Concorde 002 hotseat

Shame I didn't have a polariser with me, but then, I'd have needed a tripod too. Aaaanyway, here's the decidedly analogue main flight control for the very first ever British Concorde. (There was a French prototype too — 001.)

By the end of Concorde's life as a commercial airliner, this scene was altogether more computerised and made up of screens, of course. As it was though, I sat for a while trying to imagine keeping abreast of everything here and actually flying the thing.

It was also rather sad to see this aeroplane with all its test and measurement equipment and markings, and to think that whilst they were watching closely as the wings deflected and the fuselage stretched (by several inches during every supersonic flight!), the undoubtedly wonderful engineers nevertheless missed the flaw that would cause several rudders to fail and contribute to the type's demise.