The Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) was one of only two models of supersonic passenger airliners to have seen commercial service. Concorde had a cruise speed of Mach 2.04 and a cruise altitude of 60,000 feet (17,700 metres) with a delta wing configuration and an evolution of the afterburner-equipped engines originally developed for the Avro Vulcan strategic bomber. It is the first civil airliner to be equipped with an analogue fly-by-wire flight control system. Commercial flights, operated by British Airways and Air France, began on January 21, 1976 and ended on October 24, 2003, with the last "retirement" flight on November 26 that year. The Aérospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... BAe evolution since 1955 until 1999 merger to form BAE Systems British Aerospace (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, now part of BAE SYSTEMS. The company was formed on April 29, 1977 by the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act. ... A supersonic transport (SST) is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. ... Any speed over the speed of sound, which is approximately 343 m/s or 1,087 ft/s or 761 mph or 1,225 km/h at sea level, is said to be supersonic. ... An airliner of Air Jamaica, the Airbus A340 An airliner is a type of aircraft initially designed for the transport of paying passengers. ... Mach number (Ma) is defined as a ratio of speed to the speed of sound in the medium in case. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 km (104 to 105 m). ... The delta-wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. ... For other uses of afterburner, see Afterburner (disambiguation). ... The Avro Vulcan was a British built jet engined, delta_winged subsonic bomber, once part of the RAFs V bomber force. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... A flight control system consists of the flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkage, and necessary operating mechanisms to control aircraft in flight The basic fundamentals of aircraft controls has been explained in aeronautics. ... British Airways is the largest airline of the United Kingdom. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

British Airways Concorde (G-BOAC).

Origins

Concorde's final flight, from Heathrow to Bristol, on 26/11/03.

In the late 1950s the British, French, Americans and Soviets were all interested in developing supersonic transport. The last ever flight of any Concorde, 26th November 2003. ... The last ever flight of any Concorde, 26th November 2003. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: (СССР)  listen; tr. ... A supersonic transport (SST) is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. ...

Britain's Bristol Aeroplane Company and France's Sud Aviation were both working on designs, called the Type 233 and Super-Caravelle respectively. Both were largely funded by their respective governments as a way of gaining some foothold in the aircraft market that was until then dominated by the United States. The Bristol Aeroplane Company (formerly British and Colonial Aeroplane Company) began building primitive Bristol Boxkites in a former tram shed and became famous for the production of the war-time Blenhein and Beaufighter, the Brabazon airliner prototypes, the Britannia and Freighter and the Belvedere and Sycamore helicopters. ... Sud Aviation was a French aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of SNCASE (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Est) and SNCASO (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest) on March 1, 1957. ... In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Bristol Aeroplane Company studied a number of supersonic transport models as part of a large British inter-company effort funded by the government. ... The Super-Caravelle was a design for a supersonic transport from Sud Aviation in France. ...

The designs were both ready to start into prototype construction in the early 1960s, but the cost was so great that the companies (and governments) decided to join forces. The development project was negotiated as an international treaty between Britain and France rather than a commercial agreement between companies. This included a clause, originally asked for by Britain, on penalties for cancellation (it turned out that Britain was the country that tried to get out). A draft treaty was signed on November 28, 1962. By this time both companies had been merged into new ones, and the Concorde project was thus a part of the British Aircraft Corporation and Aerospatiale. The consortium secured orders for over 100 new airliners from the leading airlines of the time. Pan Am, BOAC and Air France were the launch customers with six Concordes each. Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... BAe evolution since 1955 until 1999 merger to form BAE Systems British Aerospace (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, now part of BAE SYSTEMS. The company was formed on April 29, 1977 by the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act. ... The Aerospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... After technical problems with the Comet, BOAC resumed jet service with imported Boeing 707s. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ...

The aircraft was initially referred to in Britain as "Concord". In 1967 the British Government announced that it would change the spelling to "Concorde" to match the French.

