[illiderob]

thought it might be timely since EADS have 1 AF concorde `wet` and `live` and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8712806.stm

want to get her in the air again heres a video or 3 of take off ,supersonic flight (and the famous supercruise ability) and landing at JFK;

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3062077/8731663

^^ take off

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3067801/8745747

^^ acceleration through mach 1


http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3327771/9346506

^^ decsent and landing into JFK

now for 2 stories which i hope you might chuckle at;


I do recall that several years ago an RAF Tornado F3 requested permission to try a practice intercept on a JFK bound aircraft coming up to the accel' point... ATC relayed the request to the crew who had no objections, provided tha the rules of the air were obeyed, the ATC conversation went something like this.... 'OK, the Tornado is 15 miles astern of you.'. (at this point the burners are lit for the transonic acceleration).. ' he's 14 miles astern of you ,13 miles ...14.... 15..16....17...20... you can guess the rest, the F3 gave up in embarassment.
only 1 aircraft type managed to achieve a stern on intercept of concorde - the RAF lightning

http://www.lightning.org.uk/archive/0410.php

have a read , everyone had a go - but when concorde can actually got from M1.7 to M2 without afterburner (where it stopped , not because it couldnt go faster the frame was close to limit temp - the engines wernt)

in fact it has been known to get to M2.1 and over 60000 feet


and another


There's this SR-71 Blackbird stooging around Cuba on a top-secret mission, at FL500+ and Mach 2+.... when they get a call requesting them to change heading "because of traffic at your altitude".
Traffic at THEIR altitude ??
Anyway, they comply, and shortly, yes, there's an Air France Concorde out of Caracas (Air France flew there in the early days) slowly sailing across their flight path.

Just imagine... two guys in bonedomes and full pressure suits, in a cramped cockpit, watching something like a hundred people in shirt sleeves or summer dresses, sipping their champagne and maybe just starting on their smoked salmon hors d'oeuvres, flying at their altitude and nearly their speed....
^^ someone was in the wrong job

[illignocearia]

Nice post! Great vids and hopefully they will restore Concorde for 2012.

[illiderob]

i think reality might get in the way of restoring `SD` - lack of spares , lack of money .... to name a few minor details

[illignocearia]

Oh and as for chasing down Concorde, I think if the US sent an F-111 F variant on its tail it would catch it. With max speed of mach 2.5.

[PNCarl]

Oh and as for chasing down Concorde, I think if the US sent an F-111 F variant on its tail it would catch it. With max speed of mach 2.5.

It depends. That will be with full re-heat which it will only be able to do for a few minutes.

[illignocearia]

It depends. That will be with full re-heat which it will only be able to do for a few minutes.

Ahh true. Though It might not need full burner. Though hard to say as I can't find any stats that show fighters max speed without burner.

[PNCarl]

Ahh true. Though It might not need full burner. Though hard to say as I can't find any stats that show fighters max speed without burner.

If I'm reading this right it's about 1.82 mach for supercruise (which is apparently the top speed without afterburners).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockhee...Specifications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercruise

[WFSdZuP3]

the lightning is still one of the fastest Aircraft ever produced [yes]

fricking awesome looking too and loud as **** !

they should bin concord and bring the lightning back to airshows

[#[SoftAzerZx]]

they should bin concord and bring the lightning back to airshows

GTFO !

[Vomephems]

There's this SR-71 Blackbird stooging around Cuba on a top-secret mission, at FL500+ and Mach 2+.... when they get a call requesting them to change heading "because of traffic at your altitude".
Traffic at THEIR altitude ??
Anyway, they comply, and shortly, yes, there's an Air France Concorde out of Caracas (Air France flew there in the early days) slowly sailing across their flight path.

Just imagine... two guys in bonedomes and full pressure suits, in a cramped cockpit, watching something like a hundred people in shirt sleeves or summer dresses, sipping their champagne and maybe just starting on their smoked salmon hors d'oeuvres, flying at their altitude and nearly their speed.... Nice story, it made me chuckle, and the Concorde is pretty amazing considering all the commercial pressure's.

