Concorde was a supersonic transport (SST) airplane that was in commercial passenger operation from 1976 to 2003. It carried passengers and cargo at 1,355 miles per hour (mph), or 2,180 kilometers per hour (kph), nearly twice the speed of sound . Commercial airliners usually fly at between 500 and 600 mph (800 and 970 kph). A Concorde could carry about 100 passengers.
Each Concorde measured about 204 feet (62 meters) long, and its fuselage (body) was about 91/2 feet (2.9 meters) wide. While cruising in supersonic flight, the plane’s airframe heated dramatically. Because hot objects expand in volume, the plane’s length during supersonic flight would increase by 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters). To help control heating, the aircraft was covered in a reflective paint. Concordes flew at an altitude of up to 60,000 feet (18,300 meters). A subsonic aircraft flies at a maximum of 45,000 feet (13,700 meters). The Concorde was a delta-winged craft—that is, its wings looked like a triangle from the top. Its wingspan was about 84 feet (26 meters). The Concorde had a “droop” nose. The long nose pointed straight forward while the craft was in flight. When landing, the nose pointed downward to improve the pilot’s forward visibility.
Research to develop a supersonic passenger airliner began in Europe in 1956. In 1962, British Aerospace and Aerospatiale of France began a project to jointly design, develop, and manufacture such an aircraft. A prototype craft made its first test flight in March 1969 and its first supersonic flight in October 1969. Commercial passenger service began in January 1976, with British Airways flights between London and Bahrain and Air France flights between Paris and Rio de Janeiro , Brazil. By 2000, the vast majority of flights traveled between New York City and either Paris or London. A Concorde could make these flights in 3.5 hours, compared to the 8 hours it took for subsonic commercial jet. Though 20 Concordes were built, only 14 Concordes entered commercial service. The other 6 Concordes were used as prototype and development aircraft. The last Concorde was manufactured in 1979.
In 2000, a Concorde crashed in France following take-off. Primarily because of safety concerns, all Concorde flights were suspended for more than a year after the crash, resuming in the fall of 2001. In 2003, British Airways and Air France, citing a decline in the profitability of Concorde service, ended all Concorde flights. No other airlines operated Concordes.
