40 years ago....Concordes First Flight.

[minestrone]

A complete waste of money and is one of the reasons why British Engineering is buggered now.

Tony Benn likes to show himself off as the man of the people but really his little socialist engineering projects, paid for by the tax payer, involved all the money that should have been paying for research into something useful. Not a dozen planes to ferry rich folk to New York and back.

[NickFitz]

A complete waste of money and is one of the reasons why British Engineering is buggered now.

Tony Benn likes to show himself off as the man of the people but really his little socialist engineering projects, paid for by the tax payer, involved all the money that should have been paying for research into something useful. Not a dozen planes to ferry rich folk to New York and back.

I am fascinated by your insightful analysis of a subject of which you know nothing, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

[Pinto]

A sight I'll never forget. I was driving along one of the roads around Heathrow when a Concorde was in the process of landing. It was very low and passed directly above me.

It flew directly over me, very low (maybe around two thousand feet, if not less), in around 1972 or 1973 - I think it was undergoing trials at RAE Thurleigh at the time. It was incredibly loud, but an amazing sight

There are some advantages to living 20 minutes from Heathrow. We had Concorde fly above our house when taking off still very low. Whenever we had visitors, we would run to the garden for full sound/visual impact, and I agree, fantastic to hear and feel the sound as you watch what was a very beautiful plane.

[Board Game Geek]

I flew on the Big Conc about a year before it became grounded (Paris > London).

It was amazing and I'm so glad I got the chance to see Mach 2.

[centurian]

I flew on the Big Conc about a year before it became grounded (Paris > London).

It was amazing and I'm so glad I got the chance to see Mach 2.

You flew on Concorde from Paris to London - and they managed to hit Mach 2...

[zara_backdog]

A complete waste of money and is one of the reasons why British Engineering is buggered now.

Tony Benn likes to show himself off as the man of the people but really his little socialist engineering projects, paid for by the tax payer, involved all the money that should have been paying for research into something useful. Not a dozen planes to ferry rich folk to New York and back.

If anything the money spent proably boosted British engineering at the time - it is buggered now due to the lack of skilled people in the UK, specially in the aerospace industry.

[minestrone]

I am fascinated by your insightful analysis of a subject of which you know nothing, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

British Engineering went down the hole during this <tonyBennVoice>"we will show the world how Great Britain really is through technology"</tonyBennVoice> period.

The country wasted probably billions during that time developing a useless airplane, politics decided a product, not a consumer desire, the same is happening today with the NHS system.

Oh yes, I also hold an honours in Mechanical Engineering.

[minestrone]

If anything the money spent proably boosted British engineering at the time - it is buggered now due to the lack of skilled people in the UK, specially in the aerospace industry.

And you base this point of view on what evidence? Your time working in the British Engineering industry? Your insightful knowledge of the aerospace industry through 3 years studying for your Engineering PhD? What?

[gingerjedi]

A complete waste of money and is one of the reasons why British Engineering is buggered now.

The UK's aerospace industry continues to thrive (along with the French I might add) due to engineering excellence and expertise, this would never have happened if we didn't push the boundaries.

Concorde may have been a commercial failure but as a science project it was a huge success.

[zara_backdog]

And you base this point of view on what evidence? Your time working in the British Engineering industry? Your insightful knowledge of the aerospace industry through 3 years studying for your Engineering PhD? What?

No - MrZD is an Electronic design engineer in aeospace and they have 3 positions - contract or perm which they can not fill due to not finding anyone with the necessary skils in either digital and analogue design with embeded s/w design. ( he is also studing for his Phd!)

This seems to be reflected in other companies so prehaps here lies ther difference between electroninc and mechanical engineering? There preference seems to have engineeers from Telcoms whos quality has been better in the past then thoes from the automotive industry - or prehaps they have just been unlucky.

They do have praise for some of the up and comming grads they have there who show both flare and enthusiasm for the work they do, so prehaps things will pick up.