The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
1–10 of 15 posts
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#2A great Great Britain - France collaboration
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#3I'd recommend reading Mike Bannister's book on the Concorde if you are interested in its history and operational details: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60032319-concorde
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#4I think its nice illustration of simple-easy-complex-difficult dichotomy. On one hand it appears super complex. But I suspect it is also conceptually very simple; each switch, button, dial, and indicator is most likely directly coupled to some one specific functionality. In comparison in modern aircrafts, with their sleek glass cockpits, lot of the same functionality might be hidden somewhere ten levels deep in menu hell and might have all sorts of weird modality etc built-in, so they are in some regards conceptually more complex. In similar vein in Concorde the controls and indicators were probably very directly coupled to their respective elements, again being simple in that regard, whereas in modern aircraft everything is done with impossibly complex computer systems that pilots (or even engineers) would have difficult time understanding.
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#5I'd recommend reading Mike Bannister's book on the Concorde if you are interested in its history and operational details: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60032319-concorde
Yep it’s a superb book, definitely read/listen to it. (there’s a new book out by John Tye too, another Concorde pilot.)
And if you’re in the UK, visit Brooklands Museum where you can go on one where they’ve replicated some the noise, movement, displays etc. in the passenger cabin.
Also, only place in the world with a working Concorde flight simulator.
Bannister supports the museum and occasionally gives lessons in the flight simulator.
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#6It's the perfect symbol of peak boomerist individualism and failed nationalism. Burn as much fuel as you can. Make as much noise as you can. Who cares about the atmosphere and trying to live peacefully below it. It's an absolute engineering masterpiece. Six times the fuel per mile as a 747, uh, anyway, whatever it's loud and fast that's so cool!
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#7It's the perfect symbol of peak boomerist individualism and failed nationalism. Burn as much fuel as you can. Make as much noise as you can. Who cares about the atmosphere and trying to live peacefully below it. It's an absolute engineering masterpiece. Six times the fuel per mile as a 747, uh, anyway, whatever it's loud and fast that's so cool!
It was just a sign of the times. People just didn't realise the impact as the negative effects hadn't started yet and the benefits were huge in lifting most of Europe out of poverty.
Soon after the oil crisis happened though which was really the start of climate and environmental awareness.
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#8It's the perfect symbol of peak boomerist individualism and failed nationalism. Burn as much fuel as you can. Make as much noise as you can. Who cares about the atmosphere and trying to live peacefully below it. It's an absolute engineering masterpiece. Six times the fuel per mile as a 747, uh, anyway, whatever it's loud and fast that's so cool!
I remember it going over my house as a kid and the noise was something else. I loved it, but then I was in my single-digits.
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#9Is this written by AI or what? "One of main differences that instantly stands out is the additional bank of control panels on the right-hand side" -> "This was not uncommon at the time"
Re: The Concorde was different from other aircraft in many ways
#10It's the perfect symbol of peak boomerist individualism and failed nationalism. Burn as much fuel as you can. Make as much noise as you can. Who cares about the atmosphere and trying to live peacefully below it. It's an absolute engineering masterpiece. Six times the fuel per mile as a 747, uh, anyway, whatever it's loud and fast that's so cool!
It was just a sign of the times. People just didn't realise the impact as the negative effects hadn't started yet and the benefits were huge in lifting most of Europe out of poverty. Soon after the oil crisis happened though which was really the start of climate and environmental awareness.
The Oil Crisis was 1973-74. Commercial Concorde flights began two years later in 1976. I've never heard a connection between the Oil Crisis and the beginning the climate awareness. The crisis was considered a crisis specifically because we couldn't get enough it to burn.