French Concorde vandalised

I doubt that there is another Mercure in any collection.

At least 6 of the 12 Mercures survive.

There’s one at the Musee del’Air at Le Bourget, one at the Technik Museum in Speyer, one at Orly and three others in use with technical schools in France – two at Bordeaux and one at Montpelier.

Vulcan XL426 was vandalised at Southend a few years ago. Luckily the
coating which had previously been applied, meant that the graffiti was easily
removed.

isn’t the real vandalism that the aircraft appears to have been left abandoned and neglected?

I wonder how many aviation museums and collectors around the world now have beautifully restored aircraft which were once ‘abandoned and neglected’? Abandoned and neglected, whilst not ideal, has to be better than scrapped. An abandoned or neglected airframe at least has some chance of survival and revival. Once scrapped, it’s gone forever.

The museum didn’t tender for the airframe in the sense of competing with others to buy it. The Concorde was gifted to the airport who decided they no longer wanted the responsibility of maintenance and the museum took it on rather than seeing it turned into pots and pans.
The website does suggest that the museum site is under threat and that the other airframes face an uncertain future. The opening hours and entrance fee can’t possibly make it a financially viable proposition but it does seem that someone took on some interesting airframes and is doing their best to preserve them – a brave move with such large aircraft. Even if they have taken on too much they have at least used their best efforts which has to be a lot better than doing nothing at all even if they may have only managed to delay the day when the scrappie appears – remember even some our largest collections in the UK have had the scrapman call at one time or another.
It would be a shame to see the Caravelle and Mercure go as there aren’t many Caravelles preserved and I doubt that there is another Mercure in any collection.

The pictures on the website of the Museum show the aircraft wearing the more modern Air France livery with the red and blue striped tail. The Museum is open just three hours a day two days a week and appears to be under threat (if I have translated correctly) of closure with the subsequent loss of their other airframes although the Concorde appears to be safe?

Their visitor numbers are said to 4,200, I presume annually, but at that level and charging just three Euro’s a visit it can hardly be a remotely viable proposition.

Bearing in mind that of the twenty aircraft built just one was lost in service. One was scrapped but the fuselage still exists in France. Of the remaining eighteen, no less than six (including the one that started this thread) are preserved in France.

And yes, I stand by my use of the word neglected. It may not be being neglected intentionally but it does appear that by taking on this Concorde the Museum have taken on too much.

Regards,

kev35

Same old story – a museum tenders for and gets airframe then realises – ****!!! We need a building we need manpower we need funds we need an anti-deterioration program in place – need I go on, no point. Being a realist is insulting these days.

Merry Christmas

Mick

The colour scheme appears to be 60’s / early 70’s Air France without the titles.
She hasn’t been abandoned – looks more a case of being kept outside and the museum (who saved her from scrapping) fighting the usual battles with the elements.
http://http://www.concordesst.com/02.html

From the link she has a significant history and it is a great shame that morons with spray cans felt the need to plaster her with graffiti tags

As sad as it is that someone has chosen to paint graffiti on the airframe, isn’t the real vandalism that the aircraft appears to have been left abandoned and neglected?

Regards,

kev35

We had this happen to the Canberra at NEAM. Took me all day to scrub the graffiti off the whole side of the cockpit area!

I’d love to be locked in a room with these oxygen thieves!!

What scheme is the Concorde wearing; not Air France?

I wholly endorse your comment on that link!!:mad: