COLIN COHEN

email: ccpm@talk21.com

mail: Colin Cohen, 22 Selvage Lane, London NW7 3SP, UK

ARTICLE NO. 43

It is some thirty-four years since Concorde had its inaugural flight and, as a boy of ten, I recall seeing it as headlines on television when the prototypes took off from Toulouse and Filton, near Bristol respectively. At the time there was great speculation that supersonic travel was the transport of the future. Many national carriers expressed interest in Concorde, but as we know this was not to be.

I do have some nice Concorde cards in my collection with firstly shots of the early days in prototype colours then later drawings in BOAC and Air France colours of the time. There were also a number of artists impressions in the colours of other airlines including a large card from Japan Air Lines, and ordinary size cards from Air Canada, Air India, American, Continental, Eastern, Middle East Airlines, Pan American, Qantas, SABENA, TWA and United. None of these of course ever confirmed orders. Two other carriers did in fact operate Concorde, Braniff and Singapore. Braniff issued cards in their colours but the aircraft were never actually painted. They did however have to carry hybrid registrations of the form G-N94AA as on G-BOAA - for the Washington-Dallas subsonic leg the G- was taped out. As it was subsonic the industry was not taxed to produce masking tape that could withstand supersonic speed and heat. Curiously these hybrid marks were sometimes carried on the Concorde leased to Singapore who DID paint their colours on. Other colours on Concorde were one-off, publicity deals for Pepsi and a “rainbow” scheme.

The images are black and white copies of colour cards. If colour copies become available they will be substituted on this page.

It seems unlikely that Virgin will get their way and operate Concorde with “nose art” – although that should not stop them issuing material with such a picture on complaining about it. If Concorde had actually been successful it is interesting to speculate as to whether they would ever have had a second-hand value. I think not. At least those few that served with BA and Air France will retire to good homes and not rot away in odd parts of Africa and South America.

I have therefore devoted my section this time to some of my favorite postcards of Concorde now that it is to retire and close the chapter on civil supersonic flight …for how long will remain to be seen.

Till next time – happy collecting

COLIN COHEN

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