Concorde 001 took off for the first test flight from Toulouse on March 2, 1969 and the first supersonic flight followed on October 1. As the flight programme of the first development aircraft progressed, 001 started off on a sales and demonstration tour beginning on September 4, 1971. Concorde 002 followed suit in June 2, 1972 with a sales tour of the Middle and Far East. Concorde 002 made the first visit to the United States in 1973, landing at the new Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to commemorate its opening. These trips led to an influx of orders for over 70 aircraft. However, a combination of factors caused a sudden cascade of order cancellations, including the 1970s oil crisis, acute financial difficulties of the partner airlines, a spectacular crash of the competing Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, and environmental issues such as sonic boom noise and pollution. Air France and British Airways ended up as the only buyers. The aircraft and parts were later sold to them for the nominal price of one British pound apiece. The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French, in local Toulouse accent) ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced ) is a... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, is the busiest airport in Texas and third busiest airport in the world in terms of operations. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Tupolev Tu-144LL The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO reporting name: Charger) was a supersonic airliner constructed under management of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev (1925-2001). ... When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, an unusual cloud sometimes forms in its wake. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ... British Airways is the largest airline of the United Kingdom. ... The pound sterling, which strictly speaking refers to basic currency unit of sterling, now the pound, can generally refer to the currency of the United Kingdom (UK). ...

The United States had cancelled its supersonic (SST) program in 1971. Two designs had originally been submitted; the Lockheed L-2000, looking like a scaled-up Concorde, lost out to the Boeing 2707, which had originally been intended to be faster, carry 300 passengers, and feature a swing-wing design. It was suggested in France and the United Kingdom that part of the American opposition to Concorde on grounds of noise pollution was in fact orchestrated or at least encouraged by the United States Government out of spite at not being able to propose a viable competitor. However, other countries, such as Malaysia, also ruled out Concorde supersonic overflights due to noise issues. A supersonic transport (SST) is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... The Lockheed L-2000 was Lockheeds entry into the contest to build the United States first supersonic transport (SST). ... The Boeing 2707 was intended to be the first American supersonic airliner. ... A swing-wing is a type of pivoted wing planform that attempts to combine the advantages of a swept wing at high speeds, while avoiding its problems at lower speeds. ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ...

Both European airlines operated demonstration and test flights to various destinations from 1974 onwards. The testing of Concorde set records which are still not surpassed; it undertook 5,335 flight hours in the prototype, preproduction, and first production aircrafts alone. A total of 2,000 test hours were supersonic. This equates to approximately four times as many as for similarly sized subsonic commercial aircraft. 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

Technological features

An unusual angle on the final Concorde landing

Many features common in the early 21st century airliners were first used in Concorde. An unusual angle on Concorde, taken five seconds before the final Concorde landing ever. ... An unusual angle on Concorde, taken five seconds before the final Concorde landing ever. ...

For speed optimization:

• double-delta (ogive) shaped wings
• afterburning Roll-Royce/Snecma Olympus turbojets with supercruise capability
• thrust-by-wire engines, ancestor of today's FADEC controlled engines
• droop nose section for good landing visibility

For weight-saving and enhanced performance: Supercruise - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... FADEC is the acronym for Full Authority Digital Engine Control. ...

• Mach 2.04 'sweet spot' for optimum fuel consumption (supersonic drag minimum, whilst jet engines are more efficient at high speed)
• mostly aluminium construction for low weight and relatively conventional build
• full-regime autopilot and autothrottle allowing "hands off" control of the aircraft from climb out to landing
• fully electrically-controlled analog 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 analog 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

Experience in making Concorde later became the basis of the Airbus consortium, and many of these features are now standard equipment in Airbus airliners. Snecma Moteurs, for example, got its first entry into civil engines here. Experience with Concorde opened the way for it to establish the CFM International with GE producing the successful CFM International CFM56 series engines. A flight control system consists of the flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkage, and necessary operating mechanisms to control aircraft in flight The basic fundamentals of aircraft controls has been explained in aeronautics. ... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ... Snecma Moteurs of France is one of the worlds major aircraft engine suppliers. ... Ge or GE may stand for: Ge, a letter of Cyrillic alphabet Gaia, (Ge) short form Ge is also an American Indian tribe from Eastern and Southern Amazon General Electric (GE). ... CFM56-3 CFM International CFM-56 series engines is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines made by CFM International and has a thrust range from 18,500 to 34,000 lbf (82 kN to 151 kN). ...

