Concorde (airplane)

The Concorde was a supersonic airliner . There are only 20 units were built, including four prototypes. The aircraft first flew in 1969, it made ​​its last flight on October 242003 . The name means harmony.

The Concorde was a prestige project of the British and French governments. Plans for the unit were already in 1955 made. The development was accompanied by all kinds of problems of cooperation between the British and the French, who often had to be settled at a high political level. That a production was stopped in both countries did not work very well with it. It could, however few years later lead to the creation of the international consortium Airbus . Concorde could fly up to 18 kilometers altitude and a speed of Mach 2.04; more than twice the speed of the sound . Therefore, the plane flew in less than three hours from London to New York . The Concorde established on February 7, 1996 a speed record of 1920 km / h on the route New York -. London [? src] The unit had an initial rate of approximately 400 km / h and a landing speed around 290 km / h.

Contents

 * 1 History
 * Unity 1.1
 * 1.2 Options
 * 2 Development
 * 2.1 Form
 * 2.2 Stability
 * 2.3 Engines
 * 2.4 Heat
 * 2.5 Prototypes
 * 2.6 Pre-production
 * 2.7 Production
 * 2.8 Certification
 * 3 Air Services
 * 3.1 Air France
 * 3.1.1 Disaster in 2000
 * 3.2 British Airways
 * 3.3 Singapore Airlines
 * 3.4 Braniff
 * 3.5 The end in 2003
 * 4 Museums
 * 5 Successor
 * 6 Future
 * 7 Trivia
 * 8 See also

History [ edit ]
In 1952, the British Comet 1 jet engine introduced in civil aviation. Several manufacturers then came up with their own models, such as the Boeing 707, the Caravelle and the Tupolev Tu-104 . Logical next step was to increase further the speed, which for various projects for supersonic rise Transport (SST). Boeing already started in 1952 a study for a SST which resulted in model 733 and finally the Boeing 2707 . The United Kingdom held the First seminar on 25 February 1954. After the Caravelle came into service in 1959 also was the design department of Sud Aviation on a study of SST which resulted in the Super Caravelle. The Soviet Union was also apparently working on a study because in 1962 the design was the Tupolev Tu-144 home work. The British study published its report, the STAC report, in 1959 and soon became apparent that both the British and the French had a stand design with delta wings on the drawing boards. The British design, the six-engine Bristol 198, went out of 120 passengers for long - Transatlantic - distance, while the French, like the subsonic Caravelle, went for the medium range. The first talks between Sud Aviation and BAC, which the UK was commissioned for the SST development, were in place in 1960; the first formal talks followed on 8 June 1961. In 1961, Sud Aviation presented at the Paris Air Show of its Super Caravelle, a four-engine SST unit for 60 to 70 passengers. It booked Sud Aviation also a commercial success with interest the Brazilian airline Panair do Brasil . In October 1961 for 4 Caravelles An agreement was reached whereby Panair insisted that they would decline the first three production units of the Super Caravelle. [3]

[Concord edit ]
The Anglo-French discussions led to the conclusion that, given the size of the project, the development of supersonic aircraft to be jointly undertaken. On November 29, 1962, a treaty was signed in London between the British and French governments for the development of supersonic civilian aircraft. [4] The agreement leaves open the possibility to develop both a medium-range version as a long-distance version. The Anglo-French unity was reflected in the name of the unit where the British agreed to the additional E behind concord, which the French spelling of concord Concorde was arrested. The British STAC investigation had concluded that include a device for long distance would be economically feasible, but not for the medium distance. In talks with the airlines also showed that the interest was focused on a plane for long distance. It was decided in the summer of 1963 that there is one version for 100 to 120 passengers would be developed based on a scaled Bristol 223 who had designed the British from 1960. The Super Caravelle as supersonic aircraft was removed. [5] The development schedule for the Concorde provided the first flight on February 28, 1968 and certification in 1971. The project cost was estimated at 150 million pounds . This amount included the development, construction of prototypes, and test flights. To get out of the cost would be 150 units to be sold. The final draft was presented at the meeting of the technical committee of the IATAin 1964 in Beirut . Political and financial setbacks, the Concorde made ​​its first flight until 2 March 1969 .

