Concorde

I've had basically a life long obsession with this jet.......saw it on Discovery's "Wings" as a kid, and have been fascinated ever since. In fact, I could probably recite the words from that show even today after watching it so many times on my VHS copy from back in the day (as well as most of the other episodes). Stayed the night @ Wright Patterson a little over a year ago, and not only got there 10 mins after the museum closed, but also had to leave before it opened again. 30 years and I still haven't seen the thing in person. One day I guess

And yes, I am an enormous airplane dork I guess

fholbert said:
The Concord was so, so. Now this was cool a decade earlier!


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Boris Badenov said:
Oh, the Brits have made some kickass military aircraft. The V-bombers (featured, I think, in your video, which I will be watching shortly), the Lightning...hell I believe we gave up and bought a bunch of their Canberras because we couldn't do better. Plus, they pretty much invented the jet engine. But they do seem to have a problem converting in the Civil market...
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BMW(yes, same as the car company! :) ) and Junkers baby!
 
I loves me some XB-70 Valkyrie, but the fact is the Valkyrie was late 1950s aerodynamics. The Concorde was late 60s aerodynamics. The "lines" of the Concorde are just breathtaking. The British were also world renowned for their aerodynamic research during this time period, and the Concorde was a BAC design through and through (with international cooperation sought from the French because the British government refused to fund it on their own). The Brits were to airfoil design what Von Braun and the Germans were for rocketry after World War II. They were that good.

Look at this thing:

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Finally, I've posted this video here before (and I probably will again), but here's former Concorde Captain Brian Walpole talking about the time he barrel rolled one:



"I've been one way Brian, you better unwind it!"
 
One of my favorites of all time. I've seen it a couple times in DC at the museum and find myself just staring in awe at it. It's such a sexy airplane.

Just look at those burners, so awesome!
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I really can't believe they're all retired. I would have hoped for at least one flying model. I really wish they would come back :(
 
Mark815 said:
One of my favorites of all time. I've seen it a couple times in DC at the museum and find myself just staring in awe at it. It's such a sexy airplane.

Just look at those burners, so awesome!
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I really can't believe they're all retired. I would have hoped for at least one flying model. I really wish they would come back :(
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Ok:
 
I know this is blasphemy, but speaking to my co-workers who worked Concorde, both radar and non-radar across the ocean, have said that it was definitely time for retirement, crash notwithstanding. Apparently many flights were canceled or delayed due to maintenance issues and turning back was commonplace because if the atmospheric or traffic conditions weren't just right, the plane would not have enough fuel for the crossing.
 
The video of the Vulcans heading to to the Falklands is awesome - the last flying Vulcan is gearing up for her final show season (If they can afford it).
As far as Concorde goes we used to hear it breaking the sound barrier from our house in Wales. Usually around 9.15pm!

Bp244
 
Baronpilot244 said:
As far as Concorde goes we used to hear it breaking the sound barrier from our house in Wales. Usually around 9.15pm!
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In a similar vein, I remember hearing the Blackbird booming overhead several times a week when I was a kid growing up in the PNW. That was pretty cool.
 
Great Plane, I got to see G-BOAF in person when it came into KBTL to drop off the first group of British Airways pilots to be trained by Western Michigan's College of Aviation.

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cencal83406 said:
2013... No AF Concorde accident... Are they still in service?
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Meh.

I want to say yes, but I think that it would have taken no September 11, 2001 attacks PLUS no crash in Paris to make the airplane stick around, and even then she'd be frighteningly expensive to operate with jet fuel as high as it is.

The only serious (flying related) regrets that I have are related to never getting to fly on Concorde, and never seeing a Shuttle launch in person.
 
The Concorde is so darn cool. I love that plane. I always end up hanging out by it at the Udvar-Hazy Museum. Man, I wish I was able to see it fly.

There's one video on YouTube that's a Concorde taking off with full afterburner. It's so loud it sets off all the car alarms.
 
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