The primary partners, BAC (later to become BAE Systems) and Aerospatiale (later to become EADS), are the joint owners of Concorde's type certificate. Responsibility for the Type Certificate transferred to Airbus with formation of Airbus SAS. BAE Systems is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor and a commercial aerospace products manufacturer. ... European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) is a large European industrial corporation of the aerospace business, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Dornier and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain. ... A Type Certificate (sometimes called Airworthiness Certificate), is awarded by aviation regulating bodies (such as FAA in US and EASA in EU) to aerospace firms after it has been established that the particular design of aircraft, engines or propeller submitted has fulfilled the the regulating bodies current prevailing airworthiness requirements... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ...

Scheduled flights

The last Concorde flight (ever) lands at Filton Airfield, near Bristol, on November 26, 2003

Scheduled flights started on January 21, 1976 on the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes. 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. Download high resolution version (1500x1145, 188 KB) Concorde 216 (G-BOAF) passes over the A38 road on the final ever Concorde landing at Filton, Bristol, England. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1145, 188 KB) Concorde 216 (G-BOAF) passes over the A38 road on the final ever Concorde landing at Filton, Bristol, England. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Ipanema beach Cristo Redentor A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil. ... Seal of the Congress. ... When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, an unusual cloud sometimes forms in its wake. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ...

When the US ban was lifted in February for over-water supersonic flight, New York quickly followed by banning Concorde locally. Left with little choice on the destination, AF and BA started transatlantic services to Washington, D.C. on May 24. Finally, in late 1977, the noise concerns of New York residents gave way to the advantages of Concorde traffic, and scheduled service from Paris and London to New York's John F. Kennedy airport started on November 22, 1977. Flights operated by BA were coded 'Speedbird 1' through 'Speedbird 4'. State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA Airport Code: JFK, ICAO Airport Code: KJFK) is the main international airport in New York City, and is one of the largest airports in the world. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Evolution of the Speedbird logo to todays British Airways identity Speedbird is a callsign used by British Airways during air traffic control procedures, as well as the name for the famous stylized British Overseas Airways Corporation logo. ...

The average flight time on the transatlantic routes was just under 3.5 hours. Up to 2003, both Air France and British Airways continued to operate the New York services daily. Additionally, Concorde flew to Barbados's Grantley Adams International Airport during the winter holiday season and, occasionally, to charter destinations such as Rovaniemi, Finland. On November 1, 1986, a chartered Concorde circumnavigated the world in 31 hours and 51 minutes. The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), ( IATA identifier BGI) / ( ICAO Airport Code is TBPB) located at 13°14´24 N, 059°29´13 W, in Seawell, Christ Church on the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. ... City scenery of Rovaniemi in January 2004 Rovaniemi (Roavenjarga in Sami) is the administrative capital and the centre of commerce of Finlands northernmost Province, Lapland. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For a brief period in 1977, and again from 1979 to 1980, British Airways and Singapore Airlines used a shared Concorde for flights between Bahrain and Singapore Changi Airport. The aircraft, G-BOAD, was painted in Singapore Airways livery on the port side and British Airways livery on the starboard side. The service was discontinued after three months because of noise complaints from the Malaysian government: it could only be reinstated when a new route, bypassing Malaysian airspace, was designed. However, an ongoing dispute with India prevented the Concorde from reaching supersonic speeds in Indian airspace, so the route was eventually declared not viable. 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Singapore Airlines (abbreviated SIA, Chinese: 新加坡航空公司, Pinyin: Xīnjīapō Hángkōng Gōngsī, abbreviated: 新航) is the national airline of Singapore. ... Singapore Changi Airport (Chinese: 新加坡樟宜机场; Malay: Lapangan Terbang Changi Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் சாங்கி விமானநிலையம்) (IATA:SIN, ICAO:WSSS) in the city and State of Singapore is one of the largest aviation facilities in Asia. ...

