Revolutionary Concorde has yet to be surpassed
YOU report on the time when they introduced a hovercraft service to take passengers across the Humber. This was a futuristic form of transport, which was also used for cross-channel ferries.
Sadly, today the only working hovercraft service in Britain is that which runs from near to Southsea Clarence Pier to Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
Hovercrafts at least were superseded by fast electric trains which run through the Channel Tunnel.
Alas, the fate of another revolutionary form a transport, Concorde, has meant the fastest journey times are now over twice as long.
Having its maiden flight 55 years ago last month, the Anglo-French Concorde was the aeroplane for the future. With a speed in excess of 1,350mph, it could take people across the Atlantic in a matter of a few hours. Phil Collins showed what could be done by being able to fly supersonically, when he performed in both the UK and the US at Live Aid in 1985.
Many though called Concorde a plaything of the rich, with high fares deterring all but the richest of travellers. And the noise pollution from breaking the sound barrier meant that the plane was barred from going at such a speed over certain countries.
Yet Concorde’s detractors forget that the plane was only intended to be the first stage in supersonic flight. Just as today’s smart phones have as much power as computers that used to fill an entire room, so would technological progress make superfast air travel become more
affordable for all. What’s more developments would help lessen any adverse environmental impacts. Alas, though Concorde was left to stand alone, with no replacement planes ever being built. Thus air travellers are condemned to travel at subsonic speed for the foreseeable future.
Yet I can’t help wondering what’d have happened if Concorde had been the brainchild of the US, rather than Britain and France? Were they jealous that they’d been beaten in the field of technology, and imposed flight restrictions in umbrage?
Perhaps we will never know.
Tim Mickleburgh,