Concorde - Alive again(somewhat)

Blue Punto

I have been lucky enough to have been on a few of these aircraft and was more than delighted to read this article.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/02/05/338114/air-france-concorde-to-taxi-again-under-own-power.html

unkel

It will take 10,000 man hours of work - just to get a Concorde taxying again. What's the point? :rolleyes:

mickdw

Thats amazing news. Certainly beats the idea of pouring concrete into the fuel tanks as has been done to some of them.
Next step - sub sonic airworthyness?.
I had pretty much accepted that it was impossible due to the complete withdrawal of support from airbus but you never know, if by miracle it suddenly made sense for airbus to support this again for whatever reason. Im sure one could be in the air again very quickly.

Original Steyr

Posted already by me ages ago in the News Section fellas..

mickdw

unkel wrote: »

It will take 10,000 man hours of work - just to get a Concorde taxying again. What's the point? :rolleyes:

Thats 10 men working for 6 months. Seeing the huge interest and given that many ex concorde engineers are giving time free to this, the costs could be minimal. Certainly worth while.

pclancy

What's the point in pouring concrete into the fuel tanks? Crazy.

wylo

+1, why on earth is that done?

Blue Punto

It was said this was done so the aircraft would never be able to get in the air again and there was also a story of BA engineers drilling holes in the bulkheads of the aircraft for the same reason

Though I have never seen proof of either story so I dont really know if its a myth

McNulty737

Hmmm i dunno its kind of sad, who really wants to see a great aircraft taxi around an apron? They should just let it rest in peace unless somehow it becomes possible for a concorde to fly again.

mickdw

It is sad just to see it creeping around on the ground but even to do this will mean that it is kept much nearer airworthyness than any of the other planes and so keeping the possibility of flight somewhat alive although still very unlikely.

mickdw

pclancy wrote: »

What's the point in pouring concrete into the fuel tanks? Crazy.

I think it was supposedly to make the plane too heavy to be effected by high winds etc when being used as a museum piece. Really though, it was more politics than anything else and amounted to a pretty efficient way of writing off the airframe. A disgrace without doubt!

Tea 1000

mickdw wrote: »

It is sad just to see it creeping around on the ground but even to do this will mean that it is kept much nearer airworthyness than any of the other planes and so keeping the possibility of flight somewhat alive although still very unlikely.

Actually the one in Barbados is still in flyable condition. I was there, there are guided tours where you can get on the aircraft. The guy there informed us that the one their is one of only two Concordes that are still left in flyable condition. All the rest aren't, due mainly to the fact that many were broken up to transport to various museums and reassembled.
He said that BA engineers come over once a year and refill all the hydrailic fluids and fuel it and run the engines for a while to keep it in flyable condition. It's fully driained normally, but all that's needed are essentially the fluids.
It's owned by the UK Government, but it's in a hangar that's owned by the Bajan Government.

mickdw

I find that hard to believe. Ive never heard this before. I would believe that it was left in condition as per flight but that the engines are being run every year, I doubt that due to the technical support required & politics etc.

Tea 1000

mickdw wrote: »

I find that hard to believe. Ive never heard this before. I would believe that it was left in condition as per flight but that the engines are being run every year, I doubt that due to the technical support required & politics etc.

I'm just telling you what I was told! Maybe British Airways could confirm or deny, anyone want to call them?