| G-BBDG | |
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| Concorde G-BBDG in its new home at the Brooklands Museum on July 13, 2006. |
G-BBDG (manufacturers serial number 202, known as Delta Golf) was the third British production Concorde built for evaluation testing. Along with the French Concorde F-WTSB, the aircraft was used to enable sufficient testing to allow for the Concorde fleet to receive certification. It was stored at Filton airfield from the mid-1980s until 2003, when it was transported by road to the Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey.
G-BBDG first flew on 13 February 1974, having been registered on on 7 August the previous year.[1] Its main uses were finalising the Concorde design before the other aircraft entered passenger service and certification prior to Concorde entering passenger service.
There were some differences between this aircraft and the final production aircraft, such as a thinner fuselage skin. The aircraft was painted in British Airways livery throughout its testing period. The aircraft flew a total of 1282 hrs 9 mins. Its final flight was on 24 December 1981.[2]
After the final flight, it was stored at Filton in a state of semi-airworthiness throughout 1982, where it could be returned to flight in two weeks if required. However this was never required and the aircraft was eventually bought by British Airways as part of a Concorde support buy-out in 1984.
The aircraft never entered service with British Airways, instead it was used as a major source of spare parts, allowing the airline to operate a fleet of 7 aircraft. A hangar was constructed on the Filton airfield site in the late 1980s to house the aircraft. Its tail was removed prior to being put in the hangar.
In 1995, Concorde G-BOAF had its nose damaged in a handling accident at Heathrow Airport. British Airways swapped this nose with the nose of the Concorde stored at Filton. As well as losing its nose and tail, other parts were taken, including its engines, landing gear and the majority of the components from the hydraulic system. The original nose was later repaired at Brooklands and returned to G-BBDG.[3]
Many times the aircraft has been considered for scrapping, but it has always been found to be useful. In 2001, it was used to test reinforced cockpit doors required for all aircraft after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
When British Airways and Air France retired their fleets in 2003, Brooklands Museum at Weybridge in Surrey was offered the aircraft and decided to accept it as a museum exhibit.[4] The aircraft was dismantled as fully as possible and the rest was cut up into 5 major sections and transported by road to the Brooklands Museum site. The task of structurally disassembling and reassembling the aircraft was carried out by Air Salvage International (ASI). It was then restored by a team of over 100 volunteers from the museum, assisted by students from the University of Surrey.
The Concorde Experience was opened at the museum in July 2006 by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, allowing visitors to enter the aircraft and experience a virtual flight up to Mach 2 - twice the speed of sound.[1]