From 1979 to 1980, Braniff International leased two Concordes, one from both British Airways and Air France. These were used on flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to JFK, feeding the routes of BA and AF to London and Paris. The aircraft were registered in both the United States and their home countries, for legal reasons: a sticker would cover up each aircraft's European registration while it was being operated by Braniff. On DFW-JFK flights, the Concordes had Braniff flight crews, although they maintained their native airline livery. However, the flights were not profitable for Braniff and were usually less than 25% booked, which forced Braniff to end its term as the only U.S. Concorde operator. 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... One of many different airplane livery designs of Braniff International Airlines. ... British Airways is the largest airline of the United Kingdom. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ... Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (IATA:DFW, ICAO:KDFW), located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, is the busiest airport in Texas and third busiest airport in the world in terms of operations. ... John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA Airport Code: JFK, ICAO Airport Code: KJFK) is the main international airport in New York City, and is one of the largest airports in the world. ...

Passenger experience

Compared to other commercial airliners, Concorde provided an unusual passenger experience. Both British Airways and Air France configured the passenger cabin as a single class with around 100 seats — four seats across with a central aisle. Despite being a luxury class, most passengers were surprised to find how cramped the cabin was. Headroom in the central aisle was barely six feet (1.8 m), and the leather seats were unusually narrow with legroom comparable to coach class on other planes.

In the 1990s many 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, perambulatory areas, were completely absent from Concorde. The only video entertainment was a plasma display at the front of the cabin showing either the altitude, the air temperature or current speed in mach number. With no room for overhead storage, even carry on luggage was severely restricted. The ratio of cabin crew and lavatories per passenger was also considerably lower than typical for a first class cabin. These privations were offset by the much shorter flight time (typically three and a half hours to New York from London), making the Concorde attractive to business executives. Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... The Boeing 747, which is also known as the jumbo jet, is the largest passenger airliner in service. ... Mach number (Ma) is defined as a ratio of speed to the speed of sound in the medium in case. ...

To make up for these missing features, service on the Concorde was to be "first class" in every sense of the word. Orders for drinks or other needs were met instantly and served with a flourish. Meals were served using specially designed compact Wedgwood crockery with short silver cutlery. This article is about the eldest Josiah Wedgwood. ...

The unique experience of passing through the sound barrier was less dramatic than would be expected. The moment would be announced by one of the pilots, and could be seen on the cabin display, otherwise the slight surge in acceleration could easily be missed. U.S. Navy F/A-18 at transonic speed. ...

At twice the normal cruising altitude, turbulence was rare and the view from the windows clearly showed the curvature of the Earth. During the supersonic cruise, although the outside air temperature was typically -60 °C, air friction would heat the external skin at the front of the plane to around +120 °C making the windows warm to the touch and producing a noticeable temperature gradient along the length of the cabin.

Most remarkably Concorde was the only passenger airliner able to overtake the terminator. On certain early evening transatlantic flights departing from Heathrow or Paris, it was possible to take off at night and catch up with the sun — from the cockpit you could see the sun rise in the west. A composite image showing the terminator crossing Europe and Africa The terminator is the line between the illuminated, day side and dark, night side of a planetary body (also known as the grey line). It is defined as the locus of points on a moon or planet where the line...

Paris crash

Air France Flight 4590 in flames, prior to the tragedy

The Concorde was the safest airliner in the world according to passenger deaths per distance travelled until the 25 July 2000 crash of Air France Flight 4590 in Gonesse, France, although it should be noted that the Boeing 737 fleet acquires more passenger miles and service hours in one week than the Concorde fleet acquired in the course of its entire service career. In any case, all of the people on board the flight perished, as well as four people on the ground. As the plane was on its take-off run, a metal piece punctured the tires which then burst, puncturing the fuel tanks and leading to the loss of the aircraft. The report of the investigation was published on 14 December 2004, attributing the crash to foreign object damage from a titanium strip that fell from another aircraft, a Continental Airlines DC-10 which had taken off four minutes before; the piece had not been approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration. A picture of the concorde moments before the crash of Air France Flight 4590 on 25 July 2000. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Air France Flight 4590 on fire, prior to crash Air France Flight 4590 was a France to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, New York. ... Gonesse is a town in the Val dOise département, north of Paris. ... 737 in new Boeing Colors. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... FOD or Foreign Object Damage is an aviation term used to describe damage done to an aircraft due to collision with small foreign objects. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 4, 4, d Density, Hardness 4507 kg/m3, 6 Appearance Silvery metallic Atomic properties Atomic weight 47. ... Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) is an American airline. ... Biman Bangladesh Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined long-range airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of aviation in the U.S. History The Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926, is the cornerstone of the Federal Governments regulation of civil aviation. ...

