Sad news… Concorde is being retired from the Air France’ fleet on 31 May, and from British Airways’ fleet on 31 November…
I think it’s about time I complete my 1/144 Revell kit… But where did I put it…?
Anybody’s ever done the Pepsi scheme [:D]? What about the one with the half Singapore Airlines’ livery??? Whay about the magnificent [8D] French Tricolore scheme worn in 1989???
I just heard that earlier this morning. Too bad but they are a little long in the tooth. I guess the real sad part is that a replacement was never planned.
No Pepsi scheme here - I drink Coke! LOL!!
Did you ever see the one with half of it done in Japan Airlines livery?
I saw one photo of it and it was a bit grainy, but it looked nice
No! Would be quite cool and… different…
A Sad day indeed. Another sacrifice to the ‘great god’ Mammon[:(]
I have a photo of Concorde in Singapore Airways livery, like the Japan Air livery, only carried on the port side of the aircraft, indicating that the aircraft was leased from British Airways for special routes.
I must admit to being tempted to rework the Airfix Concorde into an RAF VIP Transport or even, as a real ‘what If?’, RAF Supersonic Strike, carrying a couple of Blue Steels
Yeeeah ! This is really a sad news - I think one of the chapters has been closed - it’s a pity I had no chance to travel on the board of Concorde - I’ve got only a picture (made by my uncle) of Air France one taxiing on Cairns (Australia) airport ! Regards ! Aleksander
I am sad as well as a major chapter in aviation is about to be closed. That is a tragedy. But all good things must come to an end sooner or later. I am sad I will never ride in one. But that is the way it goes.
Richard Branson is looking to keep them flying so maybe they’ll be back, possibly before they retire !, i wish him luck and i’m sure others will too…
Major chapter in aviation? That bucket of bolts is barely a speck on the aviation radar screen. Nothing but a failure and waist of time and money. It’s too bad France couldn’t accept it for what it was and retired it years ago. Maybe a REAL SST will be developed and put to good use.
Darren
A failure that flew for 20+ years! I think the internet probably helped kill it for business use. BTW is the Tu-144 still flying.
The TU-144 was withdrawn from service many years ago. Before 1980, I think. I don’t mourn the concorde at all: “bucket of bolts” is a fair assessment. I am pretty bummed, though, that Boeing shelved the Sonic Cruiser. Not an SST, but close enough, and ultra-cool. I live in the flight path for Paine Field, where Boeing makes the 747 and 777 and I was really looking forward to seeing Sonic Cruisers flying over my house.
Liam
hang on a sec you guys, buckets of bolts dont fly at mach 2, have some respect for the engineers who built this bird - [:D]
I’m sure the air museums will be looking to quickly scarf up these babies. That’s the closest I’ll ever get to one!
I hope you don’t think that speed is what makes an aircraft great. If you strap a big enough engine on anything it will “fly”. If you lose one engine in it, you can kiss your speed and altitude goodbye. A B777 will fly across the pond on only one engine. A B747 is a “MAJOR CHAPTER IN AVIATION”. Airbus is equally qualified in this category. The level of cutting edge technology found in Airbus airframes is staggering. You almost need an electrical engineering degree to work on one. The aviation world will not suffer from the loss of the Concorde.
Anyone reading my comments should not get upset by them. As Domi is well aware that I like to “stir things up a bit”. I enjoy lively debates pro or con, it gets the blood flowing. Seriously though, any airplane, even the Concorde, is still a plane and you got to love them[:)].
Darren
okay, okay, sure, the concorde was a marvelous achievement for its time, etc etc etc. Point conceded.
Nevertheless, in 2003, the Concorde is badly outmoded 1960s technology, financially unviable, and degenerating with advancing age. It is not going to inspire the sort of awe and wonder which it may have in 1965, and those of us who never have looked on it with that sort of reverence will find little to mourn in its passing.
Liam
Ityore is right. Concorde is an old thing. I flew once in it [:p], only 20mins, and had the time to see the cockpit and it looked very 60s, of course, nothing like the cockpit of an A320… [8D]
But the thing is still beautiful, no??? [:X]
As much as I love the lines of it, over time it did have other things going against it. In later days it was more of a prestige mark for the airlines it served.
Financially unviable is only the tip of the iceberg for the Concorde. When an aircraft like that of such size goes supersonic often enough, it doesn’t matter how well it got engineered, it will start to shake itself to peices just as a matter of course. There is also the issue of changing engine emmission standards in both exhaust content and noise levels, the Concorde is neither quiet nor clean, those Olympus engines just don’t cut it in the emmission control department. Then there’s the cost, who can afford to ride on one of those? Big execs in suits and rock stars, thats about it.
Concorde is a beauty, no two ways about it, but all good things must come to an and and all things mechanical become obsolete (except maybe the C-130 Hercules, 40 some years going strong in both military and civilian circles and STILL new models of it coming off the assembly line. That is trully an aircraft for the ages!)
Is it true that Virgin Airlines is looking into taking over the Concorde fleet?
The Virgin boss is being stalled by BA who want concorde to retire ‘gracefully’
Just saw a note on CNN that all the Concorde’s will be retired. Virgin Records’ offer was refused. Too bad. That would have produced some interesting paint jobs!