Options [ edit ]
Panair do Brasil had no trouble with a larger aircraft and maintained its claim on the first three production aircraft. The British were accepting options beginning in 1963 premature but pressure from Pan Am, this was still possible, and on June 3, 1963 put Air France , BOAC and Pan Am all 6 options, which, 21 were in the books. The options of these three major companies were later that year followed by options other US airlines, TWA, American and Continental, and the Lebanese MEA company that wanted to use the phone between Beirut and New York, with a refueling stop in Toulouse. Panair was liquidated in 1965 in the aftermath of the 1964 coup in Brazil, which these three options lapsed. When the first flight took place, there were 74 options from 16 different companies. [6] In March 1969 were given by the government authorized the construction of two test frames, one for material testing and the other for thermal testing, two pre-production aircraft and three production units, one each for Air France (201), BOAC (202) and Pan Am (203). Followed in December permission for another three production units, Nos. 204, 205 and 206.

Development [ edit ]
The Concorde Project both countries wanted to have own factory so that both in Toulouse and in Filton an assembly line was set up. The assembly lines built the various components together to form a plane.However, the production of the various parts was partitioned between specialized production lines, in which the wings, the fuselage segments between the wings and the landing gear in France, and the engine nacelles, the cockpit, the forward fuselage segment, the tail, the tail cone and the moving nose into the UK would be built. For onboard systems, was also made a division between BAC and Sud Aviation; BAC was responsible for electronics, oxygen, fuel, engine instruments, motor control, fire control, ventilation and antiijssystemen. Sud Aviation was given responsibility for the hydraulic systems, steering, navigation, communications and air supply. These onboard systems were not all built himself by BAC or Sud Aviation but ordered from specialized companies. Because the two governments to protect their own industry, at least wanted to have a balanced workload led the tender to many discussions and thus delay. The engines did not lead to discussion. Because the French themselves no engine could deliver enough thrust was from the outset Rolls Royce as a builder on which the French manufacturer SNECMA contributed by supplying the exhaust and thrust reversers .

Form [ edit ]
Before flying at higher speeds the air resistance is an increasingly important factor. In the fifties it was known that the wingspan of the aircraft had the greatest influence on the aerodynamic drag at supersonic aircraft. The wings of the first supersonic fighter aircraft such as the Starfighter were therefore kept as short as possible. This short wings but yielded at lower speeds too little capacity so that high landing speeds are required. For a light fighter was still acceptable for a relatively heavy passenger plane was irresponsible. A breakthrough came with the finding that use could be made of the vortex effect. If a delta wing under a largeangle of incidence is kept arises the so-called vortex lift which extra capacity occurs at lower speeds. The idea of the delta wing was then applied in new combat aircraft such as the Dassault Mirage III in 1958. The design of civil SSTs all fit the delta wings and with it got the Concorde this for passenger planes unusual shape. The French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Marcel had for the development of the Mirage all practical experience with delta wings. The British built the HP 115 to test delta wings at low speeds, this unit first flew on 17 August 1961. The were tests with high speed BAC 221 built which both the delta wing and the movable nose were tested, the unit flew the first time on 1 May 1964. In addition to these field tests were also taken numerous wind tunnel tests to determine the shape of the wing. The final wing of the Concorde was not a pure triangle but got a sloping front edge. To achieve the Concordes were placed on a high gear so that the tail would not strike during takeoff or landing to the ground the required angle. The nose of the aircraft was moved down so that the flight crew despite the large viewing angle still retained some insight on the runway.

[Stability edit ]
Fuel distribution: A: Taking Off B: accident or emergency braking C: Slow down and countries

The Concorde does not have separate trim tabs, in order to stabilize the aircraft. This would increase the weight and aerodynamic drag of the airplane. Through an ingenious system of the fuel used in aircraft stabilization. The engines obtain their fuel tanks from the green on the drawing. During accelerating (A), the center of gravity is displaced rearwardly, by supplementing the spent fuel and filling the tail tank. In case of emergency (B), the center of gravity can be moved forward quickly. The regular transition from supersonic to subsonic (C) means that the tail tank fill the main tank until enough fuel for the remainder of the flight and the reserve fuel tank back to the front. As a long time subsonic to be flown, the fuel is distributed equally among the front tank and the main tank.

