| Concorde | |
|---|---|
 An Air France Concorde | |
| Type | Supersonic airliner |
| Manufacturers | BAC (now BAE Systems) - Sud Aviation (now EADS) |
| Maiden flight | 2 March 1969 |
| Introduction | 21 January 1976 |
| Retired | 26 November 2003 |
| Primary users | British Airways Air France |
| Number built | 20[1] |
| Unit cost | £23 million in 1977 |
The Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) was the more successful of the only two supersonic passenger airliners to have ever operated commercially, the Tupolev Tu-144 being the other. Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The British Aircraft Corporation ( BAC) was a British Aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation BAE Systems plc (BAE is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, England, that has global interests particularly Sud Aviation was a French state-owned Aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est (SNCASE or Société nationale des constructions The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of Aérospatiale was a French Aerospace manufacturer that primarily built both civilian and military Aircraft and Rockets The company was created in 1970 The British Aircraft Corporation ( BAC) was a British Aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation A supersonic transport (SST is a civil Aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the Speed of sound. For other uses see Supersonic. The term supersonic is used to define a speed that is over the Speed of sound ( Mach 1 An airliner is a large Fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
The development programme was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, with 20 aircraft built. The costly development phase thus represented a substantial economic loss. Air France and British Airways were subsidised by their governments to buy the aircraft. Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe
First flown in 1969, piloted by André Turcat,[2] Concorde service commenced in 1976 and continued for 27 years. It flew regular transatlantic flights from London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (Air France) to New York JFK and Washington Dulles, flying these routes at record speeds, in under half the time of other airliners. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French in the Paris area is John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Concorde also set many other records, including the official FAI "Westbound Around The World" and "Eastbound Around the World" world air speed records. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI is the world governing body for Air sports and Aeronautics and Astronautics world records
As a result of the type's only crash on 25 July 2000, world economic effects arising from the 9/11 attacks, and other factors, operations ceased on 24 October 2003. Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to John F Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The last "retirement" flight occurred on 26 November that year. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" [3]
Concorde remains an icon of aviation history, and has acquired an unusual nomenclature for an aircraft. In common usage in the United Kingdom, the type is known as "Concorde" rather than "the Concorde" or "a Concorde". The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located [4][5]
Development
In the late 1950s, the United Kingdom, France, United States and Soviet Union were considering developing supersonic transport. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Britain's Bristol Aeroplane Company and France's Sud Aviation were both working on designs, called the Type 233 and Super-Caravelle, respectively. The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally British and Colonial Aeroplane Company was a major British aviation company Sud Aviation was a French state-owned Aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est (SNCASE or Société nationale des constructions The Bristol Aeroplane Company Type 223 was an early design for a Supersonic transport. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Both were largely funded by their respective governments. [6] The British design was for a thin-winged delta shape (which owed much to work by Dietrich Küchemann) for a transatlantic-ranged aircraft for about 100 people, while the French were intending to build a medium-range aircraft. Dr Dietrich Küchemann CBE FRS FRAeS (1911&ndash1976 was a German Aerodynamicist who made several important contributions to
The designs were both ready to start prototype construction in the early 1960s, but the cost was so great that the British government made it a requirement that BAC look for international co-operation. [6] Approaches were made to a number of countries, but only France showed real interest. The development project was negotiated as an international treaty between the two countries rather than a commercial agreement between companies and included a clause, originally asked for by Britain, imposing heavy penalties for cancellation. A Treaty is an agreement under International law entered into by actors in international law namely States and International organizations. A draft treaty was signed on 28 November 1962. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By this time, both companies had been merged into new ones; thus, the Concorde project was between the British Aircraft Corp. and Aerospatiale. British Aerospace (BAe was a UK aircraft and defence-systems manufacturer that is now part of BAE Systems. Aérospatiale was a French Aerospace manufacturer that primarily built both civilian and military Aircraft and Rockets The company was created in 1970
At first the new consortium intended to produce two versions of the aircraft, one long range and one short range. However, prospective customers showed no interest in the short-range version and it was dropped. The consortium secured orders for over 100 of the long-range version from the premier airlines of the day: Pan Am, BOAC and Air France were the launch customers, with six Concordes each. The British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 Other airlines in the order book included Panair do Brasil, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Braniff, Singapore Airlines, Iran Air, Qantas, CAAC, Middle East Airlines and TWA. Panair do Brasil (or simply "Panair" was Brazil 's flag airline and Latin America's largest carrier from the 1940s through the 1960s Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. ( or JAL, is an airline of Japan It is one of the largest Airline operators in Asia. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States. Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal Braniff International Airways was an American Airline that existed from 1928 until 1982 Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the Iran Air ( is the Flag carrier Airline of Iran, based in Tehran. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. The Civil Aviation Administration of China ( CAAC) ( formerly General Administration of Civil Aviation of China ( is the aviation authority under the Middle East Airlines Air Liban SAL (طيران الشرق الأوسط الخطوط الجوية اللبنانية operating as Middle East Airlines (MEA (طيران Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U
The aircraft was initially referred to in Britain as "Concorde," with the French spelling, but was officially changed to "Concord" by Harold Macmillan in response to a perceived slight by Charles de Gaulle. (Maurice Harold Macmillan 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894 &ndash 29 December 1986 was a British Conservative Politician Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French In 1967, at the French roll-out in Toulouse the British Government Minister for Technology, Tony Benn announced that he would change the spelling back to "Concorde. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest The Minister of Technology was a position in the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as " MinTech " Anthony "Tony" Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925 formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British Socialist Politician. "[7] This created a nationalist uproar that died down when Benn stated that the suffixed "e" represented "Excellence, England, Europe and Entente (Cordiale). Flag of the United Kingdomsvg|right|70px]] The Entente cordiale is a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom " In his memoirs, he recounts a tale of a letter from an irate Scotsman claiming: "you talk about 'E' for England, but part of it is made in Scotland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. " Given Scotland's contribution of providing the nose cone for the aircraft, Benn replied "it was also 'E' for 'Écosse' (the French name for Scotland) — and I might have added 'e' for extravagance and 'e' for escalation as well!"[8]
Construction of two prototypes began in February 1965: 001, built by Aerospatiale at Toulouse, and 002, by BAC at Filton, Bristol. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about 4 Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Concorde 001 made its first test flight from Toulouse on 2 March 1969 and first went supersonic on 1 October. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. The first UK-built Concorde flew from Filton to RAF Fairford on 9 April 1969. RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As the flight programme progressed, 001 embarked on a sales and demonstration tour on 4 September 1971. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Concorde 002 followed suit on 2 June 1972 with a tour of the Middle and Far East. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Concorde 002 made the first visit to the United States in 1973, landing at the new Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport to mark that airport's opening.
These trips led to orders for over 70 aircraft, but a combination of factors led to a sudden number of order cancellations: the 1973 oil crisis, acute financial difficulties of many airlines, a spectacular Paris Le Bourget air show crash of the competing Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, and environmental concerns such as the sonic boom, takeoff-noise and pollution. The 1973 oil crisis began on October 17 1973 when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC consisting of the Arab members of WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The term sonic boom is commonly used to refer to the shocks caused by the Supersonic flight of an aircraft Takeoff is the phase of Flight in which an Aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground ( Taxiing) to flying in the air usually Only Air France and British Airways (the successor to BOAC) took up their orders, with the two governments taking a cut of any profits made. The British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 In the case of BA, 80% of the profit was kept by the government until 1984, while the cost of buying the aircraft was covered by a state loan. [9]
The United States had cancelled its supersonic transport (SST) programme in 1971. Two designs had been submitted; the Lockheed L-2000, looking like a scaled-up Concorde, lost out to the Boeing 2707, which was intended to be faster, to carry 300 passengers and feature a swing-wing design. The Lockheed L-2000 was Lockheed 's entry in a government-funded competition to build the United States ' first Supersonic transport (SST in the 1960s The Boeing 2707 was developed as the first American Supersonic transport (SST A Variable-sweep wing is an Aeroplane Wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight Other countries, such as India and Malaysia, ruled out Concorde supersonic overflights due to noise concerns. [10]
Both European airlines flew demonstration and test flights from 1974 onwards. The testing of Concorde set records that have not been surpassed; the prototype, pre-production and first production aircraft undertook 5,335 flight hours. A total of 2,000 test hours were at supersonic speeds. Unit costs were £23 million (US$46 million) in 1977. Development cost overrun was 500% [11](cost was six times higher than projected). Cost overrun is defined as excess of actual Cost over Budget.
Design
Concorde was an ogival delta-winged ("OG delta wing") aircraft with four Olympus engines based on those originally developed for the Avro Vulcan strategic bomber. An ogive ("Oh-jive" is a curved shape figure or feature The delta wing is a Wing Planform in the form of a triangle named after the Greek uppercase delta which is a triangle (Δ WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A strategic bomber is a heavy type Aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's The engines were jointly built by Rolls-Royce and SNECMA. Rolls-Royce plc ( is a British Aircraft engine maker and the second-largest in the world behind GE Aviation. Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft and for space vehicles Concorde was the first civil airliner to have an analogue fly-by-wire flight control system. Aircraft flight control systems consist of Flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls connecting linkages and the necessary operating mechanisms to control It also employed a trademark droop snoot lowering nose section for visibility on approach.
These and other features permitted Concorde to have an average cruise speed of Mach 2. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 02 (about 2,140 km/h or 1,330 mph) with a maximum cruise altitude of 18,300 metres (60,000 feet), more than twice the speed of conventional aircraft. (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The average landing speed was a relatively high 298 km/h (185 mph, 160 knots).
