Project News
This page contains the latest news and updates relating to Delta Golf, G-CONC and the Concorde simulator. Also see the links at the bottom of the page for archived Concorde Project news from the last few years.
News Headlines:
The Concorde simulator has undergone a major visual system upgrade. (Spring/Summer 2013)
Concorde model 'G-CONC' has been relocated to the entrance to Brooklands Museum. (07/10/12)
DG has been moved to her new permanent location in the aviation park. (01/07/11)
DG has been spun around 180° ahead of being moved into the aviation park in a few weeks. (11/05/11)
News in Detail:
Spring/Summer 2013
The Concorde simulator has undergone a major upgrade to its visual system this summer. The original back projection screen and mirror have been re-fitted to the sim, returning it to its original configuration from the time when it was operational with British Airways. These two large items were removed when the sim was decommissioned in 2003 and kept as spares by BA. In 2011 they were offered to Brooklands and were subsequently transported to the museum in early 2012. Refitting the BP screen and mirror has been a complex project taking 4 months to complete, but which has greatly improved the visual display. See the Simulator page for photographs and more details.
October 2012
After several years of planning, 40% scale Concorde model 'G-CONC' had been reloacted to a new permanent location at the entrance to Brooklands Museum and Mercedes-Benz World. The move was carried out by Finch of Bookham with assistance from volunteers from the museum.
July 2011
Following the move to spin her around 180° last May, Delta Golf has now been moved forward to her final position in the aviation park. Again, this was completed with the assistance of the crew from National Rescue using recovery truck 'Brooklands Belle'. For the first time DG now sits in open space away from any buildings where she can be admired and photographed from all sides. More photos of the move can be found here.
May 2011
DG has been moved from the position she has sat in at Brooklands for the last 7 years and spun around to face the opposite direction. This is ahead of her being moved into her permanent new location in the aviation park in the next few weeks. Prior to the move the radome was removed from DG's nose to help with clearance around adjacent buildings in the tight space available. It was refitted again afterwards once the move was complete. The move was carried out by the British Airways Aircraft Recovery Team, with assistance from a small crew from National Rescue operating winches on breakdown recovery trucks 'Brooklands Belle' and 'Milly'. Photos of the day's events can be found here.
September 2010
Funds have recently allowed the planned upgrade of the simulator's projection system to be completed. The older single projector has been retired and replaced by three modern and higher resolution models. This has resulted in a much sharper and clearer image being projected onto the screen with visuals that are now at least comparable, if not better, than those produced by the original projection system that was used on the simulator when it was operated by British Airways. See here for photos of the upgrade being completed.
May 2010
The original computer interface linkage equipment for the Concorde simulator has been discovered in storage and brought to Brooklands for display alongside the sim itself. This is the equipment that used to interface between the cockpit controls and the computers when the simulator was operational at Filton. It had been assumed that this had all been scrapped in 2003 when the simulator was decommisioned, but was recently discovered in storage in Bournemouth where a company called European Skybus had bought it for possible use at their simulator facility.
The company have very kindly agreed to allow Brooklands to have the equipment on long term loan and, while short term plans intend just for the equipment to go on display, it is possible that at same stage in the future the equipment may be used to add further functionality to the Concorde simulator.
July-August 2009
The Concorde Simulator is now available at Brooklands for booking for special events where people will have the opportunity to fly the sim with guidance and tuition from a former Concorde Captain. Two special packages are available. See here for more information.
The final bit of painting has now been completed on Concorde Delta Golf. Over the last month the underside of the outer wing sections have been sanded, etch primed, primed and have had 3 coats of white top coat. All that remains for volunteers to do is to reapply the G-BBDG registration mark to the underside of the port wing.
April-June 2009
The final touches have been completed on Concorde model G-CONC this week with the application of various decals. These include the British Airways titles, spill door text, door text, static port markings and the 'G-CONC' registration.
Volunteers have replace the carpet in Delta Golf's forward cabin with a genuine Concorde carpet. This was generously donated free of charge by American singer/songwriter (and Concorde fan!) Jimmy Webb. Jimmy won the carpet in an auction on e-bay. The carpet itself features the twin red stripe - a design fitted to all British Airways Concordes during the 1990s.
In DG's rear cabin a new item has been added to the exhibition. This is a flight suit belonging to former BAC test pilot Roy Radford. These bright orange suits were worn by all of the BAC Concorde test pilots and test engineers during the flight test programme of the 1970s. The colour was chosen for visibility reasons in case an aircraft had to ditch into the sea. Roy Radford was the captain on DG's last ever flight.
Now on the verge of being opened to the public, the Concorde simulator at Brooklands has had its official opening to the press. The event was attended by many local dignitaries and VIPs and also several former BA Concorde flight crew. The simulator was opened by guest of honour Richard Noble OBE.
January-March 2009
The Concorde simulator is nearing its opening to the public in May/June and has now had the ultimate test of being flown by an ex-British Airways flight crew. Captains Les Brodie and Mike Bannister along with Senior Engineering Officer Warren Hazelby came along to the museum to put the sim through its paces and to record the various flight phases (takeoff, supersonic cruise and landing etc.) and the video presentation that will be played to museum visitors when it opens. This has followed several months of hard work by volunteers over Christmas and the New Year to get the sim ready.
Concorde Delta Golf is now gleaming again having been washed by volunteers at Brooklands. This is probably the most thorough wash that DG has ever had at Brooklands and has removed the dirt and grime accumulated over the last year.
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