Engines [ edit ]
The Concorde had to bridge long distances in an economically viable way, this was very efficient engine necessary. The Concorde also had to be capable of a Super Cruise that is to say able to fly supersonic for a long time. turbofans were due to the large diameter and thus air resistance are not eligible, so chosen for a pure jet engine . [8] The motor used was a further development of the Bristol engine that was used in the Avro Vulcan bomber. This Bristol engine was a supersonic variant with afterburner, the Olympus 320, which was used in the BAC TSR-2 bommmenwerper. The Olympus 320 was the basis for the Rolls-Royce / Snecma Olympus 593, the engine for the Concorde. Jet engines can properly handle the air to about Mach 0.5, but above the air must be slowed down before the compressor is achieved. [8] For the Concorde, this meant that the airflow to the engine of Mach 2 to Mach 0.5 was delayed be. For this purpose, a system built in the engine nacelles in order to slow down the air flow up to Mach 0.5, and to dampen the shock waves created in this process. The system consists of valves in the inlet and an adjustable air outlet at the bottom of the nacelle [9], the control of this system requires very meticulous work and was therefore completely automated so that it adapted automatically to the required thrust. Engine Thrust-by-wire system developed by Ultra Electronics. For additional thrust during takeoff and breaking the sound barrier Concorde makes use of afterburners . Extra fuel offsets the highly efficient operation of the engines above Mach 1. The inefficiency of jet engines at low speeds is also evident from the fact that the Concorde during taxiing, about 2000 kg lighter by fuel consumption. After landing the inner engines were off to the delivered thrust would be too high for taxiing with a now lighter device.
 * The HP 115
 * Concorde engine Rolls-Royce, SNECMA Olympus593
 * Exhaust G-AXDN, design modified by production aircraft
 * Diagram of the air supply to the engine
 * Air inlet of the Concorde

Heat [ edit ]
Heating of the skin at Mach 2

Air resistance allows for the heating of the skin of the aircraft at supersonic speeds, and also for the heating of the inside. The Concorde was therefore constructed of a copper-aluminum alloy RR58 that can handle a heating to 127 ° C without weakening at regular fluctuations in temperature. In order to avoid heating above 127 ° C, the maximum speed of the Concorde limited to 2.2 Mach. Extensive thermal tests began in September 1969 and ended in 1972. [10] During these tests, a complete frame was exposed to various forces. This was done within 15 minutes all temperatures between -10 ° C and + 120 ° C to go through. In 1972, the take-off weight at 174 636 kg was recorded that the unit the desired number of 45,000 flight hours without problems would last. The hull was warmed by the air resistance at supersonic speeds and therefore longer and 30 cm for example, arose between the rear of the cockpit and instrument panel space. By making use of reflective white for the painting of the aircraft could warming at Mach 2 with between 6 ° C and 11 ° C are restricted. The painting of the aircraft, therefore, was not a free choice but had for the most part consist of reflective white. Concorde F-BTSD in 1996 for a short time in the blue painted for an advertising campaign of Pepsi cola. Air France was then warned not to let more than 20 minutes flying over Mach 2 unit. The temperature in the unit was a separate issue. Normally, the air pressure in the cabin is to be heated, should be in the Concorde the air in the cabin to be cooled by the warm-up just above the speed of sound. This allows the air under heating and cooling needs above the sound barrier causing a complex system to be developed. This was an additional complication because the air was directed by Aerospatiale and the rest would be developed by BAC.

Prototypes [ edit ]
Prototype 002 at Heathrow, July 2, 1972

For the test flights was both a French built as a British prototype. The first aircraft was completed late 1967 but a number of tests still had to be completed before it could be flown. The prototypes were crammed with instruments and were equipped with a parachute. On March 2, 1969, at 15.50 hrs rose the first French unit inToulouse . On April 9, came the first British unit, from the British airport Filton . Both devices were shown at the Paris Air Show on 7 and 8 June 1969 to the public.On October 1, 1969 broke Concorde 001, during the 45th test flight for the first time through the sound barrier . After a number of modifications to the engines followed Concorde 002 on 25 March 1970. It was intended that the British unit first Mach 2 would go, but the flight was terminated prematurely on October 30, 1970 due to fire in engine two. On November 4, 1970 both prototype took to the air with the intention that first the British and then would make the French unit Mach 2. Now faced with the British oil leakage after the French unit still first Mach -2 pulled, the British unit reached Mach 2 still on 12 November 1970. Concorde 001 (F-WTSS) began on September 4, 1971 at a demonstration and sales tour to South America. France flew from the device to the Cape Verde Islands and from there made ​​the crossing to South America and became the first trans-Atlantic flight. During the tour were Buenos Aires , Sao Paulo , Rio de Janeiro and Cayennedone. Concorde 002 (G-BSST) announced in 1972 a sales and demonstration tour to Asia and Australia. Among these, Tehran , Mumbai , Singapore , Tokyo ,Manila , Sydney and Dhahran visited.

