Concorde rudder problems recur The rudder from a British Airways Aerospatiale/BAe Concorde that suffered a structural failure last month has been sent to Quinetiq for analysis. A part of the lower rudder section separated - the fifth such failure during the aircraft's operational life. According to BA's Concorde chief pilot Mike Bannister, during acceleration through Mach 1.8 on the 27 November departure from London, the crew heard a "slight pop", but since there were no indications of malfunction they continued to New York. As the aircraft (G-BOAE) was decelerating through Mach 1.4, it suffered vibration but no control problems. Rudders across the entire BA Concorde fleet were immediately checked. Air France says it "has had no problems of this type".
Source: Flight International
