Mach 2 Magazine May 2020
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Mach 2 Concorde magazine FOCUS ON ENGINEERING Concorde operations through the decades Concorde Watch Life under lockdown Issue 26 May 2020 Mach 2 May 2020 Introduction Keeping Concorde in operation – from the first flights of the prototypes to the final journeys of the fleet aircraft – was both an awesome achievement and a monumental feat of aero engineering. In this issue we look at the British engineering opera- tions, from the earliest flights to the end of British Airways services. Three of the engineers who made these Concorde flights possible recall the challeng- es and triumphs of their work. The current COVID-19 crisis has affected com- munities all over the world. The specialists and volunteers who take care of the Concordes are no exception. The museums are currently closed to visitors, but in Concorde Watch we bring you a brief update on each of the aircraft, together with information on fund-raising drives for G-BBDG and G-BOAF. Very best wishes to all the Concorde maintenance teams, all of Mach 2’s readers, and your families – please stay safe, wherever you are. In this issue 2 Introduction 12 The view from the flight deck 3 Feature: A technical triumph David Macdonald 4 Manufacture and testing 13 Concorde Watch John Dunlevy 6 In-service maintenance Editor: Katie John Pete Comport Cover: Concorde undergoing maintenance. Photo: Stephen Payne 2 Mach 2 May 2020 A Technical Triumph To help counteract the passage of time in recording this history, British Air- ways Concorde engineer Pete Comport asked John Dunlevy (BA Concorde avionics engineer) and David Macdonald (BA Concorde flight engineer), both intimately involved in the Concorde story, for their reminiscences. The three engineers share their thoughts here. 24-hour operation Above and left: The Concorde engineering teams worked around the clock to ensure that the next day’s flights would leave on time. Photos: Peter Ugle 3 Mach 2 May 2020 Manufacture and testing John Dunlevy, BA Concorde avionics engineer y introduction to MConcorde took place in September 1965, on starting my ap- prenticeship as an aircraft electrical technician with the Bristol Aero- plane Company, Filton (before the amalgamation of all the British Air- craft Companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation – BAC). The Filton complex The first components for the manu- facture of prototype 002 had arrived (several fuselage sections) and been placed in the purpose-made jig con- structed and positioned in the large centre bay of the Brabazon hangar. Brabazon hangar, Filton Around the Filton complex were windows) was a daily, disturbing Concordes under construction, 1971: dotted various test sites, such as event that became the norm. In an G-AXDN (left) is structurally complete; wind tunnel, fuel test rig, fuselage emergency (possible fire and ensuing G-BBDG (right) is being assembled. thermal test specimens, and the explosion), the building housing Photo: Christian Julius (with thanks to chicken cannon! This was a rather the rig could be completely filled the Julius family for permission to use) large gun barrel powered by com- with thousands of gallons of water. pressed air rather than gunpowder, Escape plan to avoid drowning was The flight test aircraft with the ability to simulate bird less than 2 minutes from klaxon Concorde prototypes 001 and 002 strikes onto various materials at sounding. Thankfully my career in were test aircraft used to discover supersonic speeds. flight test continued! the basic handling qualities and The fuel test rig (a full-size Wooden mock-ups were plenti- performance up to Mach 2. In the layout of the fuel tanks within the ful around the complex, from a process, information from the in- Concorde wing shape and tail) was full-size aircraft to a droop nose and struments, covering many hundreds an amazing structure. Driven by engines, all to help with the final of parameters, was recorded and hydraulic power, it could simulate design, testing and trial fitting of stored using data and tape recorders. all manner of flight conditions. It components for production. The construction of the proto- could also create almost boiling fuel Machine shops were equipped types was a real learning curve as during the hot fuel tests (simulating with the latest technology of the so many complex issues had to be heat soak at Mach 2). All was con- time (punched tapes), which enabled solved; modifications were constant- trolled from a watertight/fuel-tight the automatic machining of intricate ly needed to facilitate construction control room. It was one of the most panels and structures from solid bil- of the prototype and later the pre- disturbing and awesome devices I lets of aluminium. production and production models. have ever encountered. When ven- Foremen were locally in charge Flight testing was shared be- turing out to work on the rig, you