[Pre-production edit ]
Pre-production aircraft lands on September 7, 1974 in Farnborough

After the prototypes were also a British and French pre-production unit built for expanding the test program. The pre-production aircraft have been improved in many respects compared to the prototypes, are hereby both research results and findings processed with the prototypes. The hull was 2.5 m longer, the visor in the moving nose was made transparent, the wing shape was modified on details and the engines were more powerful than the first ones. Like the prototypes were also pre-production aircraft equipped with all kinds of measurement film stock and two escape hatches allowing the crew in an emergency could leave the plane by parachute. The first pre-production aircraft, Concorde 101 (G-AXDN) left on September 20, 1971 the factory in Filton and announced on December 17, 1971 the first flight. On February 12, 1972 Concorde 101 first went through the sound barrier. The 101 was mainly used to test the engine under different operating conditions. The French pre-production aircraft, Concorde 102 (F-WTSA), rolled on September 28, 1972 from the factory and made its first flight on January 10, 1973. On February 23, the 102 flew nonstop from Toulouse to Iceland and back in 3 : 27 hours, this distance is equal to the distance Paris - New York. On March 3, a similar flight was performed from Toulouse to West Africa where at 3:38 pm 3900 miles, the distance of New York -Frankfurt am Main, was made. Lufthansa was apparently not persuasive because a month later she canceled her order. On September 18, the 102 moved to Las Palmas and flew from there to Caracas .On September 20, 1973 she was the main attraction at the opening of the airport, Dallas-Fort Worth. The 102 returned from Washington DC and flew on 26 September in a record time of 3:33 hours back to Paris. From February 7 to February 19, 1974 were cold tests at very low temperatures, performed in Fairbanks (Alaska ).

[Production edit ]
Construction drawing of the production aircraft

In April 1971 permission was given for the construction of Nos. 207 t / m 210 and for the procurement of materials for another six aircraft. On December 7, 1971 asked the British Minister of aerospace, Frederick Corfield, and the French Minister of Transport, Jean Chamant, the list price of a Concorde at £ 13 million. The first firm orders came on May 25, 1972 by BOAC [11] and July 28, 1972 by Air France for five and four aircraft. In 1972 joined Iran and China an aviation agreement which provided services between Tehran and both Shanghai and Beijing on the other. Geographically would Tehran overs can act at supersonic connection between Europe and China, which resulted in three preliminary purchase orders from CAAC, 2 on July 24, 1972 and one on 28 August 1972 and two preliminary purchase orders and one option of Iran Air on October 8 1972. This had increased the total number of orders and options to 75, but the signs of the big bang had already presented to the removal of an option by Pan Am in September. United Airlines pulled out when it became known that supersonic flights over US territory would not be allowed. Olympic Airways expressed interest in 2 sets and on January 5, 1973, the Concorde flew to Athens for a demonstration flight, but options or orders not arrived. The production plan foresaw the beginning of 1973 in the construction of 16 units, with the French and Chinese aircraft in Toulouse and the British and Iranian planes would be built in Filton. [12] Pan Am to doubt the profitability compared to her, when new, Boeing 747 that had to be filled. Pan Am and TWA withdrew all their options on January 31, 1973 and by the loss of these two intercontinental carriers was there for the other Americans also no reason to maintain the options. Even BOAC doubted she practiced the three outstanding options not get out and let the sale proceed only after government guarantees. The builders abolished the system with paid options will expire on March 30, 1973 and the payments were refunded. Optimistic counts were then to 24 aircraft including 10 options (Air India 2 1 Iran Air, Lufthansa and Qantas 3 4). Lufthansa withdrew its options after it appeared that the flight range was not sufficient to New York - Frankfurt am Main to pass under all circumstances nonstop. This would make a stopover in Shannon should be included to the time savings for a large part would be lost. Qantas canceled but not ordered nor further orders and stayed out. When as a result of the oil crisis, fuel prices rose sharply the high fuel consumption of the Concorde would make it unprofitable unit, for Onassis was the reason not to buy 2 units for Olympic Airways to proceed. The first production aircraft neared the end of 1973 the order book was almost finished but not exceeding 14 units and the project was in jeopardy. In July 1974 the British and French governments gave the green light to complete a total of sixteen aircraft (two already-built aircraft factory, the nine orders and five preliminary purchase contracts) and components for another six aircraft [13] . The odd numbers were built in Toulouse even numbers in Filton . The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was in 1974 on British Airways, but the records of the British Concordes are however related to BOAC. Iran Air first wanted landing rights in New York before would be passed to decrease around. After the Iranian revolution, the end of 1978, the entire order at issue and Iran Air canceled its aircraft permanently in February 1980. CAAC canceled two aircraft in December 1979 and the third unit in February 1980. Singapore Airlines have had to find the Concorde but saw After problems with countries on the route, on sale. British Caledonian had in the spring of 1979 also plans to purchase two Concordes for its services to West Africa and later possibly also to North and South America. British Caledonian saw them off because of high fuel costs. [15] The five unsold units were more or less at Air France and British Airways imposed for 1 FFR respectively 1 GBP each because there were not finding buyers, were later also the factory gears at Air France and British Airways passed so that they possessed both about 8 devices. Ultimately, the project cost £ 1.3 billion, almost ten times the original budget, revenues did not exceed 6% of the budget, namely the nine units sold at list price.

