce

This sums it up perfectly for me too. Seems odd they’ve found someone to invest potentially 36 million into something that will generate little or no return. Does this mystery donor actually exist I find myself asking……

The return to flight program is quite simply unviable without £100 million+ worth of funding, and almost as unviable with the funding!

Quite – whilst I mourn Concorde’s passing, I really don’t think we need another project that drains all the potential resource from other heritage projects.

I also deplore the idea of multiple airframes mounted above major rivers – the airframes will last a fast five minutes….

Bruce

after having a look at their web site and the life time membership fee of £10 I cant see how realistically they expect a one off donation of £10 to give anywhere near enough funding for the project.Or am I missing something ??

I dont think if all the population of the uk put £10 into the pot they would have enough money.Like other contibutors who have responded to this thread I think that getting a concorde back into the air is highly unlikely as I understood they butchered them internaly to make sure they could never fly again chopping major systems etc.Also where are the spares coming from the Vulcanteam have enough trouble finding viable engines where are they goingto find Olympus engines with re heat for a concorde plus spares. I think the project will get so many obstacles thrown at it by british and european aviationauthorities as to be bogged down in paperwork well into the next century look at all the mods and problems getting them re certified to fly again after the Paris accident. I wish them well but think the idea of a flying airframe is on a hiding to nothing right from the word go no matter how many very rich persons want to throw 36 million into the pot.with respect i think that £36 million invested in other areas of our aviation heritage can and would do a great more good.

Mike E

www.whirlwindfighterproject.org
web site included just in case any wealthy person might feel so inclined as to donate !!!

The latest from the Club.

“Dear member,

Anglo-French Concorde Projects – including a Return to Flight viability report

updated 22 October 2013

Club Concorde proudly announce our involvement in two major Concorde projects, with a third in the pipeline.

The London Concorde Project

Back in 2009 we devised the concept of displaying a Concorde on a purpose built platform over the Thames and next to the London Eye. For tidal reasons we were advised that the platform support pillars be fixed into the bed of the Thames. We had several meetings with British Airways plus numerous ongoing discussions as to the involvement of the Heathrow and the Filton Concordes in our project.

British Airways were impressed by the concept but were concerned about the availability of the £18 million funding required to complete the project. We explained that a letter of intent regarding the availability of a Concorde, subject to funding, would impress our potential investors.

Early in 2012 we found an investor who was willing to fund the project subject to us delivering a Concorde. Our investor, a British businessman, entered into a legally binding contract with us, in May 2012. He was so impressed with our business plan that he offered us a further £18 million to fund an identical project over the Seine, in central Paris.

The Paris Concorde Project

The Paris project enabled us to widen our search for a Concorde, or two. As a result of discussions with various parties we were invited by a group of French politicians to a working lunch in Paris. This meeting took place in April of this year and was very positive. The French were extremely interested to learn about our plans for both the London and Paris projects. Discussions are ongoing and we are confident of reaching a formal agreement with our French friends, early in the New Year. Later discussions included the idea of a study being undertaken as to the technical viability of a French Concorde returning to flight, as a private, heritage aircraft operating under neutral livery.

The Return to Flight viability report

This would run parallel with the main projects and would involve a team of former Air France and British Airways Concorde Flight and Ground Engineers, Such a project, should it go ahead, would be funded by a combination of private investment and corporate sponsorship. We envisage such a project being jointly operated from two bases, one in France and the other in the UK.

The London and Paris Display Platforms

Concorde for London – neutral livery

As can be seen from the above image of Concorde on the Thames, the display platform has twin decks, the lower deck incorporating the commercial facilities which are an essential part of both projects. The platform will be 220 ft long and 110 ft wide, the lower deck comprising of a ticketing office, an aircrew presentation area, memorabilia shops as well as two restaurants and bars. We envisage one of the restaurants supplying Concorde style cuisine. Both Air France and British Airways former Concorde menus would be recreated, including the famous Wine Cellars. Aircraft tours would also include Champagne presentations, technical tours plus corporate and special events. Subject to planning permission, in both Cities, we envisage having at least one platform operational by mid 2015. Also, we estimate these projects would create around 160 jobs in each City, mainly for young people.