However, there was skepticism about this report which solely blamed the strip for the accident. The French government have been extremely relunctant to share information during the investigation, implying a cover up. The British and former French Concorde pilots looked at several other possibilities that the report ignored, including an unbalanced weight distribution in the fuel tanks and loose landing gear, which hinted at the Concorde veering off course on the runway, reducing take-off speed below the crucial minimum. Some suspect that the cover up was an attempt to save the reputation of the Concorde, and to hide the fact that the Concorde had veered very close to a Boeing 747 carrying French President Jacque Chirac. Nonetheless, the crash of the Concorde was the beginning of the end of its career, regardless of the reason for the accident.

The accident would make way for modifications to be made to Concorde. After safety updates on sufficient aircraft, including more secure electrical controls, Kevlar lining to the fuel tanks, and specially developed, burst-resistant tires, both routes were re-opened on November 7, 2001. Kevlar, also known as Twaron and poly-paraphenelyne terephthalamide, is a synthetic fibre that is five times stronger than steel, weight for weight. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The new-style tires would be yet another contribution from the Concorde programme to future aircraft development.

Withdrawal from service

The first test-flight of the newly-improved Concorde flew from England to the mid-Atlantic and back in preparation for a return to full scheduled service that week. The flight took place on September 11, 2001, and was in the air when the attacks on the World Trade Center were taking place. The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

On April 10, 2003 British Airways and Air France simultaneously announced that they would retire the Concorde later that year. They cited low passenger numbers following the July 25, 2000 crash and rising maintenance costs. April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

That same day Sir Richard Branson offered to buy British Airways' Concordes at their original price of £1 million each for service with his Virgin Atlantic Airways, but was refused. He later wrote to 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". Any hope of Concorde remaining in service was further thwarted by Airbus' unwillingness to provide maintenance support for the aging airframes. Sir Richard Branson KBE (born July 18, 1950) a famed British entrepreneur, is best known for his widely successful Virgin brand, a banner that encompasses a variety of business organizations. ... Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. ... Front cover, May 7, 2005 The Economist is a market liberal weekly news and international affairs publication of The Economist Newspaper Limited in London. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Air France

Air France made its final Concorde landing in the United States in New York City from Paris on May 30, 2003. Firetrucks sprayed the traditional arcs of water above the aircraft on the tarmac of John F. Kennedy airport. It made its final commercial flight back to Paris the following day. The end of Air France's Concorde services was also marked by a charter around the Bay of Biscay. City nickname: The Big Apple Location in the state of New York Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area  - Land  - Water 1,214. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bay of Biscay (French: Golfe de Gascogne; Spanish: Mar Cantábrico) is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean. ...

An auction of Concorde parts and memorabilia for Air France was held at Christie's in Paris, on November 15, 2003. One thousand three hundred people attended, and several lots exceeded their predicted values by ten or more times. An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is the process of buying and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder. ... Christies is a world-famous auction house located in London. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

British Airways

BA's last Concorde departure from the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados was on August 30, 2003. The Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), ( IATA identifier BGI) / ( ICAO Airport Code is TBPB) located at 13°14´24 N, 059°29´13 W, in Seawell, Christ Church on the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A final week of farewell flights saw Concorde visiting Birmingham on October 20, Belfast on October 21, Manchester on October 22, Cardiff on October 23, and Edinburgh on October 24. 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. The city from above Centenary Square. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... Belfast is the largest city in, and capital of both Northern Ireland and Ulster. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... Location within the British Isles. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd, from caer, fort, and dydd, Aulus Didius) is the capital and largest city of Wales. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... Edinburghs location in Scotland Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... London Heathrow Airport (IATA airport code: LHR, ICAO airport code: EGLL, and often simply Heathrow) is the United Kingdoms busiest and best-connected airport. ...

