Photo: Brooklands Museum Director Allan Winn (far left) gets the celebrations going with former test pilots of Concorde G-BBDG. Courtesy Brooklands Museum.

Former test pilots and engineers gathered at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge to welcome home the front and rear fuselage sections of Concorde G-BBGD.

Despite missing out on the original allocation of British Airways’ retired supersonic fleet, Brooklands secured G-BBGD and staff at the museum have spent the past few months raising enough money to bring it back to where it was built in the 1970s.

Julian Temple, Curator of Aviation, told the 24 Hour Museum how he was "very, very relieved and pleased" to finally have the front and rear fuselages.

"There’s still the centre section to come, which is the only wide-load we have still to do," he said, "but the front end is the bit everybody wants to see and now they can."

Photo: possibly the world's most famous aircraft, Concorde was retired in 2003. © James Kightly.

Temple explained how the fuselage sections will be laid out with the aircraft's famous nose cone and tail in a "loose formation" so that visitors will be able to get a good look at the iconic machine.

Brooklands' links with Concorde go as far back as July 1961 when the partners behind it, the British Aircraft Corporation and Sud-Aviation, held their first meeting on UK soil there.

In later years the site was home to a 3500-strong work force, which was the largest producer of Concorde airframe parts in the UK during the 1960s and 70s.

G-BBGD, also known as C/N 202, was the first British production Concorde and was mainly used for testing and route proving.

Photo: Courtesy Brooklands Museum.

In 1981, the aircraft was retired to Filton airfield near Bristol, where it stayed until now. It was plundered as a source for spare parts and never flew again.

Brooklands’ Roger Ramage told the 24 Hour Museum that a grand total of £1 million is needed to house and turn the various pieces of G-BBDG into a prize visitor attraction.

"It’s a continuous challenge, because the aircraft is having to be dismantled and, except for the one that went to Scotland, no-one has ever taken a Concorde apart like this before."

"It has got to be taken apart in such a way so that it can be put back together," he added, "it’s cutting it up with love and care, so it can be put back together without any creases."

Photo: during the 1960s and 70s Concorde airframes were designed and manufactured at Brooklands. Courtesy Brooklands Museum.

An application for around £900,000 has been lodged with the Heritage Lottery Fund, but the rest will need to be raised through donation and sponsorship.

The museum has already managed to raise £100,000, with particular help coming from campaigns run by the local media and Concorde website, www.concordesst.com.

Local companies have also come forward offering help with equipment and other supplies needed for the restoration effort, while nearby residents who used to work at the Brooklands Concorde works have pledged to help out.

A volunteer-programme has been established with the nearby University of Surrey where around 75 students, as well as members of staff, have registered an interest in getting involved.