Concorde pioneered a number of technologies:
For high speed and optimisation of flight:
- Double-delta (ogee/ogival) shaped wings
- Variable inlet ramps
- Supercruise capability
- Thrust-by-wire engines, predecessor of today's FADEC-controlled engines
- Droop-nose section for improved visibility in landing
For weight-saving and enhanced performance:
- Mach 2. Ogee is a shape consisting of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc so forming an S-shaped curve with vertical ends An ogive ("Oh-jive" is a curved shape figure or feature A supercruising Aircraft is able to maintain Supersonic speeds in level flight without the use of Afterburners and with a cargo/weapons load A FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control is a system consisting of a Digital Computer, called an Electronic Engine Control (EEC or Electronic Control The Droop Nose is a recognisable feature of Concorde and the Tu-144. 04[12] (~2,200 km/h - 1350 mph) cruising speed for optimum fuel consumption (supersonic drag minimum, although turbojet engines are more efficient at high speed)
- Mainly aluminium construction for low weight and relatively conventional manufacture (higher speeds would have ruled out aluminium)
- Full-regime autopilot and autothrottle allowing "hands off" control of the aircraft from climbout to landing
- Fully electrically controlled analogue fly-by-wire flight controls systems
- Multifunction flight control surfaces
- High-pressure hydraulic system of 28 MPa (4,000 lbf/in²) for lighter hydraulic systems components
- Fully electrically controlled analogue brake-by-wire system
- Pitch trim by shifting fuel around the fuselage for centre-of-gravity control
- Parts milled from single alloy billet reducing the part-number count
- Lack of Auxiliary power unit (Relying on the fact that Concorde will be used for premium services to big airports, where a ground air start cart would be readily available)
- Flush fitting lights
The Concorde programme's primary legacy is in the experience gained in design and manufacture which later became the basis of the Airbus consortium. An autopilot is a mechanical electrical or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being An autothrottle (automatic Throttle) allows a pilot to control the power setting of an Aircraft 's engines by specifying a desired flight characteristic Aircraft flight control systems consist of Flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls connecting linkages and the necessary operating mechanisms to control Drive-by-wire technology in automotive industry replaces the traditional mechanical and hydraulic Control systems with electronic control systems using Electromechanical An auxiliary power unit ( APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Snecma Moteurs' involvement with the Concorde programme prepared the company's entrance into civil engine design and manufacturing, opening the way for Snecma to establish CFM International with General Electric and produce the successful CFM International CFM56 series engines. Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft and for space vehicles WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Although Concorde was a technological marvel when introduced into service in the 1970s, 30 years later its cockpit, cluttered with analogue dials and switches, looked dated. With no competition, there was no commercial pressure to upgrade Concorde with enhanced avionics or passenger comfort, as occurred in other airliners of the same vintage, for example the Boeing 747.
The key partners, BAC (later to become BAE Systems) and Aerospatiale (later to become EADS), were the joint owners of Concorde's type certificate. BAE Systems plc (BAE is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, England, that has global interests particularly The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft engine or propeller Responsibility for the Type Certificate transferred to Airbus with formation of Airbus SAS.
Main problems overcome during design
Many issues were overcome whilst researching and developing Concorde. [13]
Movement of centre of pressure
When any aircraft passes the critical mach of that particular airframe, the centre of pressure shifts rearwards. The Critical Mach number (Mcr of an aircraft is the slowest Mach number at which the airflow over a small region of the wing reaches the speed of sound The center of pressure is the point on a body where the sum total of the aerodynamic Pressure field acts causing a Force and no moment about that point This causes a pitch down force on the aircraft, as the centre of gravity remains where it was. The engineers designed the wings in a specific manner to reduce this shift. However, there was still a shift of about 2 metres. This could have been countered by the use of trim controls, but at such high speeds this would have caused a dramatic increase in the drag on the aircraft. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor Instead, the distribution of fuel along the aircraft was shifted during acceleration and deceleration to move the centre of gravity, effectively acting as an auxiliary trim control.
Engines
To be economically viable, Concorde needed to be able to fly reasonably long distances, and this required high efficiency. For optimum supersonic flight, turbofan engines were considered, but rejected, as due to their large master cross-section they would cause excessive drag. Turbojets were discovered to be the best choice of engines. [14] The quieter high bypass turbofan engines such as used on Boeing 747s could not be used. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The engine chosen was the twin spool Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593, a version of the Olympus originally developed for the Vulcan bomber, developed into an afterburning supersonic engine for the BAC TSR-2 strike bomber and then adapted for Concorde. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
The inlet design for Concorde's engines was critical. All conventional jet engines can intake air at only around Mach 0. 5; therefore the air needs to be slowed from the Mach 2. 0 airspeed that enters the engine inlet. In particular, Concorde needed to control the shock waves that this reduction in speed generates to avoid damage to the engines. This was done by a pair of intake ramps and an auxiliary flap, whose position was moved during flight to slow the air down. An intake ramp is a rectangular plate-like device within the air intake of a Jet engine, designed to generate a Shock wave to aid the inlet compression process at The ramps were at the top of the engine compartment and moved down and the auxiliary flap moved both up and down allowing air to flow in or out. During takeoff, when the engine's air demand was high, the ramps were flat at the top and the auxiliary flap was in, allowing more air to enter the engine. As the aircraft approached Mach 0. 7, the flap closed; at Mach 1. 3, the ramps came into effect, removing air from the engines which was then used in the pressurisation of the cabin. At Mach 2. 0, the ramps had covered half their total possible distance. They also helped reduce the work done by the compressors as they not only compressed the air but also increased the air temperature.
Engine failure causes large problems on conventional subsonic aircraft; not only does the aircraft lose thrust on that side but the engine is a large source of drag, causing the aircraft to yaw and bank in the direction of the failed engine. If this had happened to Concorde at supersonic speeds, it could theoretically have caused a catastrophic failure of the airframe. However, during an engine failure air intake needs are virtually zero, so in Concorde the immediate effects of the engine failure were countered by the opening of the auxiliary flap and the full extension of the ramps, which deflected the air downwards past the engine, gaining lift and streamlining the engine, minimising the drag effects of the failed engine. In tests, Concorde was able to shut down both engines on the same side of the aircraft at Mach 2 without any control problems. [15]
The aircraft used reheat (afterburners) at take-off and to pass through the transonic regime (i. The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs Transonic is an Aeronautics term referring to a range of velocities just below and above the Speed of sound (about mach 0 e. "go supersonic") between Mach 0. 95 and Mach 1. 7, and were switched-off at all other times. The engines were just capable of reaching Mach 2 without reheat, but it was discovered operationally that it burnt more fuel that way, since the aircraft spent much longer flying in the high-drag transonic regime even though reheat is relatively inefficient. In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a
Due to jet engines being highly inefficient at low speeds, Concorde burned two tonnes of fuel taxiing to the runway. In Aircraft and rocket design overall propulsive efficiency \eta is the efficiency in percent with which the energy contained in a vehicle's propellant is converted [16] To conserve fuel only the two outer engines were run after landing. The thrust from two engines was sufficient for taxiing to the ramp due to low aircraft weight upon landing at its destination. A Concorde once ran out of fuel taxiing to the terminal after a flight; the pilot was dismissed. [17]
Heating issues
Beside engines, the hottest part of the structure of any supersonic aircraft is the nose. The term nose cone is used to refer to the forwardmost section of a Rocket, guided Missile or Aircraft. The engineers wanted to use (duralumin) aluminium throughout the aircraft, due to its familiarity, cost and ease of construction. Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium or dural) is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable Aluminium alloys The highest temperature that aluminium could sustain over the life of the aircraft was 127 °C, which limited the top speed to Mach 2. 02.
Concorde went through two cycles of heating and cooling during a flight, first cooling down as it gained altitude, then heating up after going supersonic. The reverse happened when descending and slowing down. This had to be factored into the metallurgical modelling. Owing to the heat generated by compression of the air as Concorde travelled supersonically, the fuselage would extend by as much as 300 mm (almost 1 ft), the most obvious manifestation of this being a gap that opened up on the flight deck between the flight engineer's console and the bulkhead. In Aviation, a flight engineer is a member of the aircrew of some Aircraft. On all Concordes that had a supersonic retirement flight, the flight engineers placed their hats in this gap before it cooled, where the hats remain to this day. In the Seattle museum's Concorde a protruding cap was cut off by a thief in an apparent attempt to steal it, leaving a part behind. An amnesty led to the severed cap being returned.
In order to keep the cabin cool, Concorde used the fuel as a heatsink for the heat from the air conditioning. A heat sink (or heatsink) is an environment or object that absorbs and dissipates heat from another object using Thermal contact (either direct or radiant The same method also cooled the hydraulics. During supersonic flight the windows in the cockpit became too hot to touch.
Concorde also had restrictions on livery; the majority of the surface had to be white to avoid overheating the aluminium structure due to the supersonic heating effects of Mach 2. [18] In 1996, however, Air France briefly painted F-BTSD in a predominantly-blue livery (with the exception of the wings) as part of a promotional deal with Pepsi Cola. Pepsi-Cola is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. In this paint scheme, Air France were advised to remain at Mach 2 for no more than 20 minutes at a time, but there was no restriction at speeds under Mach 1. 7. F-BTSD was chosen for the promotion because the aircraft was not then scheduled to operate any long flights that required extended Mach 2 operations. [19]
Structural issues
Due to the high speeds at which Concorde travelled, large forces were applied to the aircraft structure during banks and turns. This caused twisting and the distortion of the aircraft's structure. This was resolved by the neutralisation of the outboard elevons at high speeds. Elevons are Aircraft control surfaces that combine the functions of the elevator (used for pitch control and the Aileron (used for roll control Only the innermost elevons, which are attached to the strongest area of the wings, are active at high speed.