Best regards,

The Club Concorde Team
www.clubconcorde.co.uk

Sorry. My attempt at wit missed the mark. Look at the initial letters – in capitals – and you’ll read “Where did you find this C.R.A.P.”.Does that describe this idea appropriately?

Sorry – went over my head as well!! No idea – we do not have enough information so no rush to judgement yet.

As if.

In context, £40 million is just chump change to Airbus industries. There decision to rescind authority reflected the ongoing costs to them for maintaining it over the realistic projected life of the remaining Concorde fleet as it stood at the time of the announcement.

Should they choose to reinstate oversight it would I feel be on the grounds that they profited significantly and if Virgin could not tempt them to do it I very much doubt some ad-hoc group of enthusiasts will no matter how much money they throw on the table.

People are going to have to face the fact that possibly ‘An’ airframe might be coaxed into a semblance of safe ground running/Taxiable condition, the cost of which might equate to that currently mentioned, had it been possible one would currently be trundling up and down and to the great enjoyment of many at places like Bruntingthorpe maybe.

Other than that BA/AF did what they said they were going to do and ‘Grounded’ the fleet permanently, Politically motivated possibly, financially dictated certainly, either way they did a hatchet job on the fleet and that is the end of the matter, H & S will ensure that decision remains static.

As for moving Alpha Delta from it’s current location to London look simply at the logistics of the task, Movement from Heathrow to the Thames is currently impossible given the infrastructure of the route without serious cutting being required, far more than the previous movement, followed by a lot of expense rebuilding the chopped up bits into a semblance of it’s former integrity, better to obtain a whole airframe toss it on a barge and tow it directly up the Thames to site and all that depends on the current condition of the airframe given the abuse of sitting in the open on a barge over a brackish inlet for all those years, those of us that have seen what such exposure can do very quickly to Alloys will understand how deep such problems can extend.

While I applaud the idea of exhibiting Concorde for the public to enjoy I take serious issue with the suggestion that such a venture might lead eventually to returning an airframe to flight with the inference that should the public donate enough cash this would make it feasible.

Call me a sceptic if you wish but I would be very wary of this one.

With Airbus backing, anything could be possible. Money talks…

Can anyone seriously see Rolls Royce certifying engines for flight? It’s been an epic uphill battle to get Olympus 201s done never mind 593s.

Ha! Sorry AA. Bit too much subtlety for me on a Friday evening…;)

Where did you find this ‘Concorde Restoration to Airworthiness Project’?

Sorry. My attempt at wit missed the mark. Look at the initial letters – in capitals – and you’ll read “Where did you find this C.R.A.P.”.Does that describe this idea appropriately?

Ah. I see. I wasn’t aware of Club Concorde as a website (or indeed as a club!) For those others who weren’t, here’s a link to it.
http://www.clubconcorde.co.uk/
That might stop one or two of us shooting the messenger… :rolleyes:

Nope. I joined the Club ages ago and this is the first newsletter for many months. I was responding to AA’s post, but that’s all I know other than this is the first time this project has been referred to in conjunction with the US Concorde.

Read the second part of the OP.

Done that, but it doesn’t answer the question. Who are ‘we’? It is inconcievable that either project can have reached the sort of stage described in the OP without being quite well organised and getting a number of questions answered. Can you elaborate?

Where did you find this ‘Concorde Restoration to Airworthiness Project’?

Read the second part of the OP.

almost 2013, and the world still governed by idiots. 😡

Where did you find this ‘Concorde Restoration to Airworthiness Project’?

Move along, nothing to see here.

Wrong! Read the post. There are two projects – the first has nothing to do with a return to flight.

Amongst the equipment and parts that the Brooklands museum received was this cutaway display of the main undercarriage bogie. Even the tyre inflator valve is sectioned! The enthusiastic Concorde team reassembled it and it is displayed Under Delta Golf.
mmitch.