On the evening of October 23, 2003, the Queen consented to the illumination of Windsor Castle, as Concorde's last ever west-bound commercial flight departed London, and flew overhead. This is an honour normally restricted to major state events and visiting dignitaries. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), styled HM The Queen ( born 21 April 1926) is the queen regnant and head of state of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent... An early 18th century view of Windsor Castle by Kip and Knyff. ...

British Airways retired its aircraft the next day, October 24. One Concorde left New York to a fanfare similar to its Air France predecessor's, while two more made round-trips, one over the Bay of Biscay, carrying VIP guests including many former Concorde pilots, and one 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 Concordes landed at 4:01 and 4:03 PM BST, followed at 4:05 by the one from New York. All three aircraft then spent 45 minutes taxiing around the airport before finally disembarking the last supersonic fare-paying passengers. The pilot of the New York to London flight was Mike Bannister. October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... British Summer Time (BST), known in Ireland as Irish Summer Time (IST), is the daylight saving time in effect in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October each year. ...

Passengers on the final transatlantic flight included:

• Tony Benn
• former US model Christie Brinkley
• ballerina Darcey Bussell
• TV motoring correspondent Jeremy Clarkson
• Joan Collins and her husband Percy Gibson.
  

  Concorde in museum
• Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone
• Sir David Frost
• Stock Exchange chairman Chris Gibson-Smith
• actor Nigel Havers
• model Jodie Kidd
• British Airways chairman Lord Marshall
• advertising mogul Lord Saatchi
• Piers Morgan, then editor of the Daily Mirror
• CNN anchor Richard Quest
• the chairmen or chief executives of:
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • BAE Systems
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Deutsche Bank
  • P&O
  • The Royal Bank of Scotland
• a lucky traveller, who had booked a regular ticket over a year earlier.

Bonhams held an auction of British Airways' Concorde artifacts on December 1, 2003 at Olympia Exhibition Centre, in Kensington, London. Items sold included a machmeter, a nose cone, Concorde pilot and passenger seats and even the cutlery, ashtrays and blankets used onboard. About £3/4 million was taken, 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. Tony Benn speaking in London, June 2004 The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician regarded as being on the left of the Labour Party. ... Christie Brinkley (born 2 February 1954) is a blonde United States supermodel with noticeably cleancut and well-chiselled features epitomizing beauty-ideals of the 1980s yuppie culture. ... Darcey Bussell (born London; April 27, 1969) is an English ballerina, one of the most famous exponents of the art in recent decades. ... Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born April 11, 1960 in Doncaster) is a British motoring journalist and television presenter. ... Joan Collins on the cover of Life Magazine 1955 Joan Henrietta Collins (born May 23, 1933) is a British actress who was born in London, England. ... Download high resolution version (917x240, 94 KB)Air Frances F-BVFA (205) Concorde in National Air & Space Museum. ... Download high resolution version (917x240, 94 KB)Air Frances F-BVFA (205) Concorde in National Air & Space Museum. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. ... British billionaire Bernie Ecclestone (center) is often called the owner of Formula One. ... Sir David Paradine Frost OBE (born April 17, 1939) is a British television presenter. ... Nigel Allan Havers (born November 6, 1949) is a popular British actor, known mainly for his television work. ... Jodie Kidd (born September 25, 1978 in Surrey,England) is an English model. ... Saatchi and Saatchi is an advertising agency founded by brothers Maurice (now Lord Saatchi) and art collector Charles, most famous for their campaign on behalf of the Conservative Party before the 1979 UK general election and for the adverts for British Airways and other state owned interests privatised by the... Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (born March 20, 1965 in Newick, East Sussex) was editor of The Daily Mirror, a British tabloid newspaper, from 1995 until he was sacked in 2004. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... CNN or Cable News Network is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although he currently is not recognized in CNNs official history). ... Richard Quest Richard Quest (born March 9, 1962 in Liverpool) is a British news anchor based in London on the Cable News Network edition CNN International. ... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plc is a pharmaceutical and healthcare company. ... BAE Systems is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor and a commercial aerospace products manufacturer. ... Merrill Lynch & Co. ... Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) (German for German Bank) is a multinational bank operating worldwide and employing almost 70,000 people (2004). ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company or P&O is a shipping line which started in 1840 after the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company won the British Admiralty contract to carry the mail overseas in 1837. ... The Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS)is one of Scotlands four national clearing banks and one of the oldest in the UK, founded in Edinburgh in 1727 by Royal Charter. ... An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is the process of buying and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Starch-polyester disposable cutlery Cutlery refers to any hand utensil used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food. ...