Additionally, the relatively narrow height of the fuselage meant that the aircraft flexed more, particularly during takeoff, and pilots were able to look back down the cabin and see this occurring, but it was less visible from most of the passengers' viewpoints.
Brakes and undercarriage
Due to a relatively high average takeoff speed of 250 mph (400 km/h), Concorde needed good brakes. Concorde used an anti-lock braking system, which stop the wheels from locking when fully applied, allowing greater deceleration and control during braking, particularly in wet conditions. An anti-lock braking system, or ABS (from the German, A nti' b' lockier' s' ystem) is a safety system on Motor vehicles The brakes were carbon-based and could bring Concorde, weighing up to 185 tons (188 tonnes) and travelling at 190 mph (305 km/h), to a stop from an aborted takeoff within one mile (1600 m). Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. This braking manoeuvre brought the brakes to temperatures of 300 °C to 500 °C, requiring several hours for cooling. [20]
Another issue during the research for Concorde was the undercarriage. It turned out that the undercarriage had to be unusually strong. This was due to the unusual loadings due to the high angle of attack that Concorde needed to take-off due to its delta-wing. This increased the weight and was involved in a major redesign.
Range
Concorde needed to travel between London and New York or Washington nonstop, and to achieve this the designers gave Concorde the greatest range of any supersonic aircraft. This was achieved by a combination of careful development of the engines to make them highly efficient at supersonic speeds, by very careful design of the wing shape to give a good lift to drag ratio, by having a relatively modest payload, a high fuel capacity, and by moving the fuel to trim the aircraft without introducing any additional drag. In Aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio ("ell-over-dee" in the US "ell-dee" in the UK is the amount of lift generated
Nevertheless, soon after Concorde began flying, a Concorde "B" model was designed with slightly larger fuel capacity and slightly larger wings with leading-edge slats to improve aerodynamic performance at all speeds and featuring more powerful engines with sound deadening and without the fuel-hungry and noisy reheat. This would have given 500 km greater range even with greater payload, and would have opened up new commercial routes. This was cancelled due to poor sales of Concorde. [21]
Increased radiation exposure
The high altitude at which Concorde cruised meant passengers received almost twice the flux of extraterrestrial ionising radiation as those travelling on a conventional long-haul flight. In the various subfields of Physics, there exist two common usages of the term flux, both with rigorous mathematical frameworks Image talkNew_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482svg for details --> Ionizing radiation Because of the proportionally reduced flight time, however, the overall equivalent dose was less than a conventional flight over the same distance. The equivalent dose ( H T) is a measure of the Radiation dose to tissue where an attempt has been made to allow for the different relative biological [22] Unusual solar activity led to an increase in incident radiation, so the flight deck had a radiometer and an instrument to measure the rate of decrease of radiation. Solar variations are changes in the amount of Solar radiation emitted by the Sun. If the level was too high, Concorde descended to below 47,000 ft (14,000 m). The rate of decrease indicator indicated whether the aircraft needed to descend further, decreasing the amount of time the aircraft was at an unsafe altitude.
Cabin pressurisation
Airliner cabins are usually pressurised to 6-8,000 ft (1,800-2,400 m) elevation while the aircraft flies much higher. The fuselage (from the French fuselé "spindle-shaped" is an Aircraft 's main body section that holds crew and passengers or Cargo Concorde's pressurisation was set to a lower altitude than most other commercial jets. Some passengers can have difficulty even with that pressurisation. A sudden reduction in cabin pressure is hazardous to all passengers and crew. Concorde's maximum cruising altitude was 60,000 ft (18,000 m) (though the typical altitude reached between London and New York was about 56,000 ft (17,000 m)); subsonic airliners typically cruise below 40,000 ft (12,000 m). Above 50,000 ft (15,000 m), the lack of oxygen would limit consciousness in even a conditioned athlete to no more than 10-15 seconds. A cabin breach could even reduce air pressure to below the ambient pressure outside the aircraft due to the Venturi effect, as the air is sucked out through an opening. The Venturi effect is the fluid pressure that results when an incompressible fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe At Concorde's altitude, the air density is very low; a breach of cabin integrity would result in a loss of pressure severe enough so that the plastic emergency oxygen masks installed on other passenger jets would not be effective, and passengers would quickly suffer from hypoxia despite quickly donning them. Chronic Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole ( generalized hypoxia) or region of the body ( tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate Concorde, therefore, was equipped with smaller windows to reduce the rate of loss in the event of a breach, a reserve air supply system to augment cabin air pressure, and a rapid descent procedure to bring the aircraft to a safe altitude. The FAA enforces minimum emergency descent rates for aircraft and made note of Concorde's higher operating altitude, concluding that the best response to a loss of pressure would be a rapid descent. Pilots had access to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) which used masks that forced oxygen at higher pressure into the crew's lungs.
Droop nose
Concorde's famous drooping nose was a compromise between the need for a streamlined design to reduce drag and increase aerodynamic efficiency in flight and the need for the pilot to see properly during taxi, takeoff, and landing operations. A delta-wing aircraft takes off and lands with a high angle of attack (a high nose angle) compared to subsonic aircraft, due to the way the delta wing generates lift. The pointed nose would obstruct the pilots' view of taxiways and runways, so Concorde's nose was designed to allow for different positioning for different operations. The droop nose was accompanied by a moving visor that was retracted into the nose prior to the nose being lowered. When the nose was raised back to horizontal, the visor was raised ahead of the front cockpit windscreen for aerodynamic streamlining in flight. [23]
A controller in the cockpit allowed the visor to be retracted and the nose to be lowered to 5° below the standard horizontal position for taxiing and takeoff. Takeoff is the phase of Flight in which an Aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground ( Taxiing) to flying in the air usually Following takeoff and after clearing the airport, the nose and visor were raised. Shortly before landing, the visor was again retracted and the nose lowered to 12. 5° below horizontal for maximum visibility. Upon landing, the nose was quickly raised to the five-degree position to avoid the possibility of damage. [23] On rare occasions, the aircraft could take off with the nose fully down. [24]
A final possible position had the visor retracted into the nose but the nose in the standard horizontal position. This setup was used for cleaning the windscreen and for short subsonic flights. [23]
The two prototype Concordes had two fixed "glass holes" on their retractable visors. [25]
Operational history
Scheduled flights began on 21 January 1976 on the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio (via Dakar) routes. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil For the Dakar Rally see Dakar Rally. For the Israeli submarine see INS Dakar. The U.S. Congress had just banned Concorde landings in the US, mainly due to citizen protest over sonic booms, preventing launch on the coveted transatlantic routes. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The term sonic boom is commonly used to refer to the shocks caused by the Supersonic flight of an aircraft However, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, William Coleman, gave special permission for Concorde service to Washington Dulles International Airport, and Air France and British Airways simultaneously began service to Dulles on 24 May 1976. The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. William Thaddeus Coleman Jr (born July 7, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [26]
When the U. S. ban on JFK Concorde operations was lifted in February 1977, New York banned Concorde locally. The City of New York The ban came to an end on 17 October 1977 when the Supreme Court of the United States declined to overturn a lower court's ruling rejecting the Port Authority's efforts to continue the ban (The noise report noted that Air Force One, at the time a Boeing 707, was louder than Concorde at subsonic speeds and during takeoff and landing. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ( PANYNJ) is a bi-state Port district, established in 1921 (as the Port of New York Authority) through WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Takeoff is the phase of Flight in which an Aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground ( Taxiing) to flying in the air usually ). [27] Scheduled service from Paris and London to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport began on 22 November 1977. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Flights operated by BA were generally numbered "BA001" (London to New York), "BA002" (New York to London), "BA003" (London to New York) and "BA004" (New York to London). Air France flight numbers were generally "AF001" (New York to Paris) and "AF002" (Paris to New York).
By around 1981 in the UK, the future for Concorde looked bleak. The government had lost money operating Concorde every year, and moves were afoot to cancel the service entirely. A cost projection came back with greatly reduced metallurgical testing costs, but still, having lost money for so many years, the government was not keen to continue. In late 1983, the managing director of BA, Sir John King, managed to get the government to sell the aircraft outright to (the then state owned, later privatised) BA for £16. John Leonard King Baron King of Wartnaby ( August 29, 1917 - July 12, 2005) was a businessman famous for leading British Airways from 5 million plus the first year's profits. [28]
After doing a market survey and discovering that their target customers thought that Concorde was more expensive than it actually was, BA progressively raised prices to match these perceptions. It is reported that BA then ran Concorde at a profit, unlike their French counterparts. [29] The plane was reckoned to make an operating profit for British Airways[30] after the British and French governments agreed to write off the development costs of the plane. [31] BA's profits have been reported to be up to £50 million in the most profitable year, with a total revenue of £1. 75 billion, before costs of £1 billion. [29]
While commercial jets take seven hours to fly from New York to Paris, the average supersonic flight time on the transatlantic routes was just under 3. 5 hours. In transatlantic flight, Concorde travelled more than twice as fast as other aircraft - other aircraft frequently appeared to be flying backwards. Up to 2003, Air France and British Airways continued to operate the New York services daily. Concorde also flew to Barbados's Grantley Adams International Airport during the winter holiday season. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA is found in Seawell Christ Church on the island of Barbados. Until the AF Paris crash ended virtually all charter services by both AF and BA, several UK and French tour operators operated numerous charter flights to various European destinations on a regular basis.
