Bye Bye Concord
Apr 27, 1999, 10:16 am
#1
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Bye Bye Concord
Merry:
You are sure to know if this is true, in a thread in the newsgroup re.travel.air it is claimed that the "best airplane in the world" is to cease operation in the year 2007.
I know they are 30 years old, but I was under the impression that as they did not work hard that would last longer than 7/8 years.
Whats the truth?
Apr 27, 1999, 10:41 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,065
Pick a number!
BA say they have at least another 20 years in them. They only fly a couple of return flights a week each and are well maintained and the equipment is updated often.
BA's stated on the last anniversary, that until someone brings out a new supersonic passenger aircraft they will run Concorde.
They can always buy another aircraft from Air France, who have never managed to run a succesful Concorde fleet.
Nick
BA say they have at least another 20 years in them. They only fly a couple of return flights a week each and are well maintained and the equipment is updated often.
BA's stated on the last anniversary, that until someone brings out a new supersonic passenger aircraft they will run Concorde.
They can always buy another aircraft from Air France, who have never managed to run a succesful Concorde fleet.
Nick
Apr 27, 1999, 1:59 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 1999
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My understanding is that it does not generate enough profits to warrant going through the next major overhaul. I don't when that is scheduled.
Apr 27, 1999, 8:38 pm
#5
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I think it's likely that the US will loose Concorde service as part of the trade dispute with the EU over quierter aircraft.
As I understand it if the EU imposes the new rules the US will stop Concorde landing on its shores.
As I understand it if the EU imposes the new rules the US will stop Concorde landing on its shores.
Apr 28, 1999, 1:02 am
#6
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I would be sorry not to see concord in the skies, it really is the only airplane that still gets me excited when I see it, on the ground or in the air, and nowadays it does take alot to get me excited (with airplanes).
Merry I am sure you are correct, BA will keep them flying untill there is a replacement or when bit start to fall off them.
I do find it strange that while we (UK-USA) fight a real war as allies, we fight against each other over trade, its a weird world.
Merry I am sure you are correct, BA will keep them flying untill there is a replacement or when bit start to fall off them.
I do find it strange that while we (UK-USA) fight a real war as allies, we fight against each other over trade, its a weird world.
Apr 28, 1999, 1:31 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,065
Markie: I very much doubt that will happen. The majority of passengers on Concorde are US citizens and they are influencial people. The recent fuss over Concorde was exactly that. The US was sabre ratteling. Agreement to maintain Concorde services is a condition of UK open-skies proposals. The US will gladly accept this and then if they later impose tit-for-tat restrictions will be able to say they can't touch Concorde because of open-skies.
SSCM: The US-UK are not fighting each other over trade. The US-EC are in dispute. If you look at the items the US has placed tariffs on it is obvious they have avoided UK products.
Nick
SSCM: The US-UK are not fighting each other over trade. The US-EC are in dispute. If you look at the items the US has placed tariffs on it is obvious they have avoided UK products.
Nick
Apr 28, 1999, 8:20 am
#9
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Location: UK
Posts: 76
Flingo:
It is more than likely that Concorde runs at a financial loss.
However, the kudos, advertising and media interest it generates more than compensates for that. You probably couldn't buy the amount of column inches or airtime that Concorde gets for many tens of millions of pounds.....
It is more than likely that Concorde runs at a financial loss.
However, the kudos, advertising and media interest it generates more than compensates for that. You probably couldn't buy the amount of column inches or airtime that Concorde gets for many tens of millions of pounds.....
Apr 28, 1999, 8:37 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,065
Spike/Flingo: Concorde actually runs at a VERY healthy profit. Infact it is BA's most profitable service. BA's accounts specify profits from supersonic services.
Of course if they had had to pay for the aircraft at the outset, they would probably still be trying to recoup the initial costs.
Nick
[This message has been edited by Merry (edited 04-28-99).]
Of course if they had had to pay for the aircraft at the outset, they would probably still be trying to recoup the initial costs.
Nick
[This message has been edited by Merry (edited 04-28-99).]
Apr 29, 1999, 3:15 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Anaheim Hills, CA, USA
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NASA is actually working on a design of 300 seat supersonic jet that is supposedly going to be turned over to a commercial developer at some point.
The problem they are working on at the moment is getting rid of the droopy nose, which means cameras and infrared sensors to land the plane blind. They done tests with a 737 already using the sensors.
The problem they are working on at the moment is getting rid of the droopy nose, which means cameras and infrared sensors to land the plane blind. They done tests with a 737 already using the sensors.
May 4, 1999, 1:30 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Cambridge, MA 02138
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You may find this interesting with regards to SuperSonic jets. The Russians actually built a passenger supersonic jet. The Tu-144 made its maiden flight on December 31, 1968 to become the first supersonic transport in the world to fly, two months ahead of the European Concorde. Its first passenger flight was on November 1, 1977 to Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. Aeroflot withdrew the Tu-144 from passenger service in 1978 after only 102 passenger flights.
Currently, it is a joint NASA, Russian project on SuperSonic flight. See:
http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/HSR/TU144/
Although, I just read that this project may have been put on hold.
See: http://www.norasco.com/Rj08/13-aviation.html
Currently, it is a joint NASA, Russian project on SuperSonic flight. See:
http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/HSR/TU144/
Although, I just read that this project may have been put on hold.
See: http://www.norasco.com/Rj08/13-aviation.html
May 4, 1999, 5:14 pm
#13
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VERY interesting show on US public TV late last year re: Concorde vs. Tu-144. Seems that the Russians applied all of their cold war resources to stealing the design and reverse-engineering the Concorde to the point where the Tu was finished first. Then there was a slight glitch of the Tu at an airshow, and confidence in the aircraft was destroyed...
May 4, 1999, 5:46 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Cambridge, MA 02138
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Believe it or not, the Russians also stole plans for the Space Shuttle and they made their own shuttle and called it the Buran.
See link at Nasa:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/buran.html
See Story entitled, "How Soviets Stole a Shuttle" at MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/112811.asp
See link at Nasa:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/buran.html
See Story entitled, "How Soviets Stole a Shuttle" at MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/112811.asp
May 4, 1999, 6:46 pm
#15
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Matt Wald:
By "Slight Glitch" you mean it buried itself in the tarmac.
And I thought it was only us Brits who had mastered the art of understatement
By "Slight Glitch" you mean it buried itself in the tarmac.
And I thought it was only us Brits who had mastered the art of understatement