Reply to: 10 years ago today...

[Mich the Tester]

They could never return to flight now having sat out of use for so long. You'd have to go over the entire structure with the x-ray machine to check for any cracks and the like. Too expensive, you'd be cheaper building a new one from scratch with updated technology.

In the end I'm sure we'd rather spend £60 billion on HS2 than £3.496 billion for concorde at todays prices.

Unfortunately I fear you're right. Goes to show why it should never have been stopped, should have been developed further, and how one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time was ultimately destroyed by politicians and bean counters. And this is the machine that Nasa engineers are reputed to have said made the moon mission look like a piece of cake.

If Concorde had seen small incremental developments for as long as the 747, just imagine what we'd have; small variants for short supersonic or nearly supersonic flights, big variants that bring the cost per passenger down, more and more fuel efficient variants, freight variants that bring fresh fruit or even fish from Australia or South America in hours or bring food to famine victims before the famine even gets started, military transport variants that get soldiers to war torn regions in less than a day, ; the possibilities were almost endless.

I also think it's a shame Richard Branson wasn't allowed the chance to make a business success of it.

[Paddy]

We are talking about TSR-2, they have one at Duxford.

BAC TSR-2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Umm, the 'F' word Ferranti, I used to work on their kit.

[Ticktock]

I realise that, which is why I mentioned the TSR-2 in my post.

I just compared it to another project, in a different country, for a different advanced aircraft, where the project was also cancelled around the same time.

[Churchill]

A military aircraft being developed and built by a company in the country intending to use it during late '50s - early '60s, then the project being cancelled?

Are we talking about the Avro Arrow? I notice that McDonnell Douglas tried to get in on the replacement to the TSR-2, like they managed with the replacement to the Arrow. Not that I'm suggesting a conspiracy.

We are talking about TSR-2, they have one at Duxford.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2

[Ticktock]

Can we have TSR-2 back in the air, please?

A military aircraft being developed and built by a company in the country intending to use it during late '50s - early '60s, then the project being cancelled?

Are we talking about the Avro Arrow? I notice that McDonnell Douglas tried to get in on the replacement to the TSR-2, like they managed with the replacement to the Arrow. Not that I'm suggesting a conspiracy.

[Churchill]

They could never return to flight now having sat out of use for so long. You'd have to go over the entire structure with the x-ray machine to check for any cracks and the like. Too expensive, you'd be cheaper building a new one from scratch with updated technology.

In the end I'm sure we'd rather spend £60 billion on HS2 than £3.496 billion for concorde at todays prices.

Can we have TSR-2 back in the air, please?

[scooterscot]

They could never return to flight now having sat out of use for so long. You'd have to go over the entire structure with the x-ray machine to check for any cracks and the like. Too expensive, you'd be cheaper building a new one from scratch with updated technology.

In the end I'm sure we'd rather spend £60 billion on HS2 than £3.496 billion for concorde at todays prices.

[Hardgraft]

There's one sat on the side of the runway uncovered rotting here in Bristol.

No 216, made its last supersonic flight in 2003.

[Dactylion]

Why on earth did they include silhouettes of the various planes - but not to scale?

[Paddy]

It was a nasty move by BA because Concorde was gifted to BA by HMG on behalf of the tax payers. They should have handed it back and let Virgin have it.

[amcdonald]

Atw bought a sofa, and he's still waiting for it to arrive ?

[redgiant]

Like a high class whore!

Probably.

I've only been on the prototype at Duxford but to join the mile high & supersonic club you both would need be a contortionists in the washroom

[Churchill]

How did it handle?

Like a high class whore!

Probably.

[Cliphead]

+1

I am happy that I did at least once get to fly Concorde

How did it handle?

[DaveB]

WEES+1, Sadly it looks like it's never going to happen.

Which is a Bad Thing.