In 1985, British Airways had a Concorde land at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport for a special flight between Cleveland Hopkins and London Heathrow. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public Airport located nine miles (14 km) southwest of the Central business district of Cleveland When it made its Cleveland appearance it brought Cleveland international attention and it also paved the way for Hopkins Airport to become an international airport. In 2000, Concorde was scheduled to return to Cleveland for a special flight, but due to the crash of Concorde Flight 4590 in Paris, this flight was postponed. The 1985 flight was three hours and ten minutes from Cleveland to London. It had to fly subsonic from New York to Cleveland and this route added some time. There was talk of adding a Concorde flight to Cleveland, but due to Cleveland's airport being near a residential area, this plan was not carried out. [32]
On 12-13 October 1992, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first New World landing, Concorde Spirit Tours (USA) chartered Air France Concorde F-BTSD and circumnavigated the world in 32 hours 49 minutes and 3 seconds, from Lisbon, Portugal, including six refuelling stops at Santo Domingo, Acapulco, Honolulu, Guam, Bangkok and Bahrain. Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of Santo Domingo de Guzmán (known as Santo Domingo population 2084852 (Metro (2003 estimated 2253437 (Metro in 2006 is the Capital and largest city in the Acapulco (Officially Acapulco de Juárez) is a City and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf [33]
The Eastbound record was set by the same Air France Concorde F-BTSD under charter to Concorde Spirit Tours (USA), on 15-16 August 1995. This special promotional flight circumnavigated the world from New York/JFK International Airport in a time of 31 hours 27 minutes 49 seconds, including six refuelling stops at Toulouse, Dubai, Bangkok, Andersen AFB (Guam), Honolulu and Acapulco. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U Acapulco (Officially Acapulco de Juárez) is a City and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast [34] Concorde continues to hold both records.
In 1977, British Airways and Singapore Airlines shared a Concorde for flights between London and Singapore International Airport via Bahrain. Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The aircraft, BA's Concorde G-BOAD, was painted in Singapore Airlines livery on the port side and British Airways livery on the starboard side. [35] The service was discontinued after three return flights because of noise complaints from the Malaysian government; it could only be reinstated on a new route bypassing Malaysian airspace in 1979. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and A dispute with India prevented Concorde from reaching supersonic speeds in Indian airspace, so the route was eventually declared not viable and discontinued in 1980. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country During the Mexican oil boom, Air France flew Concorde twice-weekly to Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport via Washington, DC or New York City, from September 1978 to November 1982. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México or AICM also called Benito Juárez International Airport is a commercial airport that Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The City of New York The worldwide economic crisis during that period resulted in this route's cancellation; the last flights were almost empty. The routing between Washington or New York and Mexico City included a deceleration, from Mach 2. 02 to Mach 0. 95, to cross Florida subsonically and avoid unlawfully sonic-booming it; then a reacceleration to cross the Gulf of Mexico at Mach 2. 02. Air France evidently never realised that this procedure could be avoided by flying midway between Miami and Bimini, Bahamas, then turning west around Key West, Florida, to avoid all sonic-boom effects on Florida. It took British Airways to implement this new routing, which was accomplished on 1 April 1989, with G-BOAF, on an Around-The-World luxury tour charter. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) From time to time, Concorde came back to the region on similar chartered flights to Mexico City and Acapulco.
Between 1984 and 1991, British Airways flew a thrice-weekly Concorde service between London and Miami, stopping at Washington's Dulles International Airport. The routing from Dulles to Miami was flown subsonically as far as Carolina Beach VOR; then there was a very rapid climb to 60,000 ft (estimated at 6,000 ft per minute) and Mach 2. 02 that was possible due to the aircraft's very light weight: an average of only about 25-30 passengers and fuel only for the short Dulles-Miami sector. After about 6-8 minutes at Mach 2. 02, deceleration and descent was begun into Miami. On several occasions, bad weather at Dulles and a relatively light passenger payload out of Miami enabled nonstop Miami-London sectors to be flown. The fastest such flight took just 3 hours 47 minutes to fly over 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) from Miami to London, with 70 passengers. On such trips, the flight plan was filed to Shannon, Ireland, with en route re-clearance on to London secured later in the flight after the minimum required fuel for London was clearly present. This flight was farther than a sector often claimed as the farthest ever flown nonstop by Concorde: a special charter for Middle Eastern VIPs from Washington to Nice, France.
From 1978 to 1980, Braniff International Airways leased 10 Concordes,[36] five each from Air France and British Airways. Braniff International Airways was an American Airline that existed from 1928 until 1982 These were used on subsonic flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington Dulles International Airport, flown by Braniff flight crews, Air France and British Airways crews then taking over for the continuing supersonic flights to London and Paris. Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D The aircraft were registered in both the United States and their home countries: a sticker covered up the European registration while it was being operated by Braniff. The flights were not profitable and were usually less than 50% booked, which forced Braniff to end its tenure as the only U. S. Concorde operator in May 1980.
Passenger experience
Passenger experience on Concorde differed in many ways from that on subsonic commercial airliners. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe Air France and British Airways configured the passenger cabin as a single class with 100 seats — four seats across with a central aisle. Headroom in the central aisle was barely six ft (1. 8 m) and the leather seats were unusually narrow. The seat pitch was 38-inch (970 mm): giving only about 6 or 7 inches more legroom than in a typical scheduled international Economy class. Airline seats are Chairs on an Airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey __FORCETOC__ Economy class, (also called coach class, is the lowest class of seating in Air travel and rail travel With little overhead storage, carry-on luggage was severely restricted.
In the 1990s, features which were common in the first class and business class cabins of a long-haul Boeing 747 flight, such as video entertainment, rotating or reclining seats and walking areas were absent from Concorde. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, the flight time from London to New York of approximately 3. 5 hrs compensated for the lack of those features. There was usually a plasma display at the front of the cabin showing the altitude, the air temperature and the current speed in both miles per hour and Mach number. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid (Air France had a single display showing the Mach number-only. )
To make up for these missing "comfort" features, a high level of passenger service was maintained. Passengers were given free champagne and meals were served using compact Wedgwood crockery with short silver cutlery. Wedgwood, strictly Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a British Pottery firm originally founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, which in 1987
The experience of passing through the sound barrier was accompanied by a slight surge in acceleration, and was announced by one of the pilots. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
At twice a conventional airliner's cruising altitude, the view from the windows clearly showed the curvature of the Earth, and turbulence was rare. During the supersonic cruise, although the outside air temperature was typically -60 °C (-75 °F), air compression would heat the external skin at the front of the aircraft to approximately +120 °C (250 °F), making the windows warm to the touch and producing a noticeable temperature gradient along the length of the cabin.
The delta-shaped wings allowed Concorde to attain a higher angle of attack than conventional aircraft, as it allowed the formation of large low pressure vortices over the entire upper wing surface, maintaining lift. Angle of attack ( AOA, \alpha Greek letter alpha) is a term used in Aerodynamics to describe the Angle between the This low pressure caused Concorde to disappear into a bank of fog on humid days. These vortices formed only at low air speeds, meaning that during the initial climb and throughout the approach Concorde experienced light turbulence and buffeting. Interestingly, the vortex lift created by Concorde's wing just prior to touchdown supplied its own mild turbulence.
Concorde flew fast enough that the weight of everyone onboard was temporarily reduced by about 1% when flying east. This was due to centrifugal effects since the airspeed added to the rotation speed of the Earth. A reactive centrifugal force is the reaction Force to a Centripetal force. Flying west, the weight increased by about 0. 3%, because it cancelled out the normal rotation and, with it, the normal centrifugal force and replaced it with a smaller rotation in the opposite direction. [37] Concorde flew high enough that the weight of everyone onboard was reduced by an additional 0. 6% due to the increased distance from the centre of the Earth.
Concorde's cruising speed exceeded the top speed of the solar terminator. The terminator is a fictive line that delimits the illuminated day side and dark Night side of a planetary body (also known as the "grey line" or Concorde was able to overtake or outrun the spin of the earth. On westbound flights it was possible to arrive at a local time earlier than the flight's departure time. On certain early evening transatlantic flights departing from Heathrow or Paris, it was possible to take off just after sunset and catch up with the sun, landing in daylight. This was much publicised by British Airways, who used the slogan "Arrive before you leave. "
Flight characteristics
In regular service, Concorde employed a relatively efficient cruise-climb flight profile. As aircraft lose weight from consuming fuel, they can fly at progressively higher altitudes. This is (generally) more efficient, so conventional airliners employ a stepped climb profile, where air traffic control will approve a change to a higher flight level as the flight progresses. Air traffic control ( ATC) is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct Aircraft on the ground and in the air A Flight Level ( FL) is a standard nominal Altitude of an Aircraft, in hundreds of Feet. During a landing approach Concorde was on the "back side" of the drag force curve, where raising the nose would increase the sink rate. Parasitic drag (also called parasite drag) is drag caused by moving a solid object through a fluid
With no other civil traffic operating at its cruising altitude of about 56,000 ft (17,000 m), dedicated oceanic airways or "tracks" were used by Concorde to cross the Atlantic. North Atlantic Tracks are trans-Atlantic routes that stretch from the northeast of North America to western Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. These SST, ("Super-Sonic Transport"), tracks were designated:
- Track Sierra Mike (SM); A uni-directional track used by westbound flights of both Air France and British Airways.
