Concorde could fly again in 2019....

[J31]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/s ... four-years

A group of British aviation enthusiasts committed to seeing Concorde fly again has revealed it has the funds to purchase one of the supersonic jets and bring it back into service within the next four years.

Club Concorde, which consists of “ex-captains, ex-charterers and people passionate about Concorde” hopes to use £120m funding in reserve for its ambitious “return to flight” project.

The club’s president, Paul James, has described the prospect of having Concorde return to the skies as the “dream of the global Concorde fraternity”. The aircraft, which can fly at twice the speed of sound and was the crowning jewel of the British Airways and Air France commercial fleets, fell out of favour after an Air France Concorde crashed in Paris in 2000. Concorde was retired soon after, making its final flight in 2003.

In a post on the club website published earlier this year, James said: “The main obstacle to any Concorde project to date has been ‘Where’s the money?’ – a question we heard ad nauseam, until we found an investor. Now that money is no longer the problem it’s over to those who can help us make it happen.”

The organisation hopes to buy the Concorde currently on display at Le Bourget airport in Paris. If it is successful, the plane will be restored before resuming operation as a private heritage aircraft that will be flown at air displays as well as being available for charter. The aim is to recommence flights in 2019, which will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s first flight.

Club Concorde has a second project to bring the aircraft back into the public consciousness, with plans to display a Concorde in London and Paris.

In London, the Concorde will be displayed on top of a two-deck platform on the river Thames, near the London Eye. The new tourist attraction would include a restaurant, bar, souvenir shop and aircrew presentation area.

A British businessman has provided a £40m investment for the displays, which Club Concorde hopes will be completed by late 2016.

While the Club Concorde project is focused on preserving a symbol of the golden age of air travel, commercial airlines have been progressing in their plans to launch contemporary supersonic jets.

This August Airbus filed patents for an aircraft capable of flying four times the speed of sound, which could go from London to New York in an hour.

[sstaurus]

It would be interesting if anyone knows of any comparative stats laid out, of operating the Concorde from New York to Paris for example, compared to an A380 or 747. Fuel burn, cost per seat, etc etc. I know the Concorde never made money throughout it's life, but it would be interesting. How much would you need to charge per seat to make money these days??

[photofly]

The Concorde did make money for BA, for a period, depending on how you did the accounting (they bought the airframes for something like 1 pound sterling each so they never had to defray the development costs).

[Meatservo]

The one in Le Bourget is mechanically complete, it's capable of being powered up and its systems are operational. I believe even the engines are in it, I believe I read they were borescoped for some reason or other in the last ten years and found to be in good nick. I think it may have been part of a plan to taxi it under its own power for an airshow or something. The lady in charge of looking after it was one of the AMEs who maintained the plane during its working life. It's probably an excellent candidate for flight if it could ever happen.

[plhought]

The engine's are going to be tough. They may be in good nick now and with conservative use last a decade or so.

Other than that i'd say it shouldn't be impossible. As I always say - "Well...it flew in here didn't it?"

I swear there was already another UK-based group with a British Concorde that was ramping the thing up to be capable of taxis and such...can't remember.

[North Shore]

It would be interesting if anyone knows of any comparative stats laid out, of operating the Concorde from New York to Paris for example, compared to an A380 or 747. Fuel burn, cost per seat, etc etc. I know the Concorde never made money throughout it's life, but it would be interesting. How much would you need to charge per seat to make money these days??

IIRC, she used about the same fuel as a '47 for ~1/4 the pax. There is/was an excellent thread over on Pprune, in the Tech section, http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/423988-c ... stion.html all about Concorde. Questions answered by Flight Engineers, AMEs, Pilots, and even a design engineer or two.

[Panama Jack]

Sorry, I don't get the point. Spend millions for, what, one flight just so some people can tear up?

[Changes in Latitudes]

With all due respected and discounting commercial due diligence its like an significant, leading edge aircraft in 50 years we will be lamenting that nothing was done.

Mapleflt

Well said, random word generator.

[rxl]

Concorde is undeniably an amazing technological achievement and anyone involved in her development, construction and operation should be justifiably proud.
The remaining aircraft should be preserved and kept on display as the museum pieces that they now are.
£160m (CAD330m) is an awful lot of money and it's money that could be put to better use.

[schnitzel2k3]

Resume updated - check.
Hope and dreams - likely crushed.
Get back to my day job - check.

Sigh.

S.

[oldtimer]

I would love to see the old bird do a Mach 2 blast down the Toronto waterfront early Sunday morning just to give the NIMBY's something to really crow about. Just once or twice.

Maybe start a rumour they plan on building a longer runway at the Island airport to accomodate the Concorde's proposed early Sunday morning flights to Iqaluit.

Just a (bad) dream.

[cdnpilot77]

The latest I read was that the British regulator was in no way shape or form going to approve the type as operational unless the OEM (Airbus) would fully support the technical mountains ongoing. Airbus claims that they haven't been approached about it, but I would think the costs to support this would be monumental and likely prohibitive. It's not quite like bringing SeaFury back to life.

Debbie Downer over here is betting against this venture and would rather they just put 10% of the money in my account as that would be much more cost effective long term.

[schnitzel2k3]

Let the 1%ers spend their money on rebuilding the T-rex of aviation.

I'd live to see her flying again.

I'd much rather be in the cockpit.

Just saying.

S.

[Pop n Fresh]

I wonder how much more expensive it would be to just start over?

If someone can afford to fly it, I would like to see it again.

[fleet16b]

The latest I read was that the British regulator was in no way shape or form going to approve the type as operational unless the OEM (Airbus) would fully support the technical mountains ongoing. Airbus claims that they haven't been approached about it, but I would think the costs to support this would be monumental and likely prohibitive. It's not quite like bringing SeaFury back to life.

Debbie Downer over here is betting against this venture and would rather they just put 10% of the money in my account as that would be much more cost effective long term.

Totally agree that there is no way this will ever happen
Just a group using media to hype a hypothetical
Besides what would really be the purpose of doing this anyway ?
Certainly would not be a profit in it thus an expensive project that could not support itself

[TG]

The organisation hopes to buy the Concorde currently on display at Le Bourget airport in Paris.

Le Bourget museum have two airframes, one is the prototype, the other an ex Air France. Both are classed as National Heritage!

There is no way one of them will be sold......Especially to England.

[Meecka]

Besides what would really be the purpose of doing this anyway ?
Certainly would not be a profit in it thus an expensive project that could not support itself

I am sure the first people to look at restoring a Lancaster, spitfire, Hurry, etc... were asked the same thing.

[fleet16b]

Besides what would really be the purpose of doing this anyway ?
Certainly would not be a profit in it thus an expensive project that could not support itself

I am sure the first people to look at restoring a Lancaster, spitfire, Hurry, etc... were asked the same thing.

Of course they did but this is a much more complicated project
First off the OEM states that this will never be allowed ...................this is just a media based "fodder story"
However , maybe one day ............who knows