Concord to taxi again

[Pogmusic]

While not a warbird by any stretch of the imagination, the Museum de la Air announced that they will restore their French Concords engine systems to allow it to taxi under its own power. They intend to take 2 years with volunteer effort to reach that goal. After that, they will have an annual taxi demonstration with it.

Hell, paint it in Thunderbird markings too!

[Nathan]

Why go through all that work and not fly her?

[Iclo]

Hum, no mention of that on any of the french forum or websites i just checked, including the Musée de l'Air website, etc
I have serious doubt on that... Where come from your info ?

Currently, one of the Concorde of the museum has a part of its systems kept functionnal: electrical, the moving nose, etc but the engine wasn't run since he has put in public display few years ago.

By the way, the concorde is in the new currently with the opening of the trial of the crash in 2000.

[warbird1]

Hum, no mention of that on any of the french forum or websites i just checked, including the Musée de l'Air website, etc
I have serious doubt on that... Where come from your info ?

This appears to be true:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... power.html

[warbird1]

Why go through all that work and not fly her?

The Concorde costs about 7 times the amount of money to operate as does a Boeing 747-400. At the peak of Concorde travel, British Airways was charging around $ 10,000 per person for travel between Washington D.C. and London. They still could not break even. If nationally subsidized governments and/or airlines couldn't afford to fly her, what makes you think a museum could?

[RMAllnutt]

Why go through all that work and not fly her?

The Concorde costs about 7 times the amount of money to operate as does a Boeing 747-400. At the peak of Concorde travel, British Airways was charging around $ 10,000 per person for travel between Washington D.C. and London. They still could not break even. If nationally subsidized governments and/or airlines couldn't afford to fly her, what makes you think a museum could?

Richard Branson wanted to buy them from British Airways... clearly he thought he could make money with them.... but you're right... no way a museum could afford it, even if they were allowed to, which they wouldn't. Would love to see here taxi again though. I must admit... roaring along with four engines on full burner was a great deal of fun!

Cheers,
Richard

[warbird1]

Richard Branson wanted to buy them from British Airways... clearly he thought he could make money with them.... but you're right... no way a museum could afford it, even if they were allowed to, which they wouldn't. Would love to see here taxi again though. I must admit... roaring along with four engines on full burner was a great deal of fun!

Cheers,
Richard

Richard Branson certainly had the money to buy them, but what he couldn't get was the support. Airbus wanted the program to remain dead as they were afraid of potential lawsuit liability as a result of the only Concorde crash in 2000. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have maintenance and engineering support, you might as well design your own supersonic airplane, as it would be PROHIBITIVELY expensive, surpassing even Branson's bank accounts.

[vernicator]

Richard Branson wanted to buy them from British Airways... clearly he thought he could make money with them.... but you're right... no way a museum could afford it, even if they were allowed to, which they wouldn't. Would love to see here taxi again though. I must admit... roaring along with four engines on full burner was a great deal of fun!

Cheers,
Richard

Richard Branson certainly had the money to buy them, but what he couldn't get was the support. Airbus wanted the program to remain dead as they were afraid of potential lawsuit liability as a result of the only Concorde crash in 2000. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have maintenance and engineering support, you might as well design your own supersonic airplane, as it would be PROHIBITIVELY expensive, surpassing even Branson's bank accounts.

This is what Branson did with the money he would have spent on the Concorde.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

[Steve Nelson]

I was lucky enough to see a Concorde up close in flight back in the late '90s, here in Battle Creek, Michigan, of all places. Western Michigan University had just opened a new aviation school, and had contracts to train pilots for several overseas airlines, including British Airways. As a publicity stunt, BA brought the first load of students in on the Concorde. The thing was absolutely beautiful in the air, and incredibly noisy on the ground!

I was working for a radio station at at the time, and we got a press release saying that a reporters would be allowed to fly from NY to Battle Creek on the Concorde for free, but would have to get to NY on their own dime (and my employer wasn't going to pony up the cash for that.) As it was, airport personel took a bunch of us media types right out to the edge of the runway when she came in, and I got some great pics!

SN

[Manonthefence]

Bransons interest in Concorde was all about gaining publicity for Virgin Atlantic and nothing about buying the things. He made his offer in the full knowledge that he wouldnt be allowed to fly the aircraft as the Design Authority (held by Airbus) was being withdrawn (partly I believe at the behest of the French Government). Air France were going to stop operating them. BA were considering continuing(logisically difficult because of joint BA/AF support contracts) the French Government moved to stop that happening to save French face. All very sad but the aircraft had a good innings.

Bransons offer was a masterstorke of publicity and very clever.

Concorde isnt going to fly again.

[Iclo]

Pogmusic: you are true, visibly there is a project to overhauld the engines and the hydraulic system and allow the plane to perfom a taxi run each year.
It's just incredible, knowing that this museum does't have any other airplane in taxi condition, and the first one will be not the most easy to maintain.
So today, the opinion of people knowing very well the Museum, is a bit "reserved" considering the number of plane kept outside for years, rotten and finished scrapped. People think that putting money on this project is not the "top priority"

Regards

PS: funny that news was announced on US forum before french forums

[krlang]

On another note,
Gulfstream is working on a Super Sonic Bizjet, although it was slowed by the current economy.
There is also another company with one in the works, orders have been placed, but no mockups yet.

If you can afford a $60m G-550 what could be better than getting there faster?

[FAFG_Xav]

Gerard Feldzer, manager of the Musée de l'Air, gave this information about running the Concorde engines on a tv show. He also said that one of the two Concorde in display at the museum could be back to airworthy conditions with a minimum amount of 5 millions euros... and no need to say the authorization of the DGAC (the french FAA) would be very hard to obtain...

[gary1954]

Why go through all that work and not fly her?

The Concorde costs about 7 times the amount of money to operate as does a Boeing 747-400. At the peak of Concorde travel, British Airways was charging around $ 10,000 per person for travel between Washington D.C. and London. They still could not break even. If nationally subsidized governments and/or airlines couldn't afford to fly her, what makes you think a museum could?

Richard Branson wanted to buy them from British Airways... clearly he thought he could make money with them.... but you're right... no way a museum could afford it, even if they were allowed to, which they wouldn't. Would love to see here taxi again though. I must admit... roaring along with four engines on full burner was a great deal of fun!

Cheers,
Richard

I'd rather hear and see a B-36 in the air than any con-cord

[dhfan]

Why go through all that work and not fly her?

The Concorde costs about 7 times the amount of money to operate as does a Boeing 747-400. At the peak of Concorde travel, British Airways was charging around $ 10,000 per person for travel between Washington D.C. and London. They still could not break even. If nationally subsidized governments and/or airlines couldn't afford to fly her, what makes you think a museum could?

British Airways made a mint out of operating Concorde until the passenger numbers dropped in 2002/2003. It helped that they didn't have to pay for them of course.

Certificate of Airworthiness withdrawn by the manufacturers means no chance, ever, of flying.