- Track Sierra November (SN); A uni-directional track used by eastbound flights of both Air France and British Airways.
- Track Sierra Oscar (SO); A bi-directional track used by westbound Air France flights which might conflict with westbound British Airways flights routing simultaneously on Track SM, and by eastbound Air France flights which might conflict with eastbound British Airways flights routing simultaneously on Track SN.
- Track Sierra Papa (SP); A uni-directional seasonal track used by westbound British Airways flights routing from London Heathrow to Barbados.
Due to the nature of high altitude winds, these SST tracks were fixed in terms of their co-ordinates, unlike the North Atlantic Tracks at lower altitudes whose co-ordinates alter daily according to forecast weather patterns. North Atlantic Tracks are trans-Atlantic routes that stretch from the northeast of North America to western Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. Concorde would also be cleared in a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) block, allowing for a slow climb from 50,000 to 60,000 ft (18,000 m) during the oceanic crossing as the fuel load gradually decreased. [38]
BA flights flown by Concorde added "Concorde" in addition to the standard "Speedbird" callsign to notify Air Traffic Control of the aircraft's unique abilities and restrictions. Speedbird is a Callsign used by British Airways during Air traffic control procedures as well as the name for the famous stylized British Overseas [39] The flight numbers of BA's Concorde flights were 001–004; BA's Concordes therefore used callsigns "Speedbird Concorde 1" through to "Speedbird Concorde 4". With the retirement of Concorde those flight numbers are now unused. French Concordes used the standard "Air France" callsign.
Paris crash
On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, registration F-BTSC, crashed in Gonesse, France, killing all 100 passengers and nine crew on board the flight, and four people on the ground. Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to John F Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to John F Gonesse is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It was the only fatal incident involving the type.
According to the official investigation conducted by the French accident investigation bureau (BEA), the crash was caused by a titanium strip, part of a thrust reverser, that fell from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that had taken off about four minutes earlier. Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22 Thrust reversal, also called reverse thrust, is the temporary diversion of an Aircraft engine 's exhaust or changing of propeller pitch so that the thrust produced Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. This metal fragment punctured a tyre on the left main wheel bogie. This article is about tires used on road Vehicles including pneumatic tires and solid tires. The tyre exploded, and a piece of rubber hit the fuel tank and broke an electrical cable. The impact caused a hydrodynamic shockwave that fractured the fuel tank some distance from the point of impact. This caused a major fuel leak from the tank, which then ignited due to severed electrical wires which were sparking. The crew shut down engine number 2 in response to a fire warning but were unable to retract the landing gear, hampering the aircraft's climb. With engine number 1 surging and producing little power, the aircraft was unable to gain height or speed, entering a rapid pitch-up then a violent descent, rolling left. The impact occurred with the stricken aircraft tail-low, crashing into the Hotelissimo Hotel in Gonesse. [40]
Others have disputed the BEA report, citing evidence that the Air France Concorde was overweight, had unbalanced distribution in the fuel tanks, and lacked a critical spacer in the landing gear which caused it to veer. They came to the conclusion that the aircraft veered off course on the runway, which reduced take-off speed below the crucial minimum. [41]
Prior to the accident, Concorde had been arguably the safest operational passenger airliner in the world in terms of passenger deaths-per-kilometres travelled with zero. After the accident, the death rate was 12. 5 fatal events per million flights, more than three times worse than the second worst aircraft. However no aircraft's safety can be accurately measured from a single incident and safety improvements were made in the wake of the crash. The crash of the Air France Concorde nonetheless proved to be the beginning of the end for the type. [42]
The accident subsequently led to a programme of modifications, including more secure electrical controls, Kevlar lining to the fuel tanks and specially-developed burst-resistant tyres. Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and This article is about tires used on road Vehicles including pneumatic tires and solid tires.
Return to service
The first test flight after the modifications departed from London Heathrow on 17 July 2001, piloted by BA Chief Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Captain Mike Bannister (born 1949 is an airline pilot. He is most famous as the chief pilot of British Airways Concorde, a post which he held During the 3:20 hr flight over the mid-Atlantic towards Iceland, Bannister attained Mach 2. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 02 and 60,000 ft (18,000 m) before returning to RAF Brize Norton. RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about 50 miles west of London, England, United Kingdom, is the largest airbase of the Royal Air Force The test flight, intended to resemble the London-New York route, was declared a success and was watched on live TV, and by crowds on the ground at both locations. [43]
The first BA passenger flight took place on 11 September 2001, and was in the air during the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. This was not a revenue flight, as all the passengers were BA employees. [44]
Normal commercial operations resumed on 7 November 2001 by BA and AF (aircraft G-BOAE and F-BTSD), with service to New York JFK, where passengers were welcomed by the then-mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with
Withdrawal from service
On 10 April 2003, Air France and British Airways simultaneously announced that they would retire Concorde later that year. BARGE, the Big August RecGambling Excursion is a yearly convention held in Las Vegas during the first weekend of August The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked Suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New The City of New York The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is a Museum in New York City located at North River (New York-New Jersey Pier 86 on the West Side of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French in the Paris area is Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. They cited low passenger numbers following the 25 July 2000 crash, the slump in air travel following 9/11 and rising maintenance costs. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
That same day, Sir Richard Branson offered to buy British Airways' Concorde fleet at their "original price of £1" for service with his Virgin Atlantic Airways. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is a British airline which is owned by Richard Branson 's Virgin Group (51% and Branson claimed this to be the same token price that British Airways had paid the British Government, but BA denied this and refused the offer. The real cost of buying the aircraft was £26 million each but the money for buying the aircraft was loaned by the government, but took 80% of the profits; however BA bought their aircraft for a book value of £1 as part of the £16. 5 million buy out in 1983. [29]
Branson wrote in The Economist (23 October 2003) that his final offer was "over £5 million" and that he had intended to operate the fleet "for many years to come. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. " Any hope of Concorde remaining in service was further thwarted by Airbus' unwillingness to provide maintenance support for the ageing airframes.
It has been suggested that Concorde was not withdrawn for the reasons usually given, but that during the grounding of Concorde it became apparent to the airlines that they could actually make more revenue carrying their first class passengers subsonically. [45]
Rob Lewis suggested that the precipitous Air France retirement of its own Concorde fleet was the direct result of a secret conspiracy between Air France Chairman/CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta and then-AIRBUS CEO Noel Forgeard, and stemmed as much from a fear of being found criminally liable under French law for future AF Concorde accidents as it did from simple economics. Further, on the British Airways side, a lack of engineering (maintenance) commitment to Concorde by then-Director of Engineering Alan MacDonald was cited as undermining BA's resolve to continue operating Concorde from within. [46][47]
Air France
Air France made its final commercial Concorde landing in the United States in New York City from Paris on 30 May 2003. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Fire trucks sprayed the traditional arcs of water above F-BTSD on the tarmac of John F. Kennedy airport. The final passenger flight for the airline's SSTs was a charter around the Bay of Biscay. Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. During the following week, on 2 June and 3 June 2003, F-BTSD flew a final round-trip from Paris to New York and back for airline staff and long-time employees in the airline's Concorde operations. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. [48] Air France's final Concorde flight took place on 27 June 2003 when F-BVFC retired to Toulouse. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. [49]
An auction of Concorde parts and memorabilia for Air France was held at Christie's in Paris on 15 November 2003. "Auctioneer" redirects here For the DC Comics supervillain see Auctioneer (comics. Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Thirteen hundred people attended, with several lots exceeding their predicted values by an order of magnitude.
After the end-of-service, French Concorde F-BVFC was retired to Toulouse, and kept functional (including engine runs) for a short while, in case taxy runs were required in support of the French judicial enquiry into the 2000 crash. The aircraft is now fully retired and no longer functional. It's open to the public.
French Concorde F-BTSD has been retired to the "Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" at Le Bourget (near Paris) and, unlike the other museum Concordes, a few of the systems are being kept functional, so that for instance the famous "droop nose" can still be lowered and raised.
This led to rumours that they could be prepared for future flights for special occasions. [50] Without the necessary maintenance organisation, or spares, this is no longer possible.
British Airways
BA's last Concorde departure from Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados was on 30 August 2003. The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA is found in Seawell Christ Church on the island of Barbados. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. BA conducted a mini North American farewell tour in October 2003. G-BOAG visited Toronto Pearson International Airport on 1 October 2003, G-BOAD visited Boston's Logan International Airport on 8 October 2003, and G-BOAG visited Washington Dulles International Airport on 14 October 2003. Lester B Pearson International Airport is a major International airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated 27 kilometres (17 mi northwest Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. [51] G-BOAD's flight to Boston set a record for the fastest transatlantic flight from east to west, making the trip from London Heathrow in 3 hours, 5 minutes, 34 seconds. [52]
In a final week of farewell flights around the United Kingdom, Concorde visited Birmingham on 20 October, Belfast on 21 October, Manchester on 22 October, Cardiff on 23 October, and Edinburgh on 24 October. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Each day the aircraft made a return flight out and back into Heathrow to the cities concerned, often overflying those cities at low altitude. Over 650 competition winners and 350 special guests were carried.
