Concorde to fly again...maybe

[MigBuster]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8712806.stm

 

 

Work starts in £15m plan to get Concorde flying

 

 

The engines on a French Concorde are to be examined as the first move in a £15m project aiming to get the supersonic passenger jet back in the air.

 

The Rolls Royce engines of the former Air France Concorde will undergo an initial examination to see what work needs to be done to start the engines.

 

Concorde was retired seven years ago, but it is hoped the jet could return to flight in a heritage capacity.

 

The tests by a French-British team will take place at an air museum near Paris.

 

The work at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum is being done through a partnership between the British Save Concorde Group, SCG, and a French group Olympus 593.

 

'Critical date'

 

Vice-chairman of SCG Ben Lord said: "Today marks the most critical date in Concorde's history since she was retired almost seven years ago.

 

"Two members of our management team are in France this weekend to observe these amazing developments.

 

"SCG has always maintained that she could return to flight in a heritage capacity, and the findings of today will hopefully go an awfully long way to proving our point.

 

 

After today, we will know exactly what needs to be done with those four engines

Ben Lord, vice-chairman SCG

 

"This is just the beginning, but we are delighted and privileged to be working with a team of skilled Concorde engineers who both worked on the aircraft at British Airways and Air France."

 

The tests will first establish whether the engines can be safely started and whether the aircraft could complete a ground taxi.

 

Mr Lord said: "After today, we will know exactly what needs to be done with those four engines in order to take this to the next stage of engine test runs with an objective to hopefully perform a ground taxi."

 

It is hoped the jet will be able to fly as part of the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

 

Meanwhile, the trial over the Concorde crash that killed 113 people in Paris in 2000 ended on Friday after four months.

 

The Air France Concorde crashed soon after take-off, after hitting a metal strip from a Continental jet that had taken off earlier.

 

The French court said it would give a verdict on 6 December.

Edited May 29, 2010 by MigBuster

[Derk]

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

[Nesher]

Good luck to the team!

[+Spillone104]

Will love to see a Concorde back in the air.

 

Never forgot the only occasion I had to see it and hear it here at the Milano Linate city airport back in the late 90's. Just lovely at takeoff.

[Derk]

Fly pasts and take off at airshows and an (almost) touch and go at a grass(!) airfield during an airshow in Belgium. Absolutely shattering noise. Also a flypast with the Red Arrows at RIAT long time ago.

Anybody ever flew in it ?

 

Hou doe,

 

Derk

Edited May 29, 2010 by Derk

[Slartibartfast]

I just viewed this and what needs to be done... long task ahead... Good Luck to the Team once they have it airborne maybe they could do a link up with the Vulcan... 8 Rolls Royce Olympus engines together... Just need to remember the earplugs...

[DWCAce]

This would be great to see.

[+Gepard]

It would be nice, but i doubt that it will fly again. You cant take a plane from a museum and bring it easily in a flight ready condition. It would cost a lot of money and i think in todays economical crisis it would be much to much money. Unfortunatly.

[+Dave]

It would be nice, but i doubt that it will fly again. You cant take a plane from a museum and bring it easily in a flight ready condition. It would cost a lot of money and i think in todays economical crisis it would be much to much money. Unfortunatly.

 

Wow you are such a Debbie Downer. I think they will get it flying. Just like the Vulcan is flying again, and Glacier Girl.........I could go on and on and on.

[+Typhoid]

I'd love to see it back in service - but in all honesty I think the F-14E Super Tomcat production is more likely ........

 

(as in not a chance in ........)

[Vampyre]

Also a flypast with the Red Arrows at RIAT long time ago.

 

I remember seeing the Concorde and Red Arrows at RIAT in 1985. My dad was stationed at Fairford at the time.

[SayethWhaaaa]

Canning the supersonic airliner has to be, in my book anyways, one of the dumbest aviation decisions ever made. I mean, I know why they did it and it does make a bit of sense, but a modernised Concorde with less thirsty supercruise engines is still a platform that could perform magnificently!

[+Julhelm]

What really killed the concept of the SST was noise regulations over populated areas.

[Jimbib]

The only way Concorde could ever get off the ground again is if there was a major sponsor backing it. Also, due to the complexity of the aircraft, you would probably need Airbus (the design authority) backing it, and they pulled the certificate to fly a while ago, and have no intention of supporting it.

 

In addition, unless someone has got very deep pockets, I don't see that amount of cash being raised either. For starters they will need low, if not zero time engines, a tonne of spare parts, airframe support and engine support. XH558 has been returned to flight, but then again, it is a much simpler airframe, and they have also gone through various financial difficulties with the project being nearly culled on different occasions.

 

The most you could ever hope for is a fast taxy run, but God, think of the scandal if it does what Brunty's Victor did last year

[+hgbn]

Maybe a dumb question. But what's the use of a superfast airliner when you have to check in 2 -3 hours before flight?

[Hokum]

Would be very cool if they did. Would be worth them talking to the XH558 people i believe both use Olympus engines (the vulcan ones don't reheat i believe).

[SayethWhaaaa]

All I'm saying is, were I Vinnie Chase or someone, I'd be buying my very own Mach 2+ Bizjet!

[Abhi]

im missing u dear.