MUSEUM chiefs in New York are racing to find a high-profile new home in the city for a retired Concorde, after initial searches proved the task to be surprisingly tough.

The supersonic jet is the star attraction at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, which is closing for a é30 million, 18-month refurbishment at the weekend.

British Airways, the Concorde's owner, is determined that its flagship aircraft should remain open to the public during that time.

But it will have to be moved when the pier where the floating museum on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid is based is demolished, and after several months of searching a fitting temporary site has still not been found.

Now they only have until December to find it a home.

The Concorde, know as the "Alpha Delta", is a potentially lucrative but demanding exhibit.

Cleaned

Under BA's agreement to loan it to the Intrepid, it must be specially cleaned and protected from the elements.

And at over 62 metres long with a wingspan of 25 metres, would-be keepers will have to offer a degree of open space that is thin on the ground in Manhattan.

"The airplane has to be looked after and it needs to be in a location where the maximum number of people can see it," BA spokesman John Lampl said.

"But obviously you can't just stick the thing on Fifth Avenue.

"Ideally we'd like to put it somewhere like that, or the Rockefeller Centre or Wall Street, but that's just not possible."

The Intrepid is desperate not to lose the jet, which has been responsible for boosting yearly visitor numbers by more than 100,000.

When the museum reopens in May 2008, the newly rebuilt pier will have a specially designed area for the Concorde to sit on.

"It's still up in the air what will happen when we close," aircraft restoration specialist Eric Boehm said.

"British Airways really want to keep the Concorde on display because she's a billboard for them.

"We're hoping to find a place where we can keep her open.

"She's incredibly popular. Nobody misses the Concorde - the reason she's here is because she brings us extra visitors."

The Alpha Delta was the record-breaking aircraft responsible for achieving the fastest Atlantic crossing by any Concorde, taking just two hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds.

She made what was assumed would be her final journey in November 2003, when she was towed on a barge from John F Kennedy Airport up through New York Harbour to her resting place on the Hudson River.

Pier

Mr Boehm said he was still optimistic that a solution would be found. "We're chasing down a few leads," he said.

"We have to find some place for her - there's just not another option.

"I can't say to BA: 'take her back'. The new pier is being designed around the Concorde - we have to keep her."

Mr Boehm, who would not reveal where the jet might go, said the appeal of Concorde was broad.

"It's about the whole history of the thing, the uniqueness of it - and aesthetically it is just wonderful," he explained.

Mr Lampl said BA had not decided what would happen if a new home was not found or whether the company would then ask for the plane back temporarily.

Display

He added: "Concorde was the flagship of BA, so to perpetuate the achievement and memory of it we would certainly want it to be on display as it is.

"It represents a major milestone in the history of aviation."

All seven Concordes from BA's fleet were sent to museums around the world after the last commercial flight on October 24, 2003.

Four are in the UK, while another is in the US in Seattle and one more is in Barbados.

When the museum closes the Intrepid will be moved to Bayonne, New Jersey, for restoration work.

Last year the museum attracted 750,000 visitors.

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