On 22 October, Heathrow ATC arranged for the inbound flight BA9021C, a special from Manchester, and BA002 from New York to land simultaneously on the left and right runways respectively. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus
On the evening of 23 October 2003, the Queen consented to the illumination of Windsor Castle as Concorde's last west-bound commercial flight departed London and flew overhead. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of This is an honour normally reserved for major state events and visiting dignitaries. Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's
British Airways retired its aircraft the next day, 24 October. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat G-BOAG left New York to a fanfare similar to that given for Air France's "F-BTSD", while two more made round trips, G-BOAF over the Bay of Biscay, carrying VIP guests including many former Concorde pilots, and G-BOAE to Edinburgh. The three aircraft then circled over London, having received special permission to fly at low altitude, before landing in sequence at Heathrow. The two round-trip aircraft landed at 4:01 and 4:03 p. m. BST, followed at 4:05 by the one from New York. Western European Summer Time ( WEST) is a summer Daylight saving time scheme 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. All three aircraft then spent 45 minutes taxiing around the airport before finally disembarking the last supersonic fare-paying passengers. The captain of the New York to London flight was Mike Bannister. Captain Mike Bannister (born 1949 is an airline pilot. He is most famous as the chief pilot of British Airways Concorde, a post which he held
All of BA's Concorde fleet have been grounded, have lost their airworthiness certificates and have been drained of hydraulic fluid. Captain Mike Bannister (born 1949 is an airline pilot. He is most famous as the chief pilot of British Airways Concorde, a post which he held Ex-chief Concorde pilot and manager of the fleet Jock Lowe, estimated in 2004 it would cost £10-15 million to make G-BOAF (at Filton) airworthy again. [50]. BA maintains ownership of their fleet, and has stated that they will never fly again, as Airbus will not support the aircraft.
On 1 December 2003, Bonhams held an auction of British Airways' Concorde artifacts at Kensington Olympia, in London. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793 "Auctioneer" redirects here For the DC Comics supervillain see Auctioneer (comics. Olympia is an exhibition centre in West Kensington, London, W14, England. Items sold included a Machmeter, nose cone, pilot and passenger seats, cutlery, ashtrays and blankets used on board. A Machmeter is an Aircraft Pitot-static system Flight instrument thatshows the Ratio of the True airspeed to the Speed of Cutlery refers to any hand Implement used in preparing serving and especially eating Food in the Western world. Proceeds of about £750,000 resulted, with the first half-million going to Get Kids Going!, a charity which gives disabled children and young people the opportunity to participate in sport.
BA announced in March 2007 that they would not be renewing their contract for the prime advertising spot at entrance to London's Heathrow Airport, where, since 1990, a 40% scale model of Concorde was located. The owners of the site, BAA wanted to charge £1. 6 million per year to let it. It will now be occupied by an Emirates Airbus A380. The Concorde model, which bears the "registration" G-CONC, was removed and transported for display in Surrey, under the care of the local Brooklands Museum. [53]
Aircraft histories
In total, 20 Concordes were built, six for development and 14 for commercial service. Twenty Concorde aircraft were built six for development and 14 for commercial service
These were:
- Two prototypes
- Two pre-production aircraft
- 16 production aircraft
- The first two of these did not enter commercial service
- Of the 14 that flew commercially, 8 were still in service in April 2003
All but two of these aircraft, a remarkably high percentage for any commercial fleet, are preserved; the two that are not preserved are F-BVFD (cn 211), parked as a spare-parts source in 1982 and scrapped in 1994, and F-BTSC (cn 203), which crashed in Paris on 25 July 2000. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler
| Number | Reg | First flew | Last flew | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | F-WTSS | 2 March 1969 | 19 October 1973 | 812 | The Museum of Air and Space, Le Bourget, France |
| 002 | G-BSST | 9 April 1969 | 4 March 1976 | 836 | Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, England, UK |
| 101 | G-AXDN | 17 December 1971 | 20 August 1977 | 632 | Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, UK |
| 102 | F-WTSA | 10 January 1973 | 20 May 1976 | 656 | Musée Delta, Orly Airport, Paris, France |
| 201 | F-WTSB | 6 December 1973 | 19 April 1985 | 909 | Airbus Factory, Toulouse, France |
| 202 | G-BBDG | 13 December 1974 | 24 December 1981 | 1282 | Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK |
| 203 | F-BTSC | 31 January 1975 | 25 July 2000 | 11989 | Destroyed in air crash outside Paris, France |
| 204 | G-BOAC | 27 February 1975 | 31 October 2003 | 22260 | Manchester Airport Viewing Park, England, UK. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (The Museum of Air and Space is a French Museum, located in the south-eastern edge of Le Bourget Airport, which is 10 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Fleet Air Arm Museum is located north of Yeovil, and south of Bristol. Yeovilton is a village in Somerset, England, situated five Miles north of Yeovil near the left bank of the River Yeo, in the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England, commonly referred to simply as 'Duxford', houses the Imperial War Museum 's Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paris - Orly Airport (Aéroport de Paris - Orly is an Airport located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest G-BBDG (manufacturers serial number 202 known as Delta Golf was the first British pre production Concorde built for evaluation testing Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 There is also a type of Windscreen known as "Brooklands" or "Brookland screen" Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to John F Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the This aircraft was British Airways' flagship Concorde, due to its BOAC registration as it was the first Concorde delivered to BA. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe The British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 |
| 205 | F-BVFA | 27 October 1976 | 12 June 2003 | 17824 | Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, Virginia USA (near Washington, DC) |
| 206 | G-BOAA | 5 November 1975 | 12 August 2000 | 22768 | Museum of Flight, East Lothian, Scotland, UK |
| 207 | F-BVFB | 6 March 1976 | 24 June 2003 | 14771 | Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, Germany |
| 208 | G-BOAB | 18 May 1976 | 15 August 2000 | 22296 | Heathrow Airport, London, England, UK |
| 209 | F-BVFC | 9 July 1976 | 27 June 2003 | 14332 | Airbus Factory, Toulouse, France |
| 210 | G-BOAD | 25 August 1976 | 10 November 2003 | 23397 | Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York, USA; in December 2006, the aircraft was temporarily moved to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn for the duration of restoration and rehabilitation work on Intrepid and the pier at which Intrepid and Concorde were located, expected to last until 2008 |
| 211 | F-BVFD | 10 February 1977 | 27 May 1982 | 5814 | Spare-parts source after 1982 and scrapped in 1994 |
| 212 | G-BOAE | 17 March 1977 | 17 November 2003 | 23376 | Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados |
| 213 | F-BTSD | 26 June 1978 | 14 June 2003 | 12974 | The Museum of Air and Space, Le Bourget, France |
| 214 | G-BOAG | 21 April 1978 | 5 November 2003 | 16239 | Museum of Flight, Seattle, USA |
| 215 | F-BVFF | 26 December 1978 | 11 June 2000 | 12421 | Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France |
| 216 | G-BOAF | 20 April 1979 | 26 November 2003 | 18257 | Filton Aerodrome, Bristol, England, UK |
- In addition, some spare parts, including Rolls-Royce Olympus engines and Snecma intakes are in the Museo del Concorde in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D Chantilly is an Unincorporated community located in western Fairfax County and southeastern Loudoun County of Northern Virginia. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The National Museum of Flight is an Aerospace Museum at East Fortune Airfield (formerly RAF East Fortune) just south of the village of East Fortune East Lothian ( Lodainn an Ear in Gaelic) is one of 32 Unitary council areas in Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim opened in 1981 in Sinsheim, Germany and is run by a registered alliance called "Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim e Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is a Museum in New York City located at North River (New York-New Jersey Pier 86 on the West Side of Floyd Bennett Field, now defunct as an active airfield was New York City 's first municipal Airport. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA is found in Seawell Christ Church on the island of Barbados. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (The Museum of Air and Space is a French Museum, located in the south-eastern edge of Le Bourget Airport, which is 10 Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space Museum at King County International Airport/Boeing Field in Tukwila Washington Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French in the Paris area is Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Bristol Filton Airport or Filton Aerodrome lies on the border between Filton and Patchway, within South Gloucestershire, north of Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft and for space vehicles The Museo del Concorde is a museum in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México which is dedicated to and houses parts of the supersonic airliner Concorde Ciudad Juárez, also known as just Juárez, is a city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua formerly known as El Paso del Norte. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. This museum was relocated and opened to the public on May 6, 2008.
Restoration
Along with a dedicated group of French volunteer engineers keeping one of the youngest Concordes (F-BTSD) in near-airworthy condition at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum in Paris, a UK society, Club Concorde, has launched a campaign to get an aircraft flying by 2010. [54]
Although only a "static" example, Concorde G-BBDG was restored from essentially a shell at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. [55]
Environmental impact
People's reaction to the prospect of severe overhead noise represented a significant change socially. Prior to Concorde's flight trials, the developments made by the civil aviation industry were largely accepted by governments and their respective electorates. However, the opposition to Concorde's noise, particularly on the eastern coast of the United States, forged a new political agenda on both sides of the Atlantic, with scientists and technology experts across a multitude of industries beginning to take the environmental and social impact more seriously. Although Concorde led directly to the introduction of a general noise abatement programme for aircraft flying out of John F Kennedy Airport, it was later found that Concorde was actually quieter than some aircraft, partly due to the pilots temporarily throttling back their engines to reduce noise during overflight of residential areas. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 [56]
Concorde produced nitrogen oxides in its exhaust, which, despite complicated chemical interactions with other ozone-depleting chemicals, are understood to produce a net degradation to the ozone layer at the stratospheric altitudes it cruised. The photochemical mechanisms that give rise to the ozone layer were worked out by the British physicist Sidney Chapman in 1930 The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the Troposphere, and below the Mesosphere. [57] It has been pointed out that other, lower-flying, airliners produce ozone during their flights in the troposphere, but vertical transit of gases between the two is highly restricted. The small fleet size meant that any net ozone-layer degradation caused by Concorde was for all practical purposes negligible.