Aircraft histories

Only 20 Concordes 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 which flew commercially, 12 were still in service in April 2003

All but two of these aircraft - a remarkably high percentage for any commercial fleet - are preserved.

See Concorde aircraft histories for further details. Only 20 Concorde aircraft were built, six for development and 14 for commercial service. ...

Cultural and political impacts

The aeroplane remains a powerful symbol of ultra-modern technology although 34 years old, and many people appreciate its sculptural shape. It is a symbol of national pride to many in Britain and France - in France it was thought of as a French aircraft, in Britain as British.

The reaction of people to the prospect of severe overflying noise also represented a socially important change. Prior to Concorde's flight trials the developments made by the civil aviation industry were largely accepted by developed democratic governments and their electors. The popular backlash (particularly on the eastern seaboard of the USA) against the noise of Concorde represented a political turning point and thereafter scientists and technologists in many industries began to take environmental and societal impacts more seriously, accepting that engineers, powerful investors and governments could not always dictate the parameters of debate and allow their narrow economic or career interests to prevail.

From this perspective, Concorde's great technical leap forward can be viewed as triggering a cultural leap forward and a boost to the public's (and the media's) understanding of conflicts between technology and natural ecosystems that continues to reverberate around the world. Thus, the fact that many larger jet airliners now produce fewer harmful emissions and smaller noise footprints than Concorde is, perhaps, part of the Concorde's legacy. In France the use of acoustic fencing alongside TGV tracks may be another outcome that might not have been achieved without the 1970s furore over aircraft noise. In Britain the CPRE have issued tranquility maps since 1990 and public agencies are starting to do likewise. A jetliner is an airliner powered by jet engines (usually of the turbofan type). ... The TGV is Frances train à grande vitesse; literally high-speed train. Developed by Alstom and SNCF, and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company, it connects cities in France, especially Paris, and in some other neighbouring countries, such as Belgium and Switzerland. ... The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE, formerly Council for the Preservation of Rural England ) is a voluntary anti-urbanist, pro-nature organisation. ...

A regular ticket on Concorde was a privilege of the rich, but special circular (non-landing) 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. An over-flying example was usually referred to by the British as simply "Concorde" and the French as "the Concorde" (rather than "a Concorde"), as if there was only one.

A plane from the BA fleet made occasional flypasts at selected Royal events, major airshows and other special occasions, sometimes in formation with the Red Arrows. On the final day of commercial service, grandstands were erected at London Heathrow for the public to watch the final arrivals, and there was extensive media coverage. The Utterly Butterly wing-walking display team flying Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplanes An airshow is an event at which aviators display their flying skills, normally to the public, but occasionally to invited guests, or employees and their families only. ... The Red Arrows, also known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, are the official aerobatics display flyers of the Royal Air Force. ...

Dimensions and specifications

Of a typical production-type aircraft. There are some variations.

