The concorde

[nolips71 0]

which is more then we can say for a few from boeings range

[FSPilot 0]

if you ask me, a passenger plane wasn't ment to be hurled at Mach 2 over the Atlantic.

This one was.

[VXR 9]

only after that crash people looked bad to the Concorde

[Badgerboy 0]

I don't think the world was ready for such a powerful and untested machine. They pushed this thing to the limit... if you ask me, a passenger plane wasn't ment to be hurled at Mach 2 over the Atlantic. The best way to do something like this is a reusable launch vehicle like NASA (or someone else) is building which can be launched, go into the atmosphere, wait 5 or 10 minutes, get halfway across the world, then land at an airport where it is repeated. Still, the consumption of full is a big matter for something like this.

If you ask me, the Concorde should have never gotten off the ground.

Don't you love the general public?

One crashed! It must be a deathtrap!

As for being a new dangerous concept, yes it was. Which is why Concorde has more redundant systems than most commercial aircraft.

When the Airbuse A320s were flying themselves into the ground, they still flew on. When all of Boeings 737 rudders were dangerously defective, ( Putting passenger aircraft into spins...usually into the ground) they still flew on.

Do a bit of research into A/C design failures over the years, and you would realise that Concorde is a very safe aircraft.

Oh, and I suppose hurling passengers into space isn't anywhere as dangerous! Unbelievable!

[denoir 0]

Well, this is it, the Concorde has flown for the last time

Last landing:

What I think really sucks is that Richard Branson (owner of Virgin etc) offered to buy and run the concorde birds, but British Airways refused the offer.

2.5 million people have traveled with the Concorde and during its 27 year career and tens of thousands of flights, it only had one crash - making it the safest passenger plane ever used.

Also interesting is the fact that we are actually taking a significant backward step in technology: passengers will now be faced with a minimum flight time of six hours from London to New York instead of three.

Edit: Well, not everybody is sad to see this bird go

[ralphwiggum 6]

Also interesting is the fact that we are actually taking a significant backward step in technology: passengers will now be faced with a minimum flight time of six hours from London to New York instead of three.

Translation: It gets more difficult for Ikea management to visit US on recon mission.

on serious notes, i'd say its a backward step in travelling means, not technology. I'd say its matter of time before some rich people's demand would put some sort of project online to build equivalent if not better aircraft.

[Badgerboy 0]

Edit: Well, not everybody is sad to see this bird go

Bah, screw 'em!

Okay, so it broke almost every environmental sound law written, but it had afterburners!

Originally 300 were to be built, with American Airlines picking up a large share. Problem was, JFK got a bit pissed off with 'buying British', and ordered that a American jet should be built, that could fly higher and faster (Mach 2.5-3).

The Boeing model was great, but was far too heavy and expensive, so the program got canned. Then the world oil prices shot up, and people started complaining about the noise.

20 were built, and only 12 were bought.

Oh well, end of an era...

[EiZei 0]

Nothing prevents you from buying a MiG-21 tho.

[denoir 0]

on serious notes, i'd say its a backward step in travelling means, not technology.

I don't think there are any birds today that can measure up to the concorde, not even military ones. It could fly over the Atlantic at mach 2, carrying 100 passengers + baggage and all that without refueling.

As for the age of the aircraft given as an argument - that's bs. The B-52 was introduced in 1961 and the US military plans on having it around until 2037.

[drewb99 0]

Some parts of the world still use DC3s The Concorde is a crazy young whippersnapper by comparison.

[ralphwiggum 6]

maybe i should have made things a bit more clear.

we can rebuild jet such as Concorde, now that we know how to build it.

[Major Gripe 0]

From what I read today it would appear that Air France forced Concorde into retirement. Apparently they caused Airbus, the current manifestation of the consortium that built the plane, to announce that maintenance costs would be raised considerably. Air France then decided to pull out meaning all the costs Airbus incurred would now go to BA making it totally uneconomical to run.

Yah boo sucks to Air France!

[Consigliere 0]

End of an era...A truly sad day for aviation enthusiasts and the general British and French public

A tear ran down my cheak as I listened to the speech about the Concorde on the occasion of its last flight as the news showed a montage of Concorde history

Farewell Concorde

[thirtyg 0]

Yes i agree it is a sad day. I always wanted to fly on one of these one day.

You could always tell when a concorde came to Sydeny airport (other than it being all over the news), which wasn't very often, because you heard it land and takeoff from KMs away.

I saw a documentary on some English/German news show Thursday showing one of the Airfrance Concordes retired and sold to a German air craft museum for $1 (cost them $1.5 million to transport it from the airport to the museum however). They are displaying it next to thier TU-144.

When they where buring off the remaining fuel from the tanks apparently the engines could be heard from 15km away, which is from experience is about half as far as an the noise an Australian F111 travels when they do a dump and burn!

[HuNtA 0]

aye the concorde will be missed. But did U know that there were never any concordes sold to BA or france air (is that the right name). After all the other countried dropped out because of the sonic boom, the british and french governments GIVEN BA and franceair the planes.

So really, concorde was a complete and total flop

[Consigliere 0]

'Interesting' theory you got there  

For an aircraft which first flew in '69 I wouldn't call it a flop...

And it's Air France  

[Major Gripe 0]

aye the concorde will be missed. But did U know that there were never any concordes sold to BA or france air (is that the right name). After all the other countried dropped out because of the sonic boom, the british and french governments GIVEN BA and franceair the planes.

So really, concorde was a complete and total flop

Concorde actually made 700m pounds profit for BA since 1971, not exactly a flop! Also the reasons that no concordes were sold include the rising environmental movement, the world oil price collapse and the bankruptcy of Pan Am which had 70 on order, not solely the boom!

[Tex -USMC- 0]

Sad news- I guess it was just too beautiful to live.

[USSoldier11B 0]

bah, a regression in high speed travel....I was hoping to see something that fast common place in my lifetime.

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

Shame about the Concord Will have to pop over to Sinsheim to see the Concordski and Concorde some time soon

By the way, those that want to keep on living/flying the Concorde dream, you can download a Concorde for FS2004 Gimme a sec to dig out links

EDIT:

Vfr scenerys http://www.visualflight.co.uk/photoscenery/intro.htm

Concorde

http://www.fsfreeware.com/dcd/FS2004/Aircrafts/

You will need to look around for a panel " cockpit to use "

Try one from here http://fsfrance.free.fr/Mach2/Download.htm

I don't have FS2004 (yet), so no idea if that VFR scenery stuff is required or not

[ran 0]

we already know what will happen to most of the Air France concordes (Sinsheim , Roissy , Toulouse , Washington and Le Bourget) but what about the British Airways ones ?

[theavonlady 2]

we already know what will happen to most of the Air France concordes (Sinsheim , Roissy , Toulouse , Washington and Le Bourget) but what about the British Airways ones ?

I would assume they'll be turned into floating restaurants on the Thames.

[Dauragon 0]

hmm why didnt british airways want to sell it to Virgin Atlantics

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

hmm why didnt british airways want to sell it to Virgin Atlantics

Because they would be giving their direct competitors an entire market without competition

[Dauragon 0]

hmm why didnt british airways want to sell it to Virgin Atlantics  

Because they would be giving their direct competitors an entire market without competition

damn BA.