From this perspective, Concorde's technical leap forward can be viewed as boosting the public's (and the media's) understanding of conflicts between technology and the environment. In France, the use of acoustic fencing alongside TGV tracks might not have been achieved without the 1970s furore over aircraft noise. A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service In Britain, the CPRE have issued tranquility maps since 1990 and public agencies are starting to do likewise. The Campaign to Protect Rural England ( CPRE) is a registered charity with over 60000 members and supporters Tranquillity (also spelled tranquility or called equanimity) is the quality of calm experienced in places with mainly natural features and activities free
Concorde travelled, per passenger, 17 miles (27 km) for each gallon of fuel (mpg)[58] (or 20 l/100km). A gallon is a measure of Volume. It is in current use in the United States and still has limited use in many other English-speaking countries The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand This efficiency is comparable to a Gulfstream G550 business jet (~16 mpg or 18 l/100 km per passenger),[59] but much lower than a Boeing 747-400 (~91 mpg or 3. 1 l/100 km per passenger). [60]
Public perception
Concorde was normally perceived as a privilege of the rich, but special circular or one-way (with return by coach or ship) charter flights were arranged to bring a trip within the means of moderately well-off enthusiasts. A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarch's reign
The presence of a Concorde flying overhead would frequently temporarily halt day-to-day business as people would stop to watch as the plane flew overhead. A noteworthy example can be found in the TV programme Scrapheap Challenge, where the mechanics drop all their tools and wave as Concorde flies over the yard.
The aircraft was usually referred to by the British as simply "Concorde",[61][62] whilst in France it was known as "le Concorde" due to "le", the definite article[63], being used in French grammar to distinguish a proper name[63] from a common noun of the same spelling. [64][65] In French, the common noun concorde means "agreement, harmony, or peace"[66] and the aircraft's name was almost certainly chosen for its allusion to the collaboration between the British and French governments. Concorde's pilots and British Airways in official publications and videos often refer to Concorde both in the singular and plural as "she" or "her. "[67][68]
Concorde remains a powerful symbol, both for its technology and sculptural shape. It is a symbol of great national pride to many in Britain and France; in France it was thought of as a French aircraft, in Britain as British. [69]
As a symbol of national pride, an example from the BA fleet made occasional flypasts at selected Royal events, major air shows and other special occasions, sometimes in formation with the Red Arrows. FlyPast is Britain's top-selling Aviation Magazine, published monthly and edited by Ken Ellis The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the Aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force, based at RAF Scampton On the final day of commercial service, public interest was so great that grandstands were erected at London's Heathrow Airport to afford a view of the final arrivals. Crowds filled the boundary road around the airport and there was extensive media coverage.
Thirty-seven years after her first test flight, Concorde was announced the winner of the Great British Design Quest, organised by the BBC and the Design Museum. The Design Museum is a Museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. [69] A total of 212,000 votes were cast with Concorde beating design icons such as the Mini, mini skirt, Jaguar E-type, Tube map and the Supermarine Spitfire. The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with The Jaguar E-Type' (UK or XK-E (US is a British Automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1974 The tube map is the Schematic diagram representing the lines stations and zones of London 's Rapid transit rail system the London Underground WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [70]
Comparison with other supersonic aircraft
The only other supersonic airliner in direct competition with Concorde was the Soviet Tu-144. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Although the Tu-144 entered service earlier, it was retired in 1978. Although Lockheed, North American Aviation and Boeing prepared supersonic airliner studies, only the still-born project, the Boeing 2707, proceeded to the mock-up stage as the sole American entry into the supersonic sweepstakes. The Boeing 2707 was developed as the first American Supersonic transport (SST [71]
As a result of a rushed development programme, the Tu-144 was cruder and less refined than Concorde, with cabin noise notably higher. The Tu-144S had significantly lower range than Concorde, largely due to its low-bypass turbofan engines. It required reheat to maintain Mach 2. 0 and cruised at Mach 1. 6. [72] The vehicle had poor control at low speeds because of a simpler, dedicated supersonic wing design. In addition, the Tu-144 required parachutes to land while Concorde had sophisticated anti-lock brakes. It also had two crashes, one at the 1973 Paris Air Show, which made further sales impossible, and another during a pre-delivery test flight. The Paris Air Show ( Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business Later versions had retractable canards for better low speed control, and used turbojet engines that gave them nearly the fuel efficiency and similar range to Concorde. In Aeronautics, canard ( French for Duck) is an airframe configuration of Fixed-wing aircraft in which the Tailplane is ahead of the It had 126 seats. With a top speed of Mach 2. 35 (made possible due to titanium and steel leading edges) and a cruise of Mach 2. 16 it was potentially a more competitive aircraft, but it did not sell.
The American design was to have been larger, seating 300. It was also intended to reach higher speeds of up to Mach 3. 0, which made the construction more difficult, as high temperatures ruled out the use of duralumin with design calculations that showed that the extra speed would have only cut Concorde's transatlantic travel by 20 minutes. Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium or dural) is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable Aluminium alloys Running a few years behind Concorde, the extra costs of these features may have helped to kill the project. The discovery from flights of the XB-70 Valkyrie that sonic booms were quite capable of reaching the ground and the experience from the Oklahoma City sonic boom tests debacle led to the same environmental concerns that contributed to hindering commercial success of Concorde. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Oklahoma City sonic boom tests, also known as Operation Bongo II, refer to a controversial experiment in which 1253 Sonic booms were unleashed on Oklahoma The American government cancelled the project in 1971, after having spent more than $1 billion. [73]
Possible replacements
In November 2003, EADS, parent company of the Airbus aircraft manufacturing company, announced that it was considering working with Japanese companies to develop a larger, faster replacement for Concorde. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing [74] However, recent news reports suggest only $1m is being invested every year into research, much less than the $1bn needed for the development of a viable supersonic airliner.
In October 2005, JAXA, the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency, undertook aerodynamic testing of a scale model of an airliner designed to carry 300 passengers at Mach 2. The, or JAXA, is Japan's national Aerospace agency JAXA was formed on October 1 2003 as an Independent Administrative Institution through the If pursued to commercial deployment, it would be expected to be in service around 2020 - 2025. [75]
The British company Reaction Engines Limited, with 50% EU money, are engaged in a research programme called LAPCAT, which is examining a design for a hydrogen-fuelled plane carrying 300 passengers called the A2, capable of flying nonstop from Brussels to Sydney at Mach 5+ in 4. Reaction Engines Limited is a British company based in Oxfordshire The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies is a 36 month European FP6 project to examine ways to produce engines for a Mach 4-8 Hypersonic aircraft WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 6 hours.
In May 2008, it was reported that Aerion had $3 billion of preorder sales on its supersonic business jet. Aerion Corporation is an American Aerospace firm founded by Robert Bass and based in Reno Nevada. A supersonic business jet ( SSBJ) would be a small Business jet, intended to travel at speeds above Mach 1 [76]
Research into supersonic business jets continues. A supersonic business jet ( SSBJ) would be a small Business jet, intended to travel at speeds above Mach 1
Operators
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 3 (pilot, co -pilot and flight engineer)[77]
- Capacity: 92-120 passengers (128 in high-density Layout[78]) - BA's Concordes had 100 seats. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe
- Length: 202 ft 4 in[79] (61. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 66 m)
- Wingspan: 84 ft 0 in (25. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 6 m)
- Height: 40 ft 0 in (12. 2 m)
- Fuselage internal length: 129 ft 0 in (39. 32 m)
- Fuselage max external width: 9 ft 5 in (2. 88 m)
- Fuselage max internal width: 8 ft 7 in (2. 63 m)
- Fuselage max external height: 10 ft 10 in (3. 32 m)
- Fuselage max internal height: 6 ft 5 in (1. 96 m))
- Wing area: 3,856 ft² (358. 25 m²)
- Empty weight: 173,500 lb (78,700 kg)
- Useful load: 245,000 lb (111,130 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 afterburning turbojets
- Dry thrust: 32,000 lbf (140 kN) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 38,050 lbf (169 kN) each
- Maximum fuel load: 210,940 lb (95,680 kg)
- Maximum taxiing weight: 412,000 lb (186,880 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 2. Rolls-Royce plc ( is a British Aircraft engine maker and the second-largest in the world behind GE Aviation. Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft and for space vehicles WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout TurboJET (噴射飛航 is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong -based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司 This article deals with the unit of force For the unit of mass see Pound (mass. The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 2[80] (~1,450 mph, 2,330 km/h[80])
- Cruise speed: Mach 2. In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 0 (~1,320 mph)
- Range: 3,900 nmi (4,500 mi, 7,250 km)
- Service ceiling 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
- Rate of climb: 5,000 ft/min (25. The maximal total range is the distance an Aircraft can fly between Takeoff and Landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft or cross-country A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. 41 m/s)
- Thrust/weight: 0. Thrust-to-weight ratio is as its name suggests the ratio of instantaneous Thrust to Weight (where weight means weight at the Earth ’s surface 373
- Lift/drag ratio: Low speed- 3. 94, Approach- 4. 35, 250 kn, 10,000 ft- 9. 27, Mach 0. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 94- 11. 47, Mach 2. 04- 7. 14
- Fuel consumption for max. Fuel efficiency, in its basic sense is the same as Thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier range (max. fuel/max. range): 46. 85 lb/mi (13. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 2 kg/km)
- Maximum nose tip temperature: 260 °F (127 °C)
Popular culture
Concorde has numerous appearances in various media. A heat shield is a protective layer on a Spacecraft or Ballistic missile that is designed to protect it from the high Temperature of Atmospheric Particularly notable or extended appearances or mentions include:
- The Concorde: Airport '79 film: Concorde starred in this film sequel in the Airport series. The Concorde. Airport '79 is a 1979 American Disaster film (in the UK it was released a year later as Airport '80 The Concorde Airport is a 1970 film based on the 1968 Arthur Hailey novel of the same name. The Concorde used for the live-action aerial filming was the Air France Concorde that crashed 21 years later on 25 July 2000. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. [81]
- The Concorde Affair (Concorde Affaire in orig. Concorde Affaire '79 ( 1979) (Affare Concorde also known as The Concorde Affair, is an Italian Action thriller directed by ) Italy (1979) film: Director: Ruggero Deodato.
