In this episode I am talking to John Britton. John was the chief engineer of Concorde on the British side of the enterprise from 1994 until Concorde’s demise in 2003. John possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding the engineering behind Concorde, and its heritage in Bristol, UK. Because he was the chief engineer at its demise, he also has a unique insight into why the aircraft is no longer flying today. In this conversation, John and I talk about:

how he ended up as the Chief Engineer of Concorde

what engineering feats made Concorde special

why Concorde is no longer flying today

and what he thinks new supersonic companies need to focus on

This interview was recorded at Aerospace Bristol, which is a new aerospace museum located at Filton Airfield in the South West of the United Kingdom. From the beginnings of powered flight, Filton Airfield was the birthplace of many a flying machine – from aeroplanes and helicopters to missiles and satellites. Aerospace Bristol represents the new heart to the area’s aerospace heritage.

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron.

This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.

Selected Links from the Episode

Aerospace Bristol museum

Heritage of Filton Airfield

Sir George White

The Bristol Aeroplane Company

British Aircraft Corporation

Concorde:

Timeline 

The Concorde Story documentary

Powerplant, fuel system, wing and skin temperatures

The demise of Concorde: video and article and another article

The Concorde rival: Tu-144

Overview

The Paris Crash (ironic that Concorde too would crash in Paris 30 years later)

Return of supersonic commercial flights with:

 Boom Supersonic (video)

 Spike Aerospace (video)