But in reality those guys where wearing "bonedomes and full pressure suits, in a cramped cockpit" not because they where at FL500, but because they where capable of flying up to FL8500

[illiderob]

well IMO the Campaign Against Aviation does not want to see either the lightning or the concorde flying in this country - heck they dont want Canopus and she IS air worthy (the last comet 4 built - was flying for the raf till 1997 and has been fully serviced since)

although i can understand why not for the lightning - the fact that the main fuel tank is dangling between her shweels would be on minor concern in the event of a wheels up landing.....


as for the F-111F catching concorde - whilst her top speed might be higher (same as the eagle as well) its the getting there that matters , the aerodynamics of a `vark are similar to those of a barn door;

you must ask - why can the english electric lightning with `only ` 16,000lb thrust in reheat per engine capable of overhauling concorde , when an eagle (or a vark) with 25000lb thrust - cant.

its down to the job designed to do - the vark is a bomber (yes she was going to be a naval fighter - and theres a video of one doing a carrier landing) but the size and weight are a huge factor;

loaded the lightning with full fuel 2x red top`s and full gun ammo is 42 tons

empty the vark is 47 tons.....

the lightning was built in a time when its job was 0 > 50000 feet in 1 minute to catch those pesky soviet nuclear bombers.

[illiderob]

Golem i am more than alot jealous




btw the amazing feat of concorde , which even the F22 wont be able to do, is tool along at high mach for 3 hours at a time without refueling.


CanberraK


we know the blackbird can go higher and faster - but still - i would love to have seen the reaction to concorde sailing passed , with 100 poeple in shirt sleeves drinking champaigne whilst the SR`s crew is all suited up.


btw the first concorde would cruise along at FL650 at M2.1

[viepedorlella]

I used to work in an office right next to the Heathrow runway. There used to be 1-2 Concorde takeoff/landings a week.

When it was taking off you'd suddenly hear this thunderous noise and the whole building would start to shake like there's an earthquake.

I'd then run to the window and watch the awesome sight of it taking off with afterburners blazing. Good memories. [yes]

[Vomephems]

CanberraK


we know the blackbird can go higher and faster - but still - i would love to have seen the reaction to concorde sailing passed , with 100 poeple in shirt sleeves drinking champaigne whilst the SR`s crew is all suited up.


btw the first concorde would cruise along at FL650 at M2.1

As I said it's a funny scenario.

But then the SR71 could then climb another 20,000ft and increase cruise speed to M3.2!
Plus they could also be ejected at M3.17 and survive

I'm sure the passengers of the last Concorde flight would have enjoyed that feature more than the champaigne.....

[illiderob]

the last concorde flight was in 2003 - 3 years after the AF concorde overan the titanium strip that had fallen off the previous delta flight , which punctured the tyre , then the number 5 fuel tank and thus we had the only crash of the type - ever.

btw the take off speed of concorde was far higher than other types simply because the engines supplied the lift - there were no flaps at all.

[Vomephems]

My point still stands though, the suit and bonedome where their for reasons other than normal cruise. Ejection at high speeds at possibly high altitudes being a major one.

[illiderob]

of coruse - i never said otherwise - but as i said , i would love to have seen the reaction to the shirt sleeves and summer dresses sipping champaigne , all the while they were all suited up

edit:

btw from my understanding of the math - its actually more dangerous to bail out of say a tornado at 500 feet and 400 mph , rather than the SR-71 at FL 850 and 2000 mph , something about dynamic pressure

[Vomephems]

of coruse - i never said otherwise - but as i said , i would love to have seen the reaction to the shirt sleeves and summer dresses sipping champaigne , all the while they were all suited up

edit:

btw from my understanding of the math - its actually more dangerous to bail out of say a tornado at 500 feet and 400 mph , rather than the SR-71 at FL 850 and 2000 mph , something about dynamic pressure

Sure the force would be greater, but you are forgetting the other effects on the body when exposed at such an altitude.