of the various engineering sections, tween the British and French manu- signed a possible ‘death by drowning and departments were overseen by facturers, with flight programmes in fuel/water’ manifest and left your production managers. Quality con- being designed so that there was identity tag on the appropriate hook. trol and inspection was carried out not too much duplication unless a Work was carried out with the thing to civil aircraft regulations. serious event occurred which needed live and pumping kerosene every- The joint project between Britain more detailed investigation. where – hopefully not into the tank and France was to be carried out that you were working in. Witness- under the Official Secrets Act, and Fairford ing an adjacent tank to the one you complicated parts and drawing On this side of the channel, RAF were working inside filling with fuel numbers were devised to confuse Fairford was nominated as the loca- (through porthole-type observation any spies. tion for the Concorde Flight Test 4 Mach 2 May 2020 Rare sighting at Fairford 7 January 1972: French prototype 001 (right) with British prototype 002 (left) and pre-production Concorde 101 (centre), at a publicity event. Photo: John Dunlevy Centre; noise and close proxim- with extreme climate variations) ity to housing, as well as a nasty and, where possible, on routes that bump somewhere along the Filton would suit future Concorde airline runway, made Filton unsuitable for operations. the demands of testing. Concorde Fairford, although operating was originally designated a 1–2 year fairly remotely from Filton, had test programme; however, due to a similar departmental structure the complexities of supersonic flight regarding management and supervi- with a passenger aircraft, the test sion. Aircraft Engineers (mechani- programme stretched out to 7 years. cal and electrical) had their own Test flights were carried out to separate workshops; these, together various global destinations (some with the Quality Control inspection Aerial view department, were all housed within The two prototypes with G-AXDN. a single main flight shed, with the Photo © BAE SYSTEMS addition of a main store supply- ing the relevant parts and spares required. The departments for the flight test development personnel (responsible for all the on-board aircraft test equipment), test pilots, and observers were housed in an adjacent complex. All personnel in all departments were expected to be able to work at high pressure and extremely long hours to achieve the certificate of airworthiness for Concorde. Flight testing in Tangier Left: BAC engineers with G-AXDN In-service check during flight testing in Tangier, Mo- Above: John Dunlevy operates the rocco; John Dunlevy is centre right, Intake Status Test Set to assess intake holding the ear defenders. performance in Mach 2 cruise. Photo: John Dunlevy Photo: John Dunlevy 5 Mach 2 May 2020 In-service maintenance Pete Comport, British Airways Concorde engineer he ancestral home of BA’s Operations were planned by who- TConcorde fleet operated out of ever was on duty on the early shift, Centre and North Bay, Technical with the next day’s aircraft being Block B East (TBBE), with minor allocated to individual Concorde operations executed from Centre registrations in the Maintenance Bay mezzanine offices. control/Flight operations scheduling systems. The night shift teams were Concorde Tech crucial to delivering the operational In the 1980s, the Concorde opera- schedule. The duties of the late shift Work on Alpha Golf tion (known to the team as Con- and the night shift foreman were to G-BOAG needed extensive work in the corde Tech) was a unique organisa- execute the plan by continuing to early years. Here, she awaits repaint- tion within BA Engineering. Some assess each aircraft’s airworthiness, ing in 1984, after being grounded due managers regarded it as a short-haul and its technical and spares needs, to hydraulic system contamination. operation for a while, as Concorde ensuring that the licensed engineers Photo: David Gee spent so little time in the air. and their teams were given as much Don Hullah was the first manag- time as practicable to get the Con- was avoided by BAC, Rolls-Royce, er, followed by Mike Phillips; both corde ready for its flight. HM Government and British Air- reported to general managers. The ways agreeing that we would buy the foreman took full control of all air- The early years whole UK Concorde business from worthiness management of the fleet, Initially, in the late 1970s, the BA Government, to include AG and with the help of an airworthiness Concorde operation consisted of five development Concorde G-BBDG. clerk on each shift. The airworthi- Concordes; Alpha Fox (G-BOAF) At that point AG was taken into ness clerk’s role was vital in creating and Alpha Golf (G-BOAG) were work; she was parked outside TBB work package tasks from the fore- still to be inducted into service.