Wanted

I was at school in Somerset so quite close to where they were doing test flights of Concord, what a wonderful "swan" she was and I heard sonic booms a couple of times which certainly rattled the windows of the house I was in.
Totally agree with Zigs that she is really compact, an even smaller interior than I had imagined. I went round the one at an aircraft museum in East Lothian( near Edinburgh). It was really quite sad to see such a fantastic feat of engineering just parked in a hanger. I honestly don't know if the fat brigade would have fitted in the seats and I was surprised just how basic the interior was plus hardly any luggage space in the underside of the fuselage. I wonder if she would still be flying if the Americans hadn't been so envious and banned her from going supersonic anywhere over America. (Think this is right but maybe I'm incorrect?)

 

Not sure about that, supersonic flights are banned over most landmasses as far as I know.

I'm in the middle of Somerset, used to hear the boom as it went super over the Bristol channel then half an hour later a different route used to go super over the English channel.

 

I used to work on Concorde, I'm proud to say. I can tell you, pretty much each part was tailor made, within given tolerances. All aircraft these days are built a bit like cars, on a production line, and to a 'standard'. Of course, they are safe, but Concorde was a different matter, given the requirements of supersonic transport. Even the most menial part was subjected to rigorous testing and application. I remember having to fit parts to a 'blue fit' (engineers amongst us will know the term) which basically means perfect contact between parts. Many of these were multi-faceted, very time consuming and requiring lots of skill to carry out. I was always amazed and inspired every time a Concorde took off from the airfield, roaring way and taking off with such majesty...... awesome. A thing of beauty. I see Concorde most days, sat there looking so forlorn....such a waste....

 

On a similar subject, but different, the VC 10's over at Brize have been retired. Been up in them a few times and they kick ass in terms of acceleration (plane wise), and the noise they used to make on take off (especially on cold days/nights when there was a lot of moisture in the air) was phenomenal! Used to be fined wherever they went in the world I believe.
The reason that the RAF kept them so long (as I understand it) is that they needed very little runway length for take-off. I really miss their noise and rumble now.

 

We might not ever see the real one again but hey this is not a bad effort!



The vc 10 still holds the fastest ever London to New York crossing for a sub sonic airliner.

 

Well impressed with that Mowgley

 

@mowgley - you are so bad! I knew nothing about these! Now I want this one - it's got afterburners!!!!

 

And one for @ARMANDII ....................

 

Loathe flying but like planes and airports.

I used to hear the sonic boom sometimes as Concorde went over West Wales. The sound felt like your heart had stopped.

 

Bejasus, I had my speakers plugged in there, thought the world was ending

 

Green with envy!

 

I think if I'd been in it, I'd be green alright, but I'm not sure it would be because of envy. More likely because my dinner would be attempt to force its way out any way it could find.