Cunliffe-Owen Concordia

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Everyone!

The Cunliffe-Owen Concordia, was a British 10-passenger aircraft that first flew in 1947. Only one aircraft was made.

Are there any three-view line drawings available of this aircraft?
If so, could someone post them on this website? Thanks!!

Chuck

 

[Jemiba]

No 3-view found still yet, sorry, just another photo in the last issue of
AirEnthusiast.

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi jemiba!

Thanks for the additional photo of the Concordia! (I just think that this is a very nice-looking aircraft!)

Chuck

 

[elmayerle]

IMHO, it looks like another immediately post-war attempt to replace the DC-2 and it likely was as successful as all the other efforts, i.e. "not very", after the surplus cost of a DC-3/C=47 made them so affordable.

 

[smurf]

2-view at least. Sorry I have no record of the source of this old photocopy.

 

[smurf]

Sorry. trouble posting pic. I've tried splitting it in 3

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Sorry. trouble posting pic. I've tried splitting it in 3

Hi smurf!

Thanks for the information! Its very helpful to me!!

Chuck

 

[Jemiba]

Wow, nearly 3 years ago, sorry for bumping this thread ! But as you may have noticed,
I've raided a library again and now I'm surveying the prey.
From InterAvia October 1946 a 3-view and the title picture :

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Jemiba!

That's an excellent three-view and colour illustration!

Thanks so much!

Chuck

 

[Stargazer]

Nice aircraft! Didn't know about it. Looks soooo British! Like a blown-up Anson of sorts.

Can anyone explain the strange Y-OZZZ serial on the left side of the fuselage?

 

[Bailey]

Follow these links for article from Flight May 20th 1947, including cutaway.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947 - 0856.htm
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%200857.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%200859.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%200860.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%200861.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%200862.html

Regards Bailey.

 

[Bailey]

Can anyone explain the strange Y-OZZZ serial on the left side of the fuselage?

The "Y-0222" code is the "B" class marking, for aircraft flying under "B conditions" A registration issued for aircraft flying trials before a full Certificate of Airworthiness was issued.

Cunliffe-Owens letter code was "Y" from 28/10/1940 to 31/12/1947.

Regards Bailey.

 

[alertken]

Class B marks were applied in the absence of a military serial for Govt.-funded prototypes. COA did Concordia on private funds - almost uniquely in post-War UK Aero history. Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen formed COA 1937 to licence the Burnelli UB-14 flying-wing schemes; he won wing fabrication for Spitfire, then was sub-contracted by Seafire Prime Contractor, Westland, to convert 118 Spitfire V into Seafire Ib, and to assemble 300 Seafire III, 184 Mk.XV and 20 Mk.XVII. As a Civilian Repair Organisation contractor COA did Seafires and Typhoons at Eastleigh and at Sir Hugo's Marwell Hall estate. Hudson and US FAA types were handled at Edzell, Macmerry and Silloth.

In 1936-38 when Air Ministry imposed "sub-contracting" (today, second-sourcing) on the "Ring" of Design teams, the agreement had been that these production cuckoo interlopers would be ejected in Peace. Minister Stafford Cripps reneged on that in 1944 by funding the move of W.E.W.Petter from Westland to English Electric to work on Folland Fo.117A and taking his sketches which became Canberra. He chose not to be a serial cheat, so Airspeed was taken over by DH, General by Blackburn, Heston Aircraft closed, Brush/Hills/Martin-Baker/Parnall/Redwing did bits and/or non-Aero. Miles and COA tried to stay in Aero-design; Miles won Brabazon Committee Type V (to be VA, M.60 Marathon) because Cripps stretched their (Phillips & Powis) trainer design pedigree (and Lady Isobel Cripps was entranced with Blossom Miles). Sir Hugo lacked any such attribute; he chose to fund Concordia and extracted some interest from BEAC...just as ghastly penury descended on UK. BEAC was lumbered with Interim Brabazon Type II, VC1 Viking as, despite having prejudiced Defence of the Realm with Warwick and Windsor, Vickers was a Ring member with clout. US chose to dispose of C-47s in theatre at what-they-could-get as scrap. Basta! His Eastleigh premises passed in 1947 to Cierva, later to Ford.

M.60, M.73 (to be HPR.7 Leonides-Herald), CASA Azor and Saab Scania were similarly blighted at market by Dak.

 

[Stargazer]

Than you so much alertken for this fascinating insight on a point I ignored completely.

 

[robunos]

Here's some more information and images, from 'Aeroplane Monthly', september 1979.
Five versions were originally planned,
ten-seater, 14-seater high density/troop carrier
variant, freighter, executive, and air ambulance.

The Concordia wooden mockup, january, 1946.

A view of the cabin interior.

The Concordia prototype taxies past the employees,
prior to it's first flight, May 19th, 1947.

Only one aircraft was made.

There were two aircraft built, the first prototype, Y-0222,
and the second, G-AKBE. This was 5" longer than the first
aircraft in order to deal with a resonance problem encountered
on the first aircraft.
ChuckAnderson, check the bottom right image in your original
post, here's the image again, larger. Also see the nose of the
Partsmouth Aerocar hiding behind the Concordia's nosewheel
leg...

A colour picture of the 1st Concordia in flight, the dorsal blister
housed an anti-spin parachute for flight-test work.


cheers,
Robin.

 

[Stargazer]

These photos make me realize a similarity in design with the Vickers Viking...

 

[Jemiba]

These photos make me realize a similarity in design with the Vickers Viking...

Actually, I had the same thought, especially as on the page with the Concordia, there was a
photo of the Nene powered version of the Viking, too, which I at first thought to be in relation
to the Concordia (You know, I have some difficulties in reading french, although I make great
efforts : ). And with reards to the shape, there are really some similarities, but if we consider
the size, too, those similarities end, I think. Due to its nose wheel landing gaer, the Concordia
looks more modern to me.

 

[Motocar]

Discuss the off topic but I am looking for the date of when it was published in the Flight International this cutaway magazine of the Cunliffe Owen Flying Wing cutaway drawing.

 

[alertken]

Might it have been in the Aeroplane? Flight, 22/11/38, has extensive cover of G-AFMB, COA OA-1, but not with this drawing.