#5 – Concorde Chief Engineer John Britton on supersonic flight

Today 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. 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.

If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, then you can find show notes with links to more in-depth material on the aerospace engineering blog. The Aerospace Engineering Blog Facebook site is the best place to get in touch with me if you have suggestions for the podcast or want to leave comments about this episode. Thanks a lot for listening!

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 process, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California.