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Concorde 002 G-BSST, Yeovilton, England

My love of aviation I think started here..

13th September 1970, as a child growing up in South London, airliners approaching Heathrow Airport were even present, but something I largely ignored but not today… for the first time the British Concorde prototype 002, G-BSST was landing at Heathrow and as a five year old I thought my house was about to fall down, the result of a noise louder than thunder which seemed to go on for minutes.

This is may well be my earliest memory !

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Concorde 002 had flown for the first time the in April the year previously,  a few weeks after the french prototype. In the hands of the legendary test pilot Brian Trubshaw 002 spend most of its life at RAF Fairford, as was typical of the British Aircraft industry the runway at Filton where all British Concordes were built was not long enough for flight testing!

Father and Daughter this time with Concorde 002
Father and Daughter this time with Concorde 002

After a total of 438 test flights 002 was presented to the Science Museum in July 1976 following its delivery to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton where it has been on display even since.

As with Concorde 001 at Le Bourget it is possible to walk though the aircraft noting the vast amount of test equipment common to both prototypes, and you get a great view of the “Buck Rogers” style visor unique to them.

 

4 replies on “Concorde 002 G-BSST, Yeovilton, England”

She was so beautiful and I miss watching her go overhead when I’m back on my old stomping ground. My father flew many times with Brian in a plane full of test equipment. Happy days!

I remember watching the three BA Concordes flying into LHR from the 7th floor of Kingston College; a place I know you’ll rememeber well.

Really enjoyed reading this article. I found my way here after just yesterday receiving two newspapers cuttings from a friend who back in 1972 was living Saudi Arabia. The articles reported on the arrival into Dhahran of Concorde 002 in June 1972 on the return sector from a tour to Australia.
It’s wonderful to know, over half a century later, this very aircraft is still safely preserved. I now will add a visit to Yeovilton to the long list of aviation establishments I hope to see when I get around to revisiting the UK!
Greetings from Brisbane, Australia!

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