Its a year since

What killed the Concorde was the use of the internet for business transactions and the fact that the electronics were getting increasingly hard to maintain and to update it to digital technology would have been beyond the means of either BA or Airbus.
The world has distinctly changed since the rush to supersonic travel.
Whilst changing the shape of sonic booms is an ongoing project with DARPA in the U.S, the simple economic reality is that fuel keeps going up and the American lobby that limited Concorde in the 1970’s is just as likely to object to an aircraft using vast amounts of fuel to cruise supersonically.

Unless we are talking travel outside of our atmosphere there is little economicallly to be gained by travelling any faster than we can already do so
by Airbus or Boeing. The price of fuel and it’s future availability will very much dictate the performance of commercial airliners not supersonic flight.

Are you kidding? No need to go faster? Have you ever sat on an airliner for 14 hours?

The problem is the Pacific. What is needed is a supersonic transport that can carry enough people, and be reasonably fuel efficient for the Pacific routes. If Concorde had had enough range to fly from LA-Tokyo she would still be going today.

Flying across the Atlantic in 3 hours instead of 7 was nice, but something of a luxury. However, if you could have an SST that could fly from LA to Sydney, or Hong Kong, in 5 hours instead of 14 you would sell all the $10K tickets you could print.

Also, Janie is right about the sonic boom problem. Much has been done with modern aircraft design to limit the sonic boom, as compared to the Concorde.

It’s all about the engines. Concorde needed reheat (afterburner) to go supersonic. You need to be able to “supercruise”, just like the F-22 (ie supersonic flight without using afterburners).

“It only goes “bang” if you use current technology.”

Electric?

“And I am never “buggered” on any routes.”

Now where was that website….?

“MODERATOR! THROW HIM TO THE FLOOR!”

Oh dear, she gets off on watching moderators bugger snappers! EEEEK!

That’s gotta be worth another 40p?

Unless we are talking travel outside of our atmosphere there is little economicallly to be gained by travelling any faster than we can already do so
by Airbus or Boeing. The price of fuel and it’s future availability will very much dictate the performance of commercial airliners not supersonic flight.

OK Out you go! Bad Snapper! Bad Bad Bad!

Oh, forgot…I’m not a moderator.

… my dear beloved dark-haired wench is that supersonic flight makes bangs, and people don’t like that. So you’re a bit buggered on what routes to use. Ain’t gonna happen.

It only goes “bang” if you use current technology.

And I am never “buggered” on any routes.
MODERATOR! THROW HIM TO THE FLOOR!

“I have no doubt that high-speed passenger travel is just on pause”

The problem, my dear beloved dark-haired wench is that supersonic flight makes bangs, and people don’t like that. So you’re a bit buggered on what routes to use. Ain’t gonna happen.

Concorde? Not bothered by it in the least. Not enough propellors and no bloody guns.

There was a lecture on Hypersonic travel just yesteday at the Bedford Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Did anyone go?

I have no doubt that high-speed passenger travel is just on pause. Cheer up!

You’ll be able to fly Virgin in Spaceship One soon.

I think it possibly stems from the same sentiment that gave the country a number of preserved Vulcans scattered around the country.
The long term problems that these Concorde’s will present remain to be seen. Hopefully the situation will improve at East Fortune but you do have to ask why the urgency to get her inside to the detriment of almost everything else when a year or so outside awaiting a new hangar wouldn’t have finished it off.

it made me cry to see this beautiful bird grounded

Its hard to believe it will be a year next month since I stood at the end of a rain soaked Filton to take these photos of the last ever Concorde flight. 😡

plazz

Concorde BBDG is awaiting reassembly at Brooklands. When ASI have finished BOAA at East Fortune they will be down to erect the big bits. A regular team of volunteers has been there at weekends cleaning all the preservative and dirt off the skin and sorting out boxes of parts from Filton and Heathrow. They recently unpacked a replacement undercarriage set, (DG sat on a jury rig U/C set at Filton) The Concorde SST website gives the best info on all the Concordes. http://www.concordesst.com/
These photos were taken in July just after she had travelled down from Filton.