The history of Concorde is completely tied up with Bristol’s. One of the initial prototypes was built by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) in Filton (the other was made in Toulouse). The name itself was even suggested by the son of the publicity manager at BAC’s Filton plant – A French word meaning harmony.
The first UK-built Concorde flew from Filton to RAF Fairford on April 9, 1969, while the supersonic airliner made its final flight on November 26, 2003 – landing in Filton again. Now, almost two decades later to the day, Concorde will fly over Bristol skies once more… well kinda.
While Concorde Alpha Foxtrot now sits on display at Aerospace Bristol. To commemorate this special anniversary, an 11ft model of the world’s fastest airliner will take to the skies on November 25. It will take off the site of Woodspring Wings MAC, near Yatton, one of only a few model-flying clubs in the UK to own a flying field.
Built 10 years ago by Bruce McKay and Bob Blackmore, the radio-controlled model is made from a mixture of balsa, plywood, foam and composites. It is powered by a Wren jet turbine engine and weighs 25lbs. It will launch at 2 pm and will be joined by other model planes from the Woodspring Wings MAC.
Every year (the first week of July,) the Woodspring Wings Model Aircraft Show takes place. Starting shortly after the club began in 1989, it has grown into a regular fixture for all aviation enthusiasts. It is now the biggest model aircraft show in the South West and attracts around 5000 visitors each year.
We don’t expect this model Concorde to be going anywhere near as fast as the real thing. It still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing when it flew from New York to London in just 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. You can always see the real Concorde by heading up to the Aerospace Museum in Filton anyway.
To learn more about Woodspring Wings MAC and how to find the flying field head here.