• Overall length: 61.66 m
• Fuselage internal length: 39.32 m
• Fuselage max external width: 2.88 m
• Fuselage max internal width: 2.63 m
• Fuselage max external height: 3.32 m
• Fuselage max internal height: 1.96 m
• Wing span: 25.6 m
• Wing area: 358.25 m²
• Elevon area (each side): 16 m²
• Tail fin area: 33.91 m²
• Rudder area: 10.41 m²
• Powerplant: four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610
• Max. thrust with afterburner: 38,050 lbf (169 kN) per engine
• Operating weight empty: 78,700 kg
• Max. fuel: 95,680 kg
• Max. taxing weight: 186,880 kg
• Max. takeoff weight: 185,070 kg
• Max. landing weight: 111,130 kg
• Max. landing weight without fuel: 92,080 kg
• Max. operation cruise speed: Mach 2.04 (~2170 km/h)
• Max. operating altitude: 60,000 feet (18000 m)
• Max. range: 7250 km
• Nose tip temperature at Mach 2: 127 °C

To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 m and 100 m. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 m and 100 m. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between one metre and ten metres. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between one metre and ten metres. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 m and 100 m. ... To help compare sizes of various objects, we list here areas between 100 m² and 1,000 m². Most private homes and four bedroom apartments fall in this size range. ... Rolls-Royce plc (also known as Rolls-Royce Aero Engines) is the second-largest aircraft engine maker in the world, behind General Electrics GE Aircraft Engines division. ... Société Nationale dÉtude et de Construction de Moteurs dAviation or SNÉCMA is one of the worlds leading aerospace corporations, specialized in propulsion, equipment and associated services. ... Rolls-Royce Olympus 593 The Olympus turbojet has powered the supersonic airliner Concorde, the Avro Vulcan and continues to power naval vessels. ... For other uses of afterburner, see Afterburner (disambiguation). ... The pound-force is a non-SI unit of force or weight (properly abbreviated lbf or lbf). The pound-force is equal to a mass of one pound multiplied by the standard acceleration due to gravity on Earth (which is defined as exactly 9. ... (Redirected from 1 E4 kg) Categories: Orders of magnitude (mass) ... (Redirected from 1 E5 kg) Categories: Orders of magnitude (mass) ... Mach number (Ma) is defined as a ratio of speed to the speed of sound in the medium in case. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 km (104 to 105 m). ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ... In aeronautics, a heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft or ballistic missile that is designed to protect it from high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during entry into a planets atmosphere. ...

Possible replacement

In November 2003, European aviation company European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS, the company behind Airbus) announced that it was considering working with Japanese companies to develop a larger, faster replacement for Concorde [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3231354.stm). European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) is a large European industrial corporation of the aerospace business, formed by the merger on July 10, 2000 of Aérospatiale-Matra of France, Dornier GmbH and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain. ... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ...

See also

• Boeing 2707
• Tupolev Tu-144
• Supersonic transport
• Hypersonic transport
• UK topics

The Boeing 2707 was intended to be the first American supersonic airliner. ... Tupolev Tu-144LL The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO reporting name: Charger) was a supersonic airliner constructed under management of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev (1925-2001). ... A supersonic transport (SST) is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. ... This article is about hypersonic speeds in aerodynamics. ... Shortcut: UK topics This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• "Concorde SST" fan site (http://www.concordesst.com)
• "Concorde Jet" fan site (http://www.concorde-jet.com)
• Technik Museum Sinsheim (http://www.technik-museum.de/) (in German; has streaming video)
• "Farewell to Concorde" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2003/concorde_retirement/default.stm) (BBC)
• Guided tour of Concorde in Toulouse (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/taxiway.fr/gb/concorde.htm)
• NYC Intrepid Museum webcam (http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/visitinfo_webcam.html)
• Airport 79: The Concorde (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078740/) (Internet Movie Database entry)
• Aircraft-Info.net - Concorde (http://www.aircraft-info.net/aircraft/jet_aircraft/aerospatiale/concorde/)
• Concorde on display at Manchester Airport - UK (http://y2u.co.uk/&002_Images/Concorde%2001.htm)
• Concorde SST Tribute (http://flyawaysimulation.com/article508.html)
• Take off and landing video clips from the final flights (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/concvidwm/public/en_) (BA)
• Viewing the fleet (http://www.concorde1969.com)

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