- Time-Flight, a serial of the science fiction programme Doctor Who, revolves around the mysterious disappearance of two Concorde flights. Time-Flight is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC.
- There is a chapter dedicated to Concorde in Jeremy Clarkson's book, I Know You Got Soul. Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960 is an English broadcaster
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ BBC News: Ageing luxury jet 25 July 2000 Retrieved: 8 August 2007. Cost overrun is defined as excess of actual Cost over Budget. LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies is a 36 month European FP6 project to examine ways to produce engines for a Mach 4-8 Hypersonic aircraft G-BBDG (manufacturers serial number 202 known as Delta Golf was the first British pre production Concorde built for evaluation testing A supersonic transport (SST is a civil Aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the Speed of sound. The Fairey Delta 2 or FD2 (internal designation Type V within Fairey was a British supersonic research aircraft produced by the Fairey Aviation The Boeing 2707 was developed as the first American Supersonic transport (SST The Lockheed L-2000 was Lockheed 's entry in a government-funded competition to build the United States ' first Supersonic transport (SST in the 1960s WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This list of aircraft is sorted alphabetically beginning with the name of the manufacturer (or in certain cases designer Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ "1969: Concorde flies for the first time." On this day, BBC News Retrieved: 8 September 2007. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ Last Concorde lands
- ^ BBC Concorde page
- ^ British Airways tribute
- ^ a b "Early History." www. concordesst. com. Retrieved: 8 September 2007. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ Benn's Concorde memories in The Guardian
- ^ McIntyre, Ian. Dogfight: The Transatlantic Battle over Airbus. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0-275-94278-3. p. 20.
- ^ Payments for Concorde
- ^ Concorde history
- ^ Counting the costs
- ^ Concorde performance
- ^ Calvert 2002
- ^ Rolls Royce Olympus history
- ^ Concorde was tested with both engines on one wing shutdown successfully
- ^ "Are the skies turning green?" BBC News
- ^ Clarkson 2004 Note: I Know You Got Soul reference in popular culture. The withdrawal from service was described by Jeremy Clarkson as ". Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960 is an English broadcaster . . one small step for a man, but one huge leap backwards for mankind", derived from Neil Armstrong's famous moon-landing speech.
- ^ ConcordeSST: orders
- ^ Concorde history (Pepsi)
- ^ CONCORDE SST : Landing Gear
- ^ Concorde B
- ^ British Airway: Cosmic radiation
- ^ a b c Concorde nose
- ^ Air France fleet: Aircraft no. 209
- ^ British Prototype 002 : G-BSS page, Exterior image of G-BSST, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, UK.
- ^ Concorde events
- ^ Time Magazine
- ^ Backroom boys - Francis Spufford
- ^ a b c 'Did Concorde make a profit for British Airways?'
- ^ BBC NEWS | Business | Why economists don't fly Concorde
- ^ CNN.com - The rise and fall of Concorde - Apr. 10, 2003
- ^ Cleveland National Air Show timeline
- ^ Concorde SST timeline
- ^ The History of Concorde
- ^ Aircraft 210: G-BOAD
- ^ Braniff SST
- ^ The Rotating Earth
- ^ Prestwick Oceanic Area Control Centre: Manual of Air Traffic Services (Part 2). Shanwick is the Air Traffic Control (ATC name given to the area of International Airspace which lies above the northeast part of the North Atlantic. NATS
- ^ BA Tribute to Concorde. The takeoff scene at the end of the video contains a clip of the ATC communication with the "Speedbird Concorde".
- ^ Endres 2001, pp. NATS, (formerly " N ational A ir T raffic S ervices Ltd" is the United Kingdom 's main air navigation service 110-113.
- ^ iasa.com.au
- ^ Perception of Risk in the Wake of the Concorde Accident, Issue 14, Airsafe Journal, Revised 6 January 2001. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ Foxnews
- ^ ConcordeSST: return to flight
- ^ Concorde: An Untimely and Unnecessary Demise
- ^ The Betrayal of Concorde
- ^ Lewis, Rob. Supersonic Secrets: The Unofficial Biography of the Concorde. London: Expose, a division of Secret Books Limited, 2003. ISBN 0-95466-170-2.
- ^ Air France set for final flights - 23/5/03
- ^ Concorde Fox-Bravo Arrives at Final Home - 21 July 2003
- ^ a b UK Times: This is not a flight of fancy
- ^ Final trip to Washington for Concorde - 14/10/03
- ^ Concorde Sets Another (two) Records - 8/10/03
- ^ ConcordeSST.com news story on the model being moved
- ^ Club Concorde
- ^ The Brooklands Concorde Project
- ^ Endres 2001, p. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 90.
- ^ Ozone depletion FAQ
- ^ Powerplant
- ^ Fuel efficiency of airplanes
- ^ Boeing 747-400
- ^ Concorde - British Airways
- ^ Farewell to Concorde
- ^ a b Oxford Language Dictionaries Online - French Resources: Glossary of Grammatical Terms
- ^ Centre National de Ressources Textuelle et Lexicalles - Définition de LE, LA: article défini
- ^ Reverso Dictionnaire: La majuscule dans les noms propres ("Capital letters within proper names")
- ^ Ferrar 1980, p. 114. concorde s. f. concord, unity, harmony, peace.
- ^ British Airways - Celebrate Concorde videos
- ^ Video including Raymond Baxter commentating as Concorde flies for first time: "She rolls . Raymond Frederic Baxter, OBE, FRSA ( 25 January 1922 – 15 September 2006) was a British Television . . She flies!"
- ^ a b Design Quest
- ^ Concorde beats Tube map to become Britain's favourite design By Louise Jury
- ^ Winchester 2005, p. 84.
- ^ Tupolev Tu-144
- ^ Where is Boeing Going?
- ^ Firm considers 'son of Concorde'
- ^ Japan tests supersonic jet model
- ^ Orders for Aerion's Concorde executive jet are more than $3 billion
- ^ Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde, aircraft-info. net
- ^ Kelly 2005, p. 52. Note: 128 was the maximum number of passengers certified.
- ^ ConcordeSST: Dimensions
- ^ a b Richard Seaman aircraft museum (comparison with Tu-144)
- ^ Aircraft 203: F-BTSC
Bibliography
- Barfiel, Norman. "Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde (Aircraft in Profile number 250)". Aircraft in Profile, Volume 14. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd. , 1974, p. 73-113. ISBN 0-85383-023-1.
- Beniada, Frederic. Concorde. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press, 2006. ISBN 0-7603-2703-3.
- Calvert, Brian. Flying Concorde, The Full Story. London: Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-352-0.
- Endres, Günter. Concorde. St Paul, Minnestota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1195-1.
- Ferrar, Henry, ed. The Concise Oxford French-English dictionary. New York: Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1980. ISBN 0-19-864157-5.
- Kelly, Neil. The Concorde Story: 34 Years of Supersonic Air Travel. West Molesey, Surrey, UK: Merchant Book Company Ltd. , 2005. ISBN 1-90477-905-0.
- Knight, Geoffrey. Concorde: The Inside story. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1976. ISBN 0-297-77114-0.
- McIntyre, Ian. Dogfight: The Transatlantic Battle over Airbus. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0-275-94278-3.
- Orlebar, Christopher. Christopher John Dugmore Orlebar (born 4 February 1945) was a British Concorde pilot with British Airways, and is now well-known as a lecturer The Concorde Story. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-85532-667-1.
- Winchester, Jim. The World's Worst Aircraft: From Pioneering Failures to Multimillion Dollar Disasters. London: Amber Books Ltd. , 2005. ISBN 1-904687-34-2.
External links
- British Airways Concorde page and British Airways video clips from the final flights
- Concorde on Aircraft-Info.net
- Some rare 1975 - 2003 Concorde brochures
- Design Museum (UK) Concorde page
- FAA Document on high altitude flight
- "Farewell to Concorde" (BBC)
- CBS News Coverage of Concorde
Dictionary
Concorde
-proper noun
- The Aérospatiale-BAC supersonic airliner, previously used commercially.
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