Aerospace

Concorde supersonic plane may fly again by 2019..!

Club Concorde, made up of former captains, charterers and aviation fans, says it has £120m in reserve for the “return to flight” plan. The group also plans to put another of the supersonic aircraft on permanent display in central London. Concorde, which can travel at twice the speed of sound, last flew in 2003.

Negotiations are now under way to try to purchase or lease the two aircraft. Club Concorde president Paul James said they were hoping to source both the display and flight jets from France but no agreements had yet been made.

Mr James said he was confident a plane would be secured and hoped flights would start by 2019 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s first flight. Club Concorde’s plan started after the group raised £40m to try to display a jet on London’s South Bank close to the London Eye. “It is a global icon,” Mr James said. “All the authorities have been very keen on our idea to bring Concorde to the river as a tourist attraction and London Eye have agreed we could share their landing stage.”

The group still also needs to secure planning permission but Mr James said they were aiming to have the attraction up and running by 2017 before looking to open a similar display in Paris.

Club Concorde

Club Concorde is a club for all things Concorde, run by ex-Captains, ex-charterers and people passionate about Concorde, working together to keep Concorde in people’s hearts and minds.

Club Concorde works closely with the various museums around the UK and internationally where the many Concordes are resting. Club Concorde is for people to join who are lovers of Concorde. We offer the opportunity for members to share their anecdotes and photos of Concorde whether or not they were lucky enough to experience supersonic travel.

Concord History

Concorde was born out of separate French and British projects which joined forces in 1962 and the partnership built 20 jets
Its first flight took place on 2 March 1969 from Toulouse
Cruising at around 1,350 mph, a crossing from Europe to New York took less than three and a half hours – the record crossing stands at 2hrs 52mins 59secs
Travelling westwards the five-hour time difference meant Concorde landed before arrival time caught up with the local departure time
In 2000 an Air France jet bound for New York crashed shortly after taking off from Paris, killing 113 people
After a series of problems following the crash, Concorde was taken out of service in 2003

source courtesy : BBC

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Aerospace

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Columbus Plant by 50,000 Sqft

Credit:Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has launched a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.

This ambitious project will add 50,000 square feet of new space, renovate 40,000 square feet of the existing facility, and introduce advanced automation equipment, robotics, and non-destructive inspection technologies. mcas boeing enhancements will support the growing demand for Aurora’s aerospace systems business.

Since its establishment, Aurora Mississippi has specialized in the production of advanced composite components and assemblies for both military and commercial aircraft. The company first opened in 2005 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville before relocating to its current site in Columbus two years later.

Initially occupying 21,000 square feet, the facility has since grown to encompass over 120,000 square feet, featuring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as automated fiber placement. Aurora’s latest expansion is a strategic investment aimed at increasing production capacity for composite components like boeing titanium used in executive jets and the MQ-25TM Stingray composite skins, a key project for its parent company, Boeing.

Additionally, the facility will produce components for NASA’s X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, further diversifying its portfolio. Currently employing around 100 full-time staff in Mississippi, Aurora plans to hire more than 60 additional team members by the end of 2025.

Aurora’s expansion project underscores its commitment to Mississippi’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sector. The company maintains strong partnerships with Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), contributing to research, higher education, and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, Aurora actively supports local K-12 STEM education through summer camps and collaborates with high school vocational education programs. The expansion and renovation project will be carried out in phases over the next two years, with completion expected by 2026. This development marks a significant milestone in Aurora’s ongoing growth and its role in advancing aerospace manufacturing in Mississippi.