Former British Airways Concorde is moved to site of new museum after 14 years spent languishing at the side of the runway

THE LAST ever Concorde to have flown has made its final journey after languishing by the side of a runway for 14 YEARS.

The iconic supersonic plane was towed at walking pace a quarter of a mile across an airfield to a hanger which is being transformed into a new £19million aerospace museum.

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The jet number 216, registration G-BOAF - was the last of 20 to be built in 1979 and flew at twice the speed of sound.

It made its final flight on November 26, 2003, returning home to Bristol where it has stood since by the side of Filton Airfield.

It will form the centrepiece of the Bristol Aviation Centre, which will celebrate the city’s history of flight and is due to open this summer.

Locals and fans campaigned for a “proper home” for the aircraft and were delighted when plans were announced for the museum a short distance across the airfield.

Aerospace Bristol, which is running the new centre open to the public, launched a public appeal to reach the £19 million target needed to fund the project.

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Its chairman Iain Gray, said: "I have always been proud of Concorde and the achievements of all those that have worked, often their entire careers, in the aerospace industry.

"We want to celebrate the innovation and endeavour of those generations who went before us but also, look forward, to inspire the imagination our young people through our learning and activity programme and to consider careers in our aviation industry.

"Creating a fitting new home for Concorde can only happen with the support of Concorde friends and admirers.

"We are asking everyone who remembers Concorde's final flight, and shares our aim of keeping the spirit of Concorde alive, to please come on board by making a donation today."

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The first commercial flight Concorde flight was from Heathrow to Bahrain on January 21, 1976.

There was a 14-strong fleet of the 1,350mph planes but the last was grounded when sales slumped after a Paris crash left 113 dead.

Virgin tycoon Richard Branson recently revealed that he is working on a prototype supersonic jet that will be able to fly from London to New York in just three and a half hours.

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