End of a Legend...

[AKIron]

Originally posted by Eagler
like any of us would every have the green for a ride on it

just more snobby fat arses in the "common mans" airlines first class section....

Pretty pricey alright, seems I read about $9K for a round trip from London to NY.

[Samiam]

Originally posted by Dowding
Goodbye Concorde. The first and the only successful supersonic airliner.

What's your definition of successfull? It lost buckets of money and pissed-off the population in every area it opperated to/from.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Concord is a great technical achievement and it's too bad it isn't sustainable. I just wouldn't say that it was ever the success that it was inteneded to be.

[Frogm4n]

its a pretty cool flight

[john9001]

inspite of the high ticket prices, it never made money, UK and france had to sudsidise not only the building but the operating costs, because of the sonic boom it had limited use and could only fly over oceans, they are stopping flights because of low ticket sales.

the US and russia both had prototypes , but decided it was a not a good deal bussiness wise.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I wonder if the reason it never recovered from the crash is because potential passengers found out that they never solved the tire issue.

It was a major design flaw that was never resolved. Making the tire stronger only meant that if the tire failed anyway there was absolute certainty that unsurvivable damage would be done. It was a true Catch 22. Unless the tire problem was solved, tires would continue to fail, fairly regularly, and continual tire failure actually causing a crash was inevitable. Make the tire strong enough to survive normal use without failure, and if there was a tire failure due to extreme circumstances, the stronger tire would shed stronger debris and wreck more of the plane.

I hate to see it go the way of the dodo. It was an ambitious project, and a valiant effort.

On the other hand, I think ALL of the civilian aircraft manufacturers and carriers are in DEEP trouble. It ain't all due to 9/11 either.

[Dowding]

They are the RAF Red Arrows.

I see a lot of sour grapes and envy. Surprising to see it also comes from 'Roll-eyes' Eagler - just because you can't afford it doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. Are you a socialist or something?

The concorde was never the success it was meant to be, but it was profitable until the crash. And if you want to talk about subsidies in the airline industry - you'll find it very difficult to find the moral high ground.

[john9001]

dowding , tell us , is losing the concord as bad as VW/BMW buying rolls-royce?

[Dowding]

I couldn't care less. I'm not likely to buy a Rolls-Royce anytime soon. I hear they are quality cars though. But I'd rather drive a TVR; your Rolls-Royce is a car for old men.

The Concorde on the other hand, doesn't look like it will be flying again under any ownership. Which is a real shame - she is one of my favourite birds. A thing of grace and time-less style, and a superb example of the beauty hard-coded into science.

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Dowding
 But I'd rather drive a TVR

Nice to see that Dowding and I can agree on at least one thing

-Sik
Owner of a Triumph "If it isn't leaking Oil, It's likely Out of Oil" Spitfire, that wants to be a TVR when it grows up.

[Dowding]

Do TVR export to the US?

I wish I could afford one. But I couldn't even afford the insurance. Strictly an over-thirties car unless you are ultra-rich.

What's your favourite model Sik?

[AdmRose]

Interesting pic there...

...tell me, when did the Shriners start flying planes?

[muckmaw]

Hey Dowd, speaking of annoying European exports, who is the jerk putting all these Mini's on NY's streets?

These are the weirdest little cars I've seen since the Yugo, and they seem to be reproducing.

BTW, I am lucky enough to have lived a mile from JFK INtl Airport.

I went with my grandfather when I was about 5 to protest the first Concorde flight into JFK. (Actually we just drove our car to the airport and jammed up the roadways to protest the noise this baby made. There were alot of people there too.)

As I got older, and learned to think for myself, I loved watching her fly into 13L, coming over my house at 500 feet. The windows litterally rattled.

A few years back, after a bad day, I went to the airport and sat at my favorite "Plane Spotting" point. If you've never seen the concorde blast off the runway, you've missed something.

It is an awesome, somewhat frightening event. The ground actually shakes, and your car rocks when she comes tearing down that runway at full throttle. I'll never forget that moment on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

[Skuzzy]

I always admired that plane.  Something rather beautiful and powerful about her.

The Mini's, as in the Mini-Cooper, is a product of BMW.  They bought the Mini-Cooper name and put it on thier version of the bug.

[muckmaw]

This Mini thing needs to stop. They friggin up the undercarriage of my Suburban every time I drive over one.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by Dowding
They are the RAF Red Arrows.

I see a lot of sour grapes and envy. Surprising to see it also comes from 'Roll-eyes' Eagler - just because you can't afford it doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. Are you a socialist or something?

The concorde was never the success it was meant to be, but it was profitable until the crash. And if you want to talk about subsidies in the airline industry - you'll find it very difficult to find the moral high ground.

If you think that about my post, you might try thinking more clearly. On the otherhand, it is my understanding from people in the British aircraft and air carrier industries that the Concorde was a huge dissapointment and a rather large money pit. I recognize it for the technical success it was.