Certification [ edit ]
Cockpit of Concorde

To obtain a certificate of airworthiness was in addition to the technical conditions also demanded that the airline showed that they were the plane into the intended routes capable. For this purpose had to be made 1000 flying hours, but by the test results of this Concorde 102 was reduced to 750 hours. Aerospatiale and Air France made above between May 28 and August 2, 1975 124 flights with Concorde 203 (F-BTSC). It was from Paris to Dakar and Rio de Janeiro flown via Dakar,Caracas was through Lisbon and reached Gander directly from Paris. In addition, several rounds were flown over the Mediterranean Sea and over the Atlanticnon-stop to Iceland and back. BAC and British Airways made ​​130 flights between July 7 and September 13, 1975 by Concorde 204 (G-BOAC). These rounds were flown from London over the Atlantic and also from Bahrain and Singapore were done several tours. Besides these scenic flights several return trips were made ​​between London and Beirut , Bahrain and Bombay , Singapore and Bombay , Kuala Lumpur and Bombay , Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain , Singapore and Melbourneand Singapore and Kuala Lumpur . During this route tests it came to light that the automatic pilot had problems with maintaining at a constant speed. As the Mach number is also dependent on the temperature of the Mach-hold command led to unintended rise and fall as well as speed differences as a result of temperature fluctuations. This problem was resolved and on October 9, 1975 the Concorde acquired the French airworthiness British airworthiness followed on December 5, 1975.

Air Services [ edit ]
Landing of the Concorde encountered scattered local opposition because of the noise , air pollution and potential safety risks. Economic interests were also sometimes a reason to work against the Concorde. This were the first flights to destinations outside the United States instead. On 21 January 1976, leaving a British Airways Concorde from London to Bahrain, and left an Air France Concorde from Paris to Rio de Janeiro .In fact, the unit was at that time already unprofitable by increased fuel prices.

Air France [ edit ]
Air France Concorde takes off in Osaka

With great resistance to the SST in the United States landing rights were not around when the Concordes on January 21, 1976 began scheduled flights. Air France was the opening flight therefore not to New York and opted to take place, not at all coincidentally, Brazil. France had already want to start January 4 but waited until the British were also completed preparations for their first flight. Concorde 205 (F-BVFA) took 7:03 hours on the route Paris - Rio de Janeiro this including the stopover in Dakar which took an hour. On April 9, 1976, Air France began its second Concorde service, now in Caracas with a stopover in the Azores . [16] The services to Rio de Janeiro and Caracas were maintained until April 1, 1982. On May 24, 1976, there was permission for Concorde flights to Washington, this was planned a simultaneous arrival with British Airways. In Washington, the Concordes were their noses at each other for a futuristic train station parked yielding beautiful pictures anyway. Air France was here faced with the problem then why Lufthansa had dropped out.The flight range was just enough for the distance Paris - Washington, but to be carried only 80 passengers to remain within the safety margins could. The weight saving remained so doing enough fuel reserve on for emergencies. British Airways was able to sell all 100 seats because London is approximately 250 km closer. The first flight to New York only came on November 22, 1977 also with a common destination with British Airways service to New York was continued until 25 July 2000. After the flight ban caused by the disaster at Gonesse service was on November 7, 2001 resumes and permanently discontinued on May 31, 2003. As of September 20, 1978 was flown from Washington to Mexico City . [17] The direct connection Paris - Washington was on March 30, 1981 a stopover in New York on November 1, 1982 Air France stopped all flights to or from Washington. The Shah of Persia in 1978 hired regularly by Air France Concorde to fly in guests from Paris toTeheran or the holiday island of Kish . The first flight took place on 24 January 1978 Concorde 209 (F-BVFC) which took 3:15 hours on the flight from Paris to Kish.

Disaster in 2000 [ edit ]
On July 25 2000 were 113 people (100 passengers, 9 crew members and four people on the ground) was killed in a disaster with a Concorde of Air France . The unit took off from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airportwith a burning tank, even an attempted emergency landing to make, but lost control and fell backwards down an outbuilding of a hotel in the village of Gonesse, just northeast of Paris. The British Airways Concordes and the remaining five Air France Concordes were taken immediately after the accident on the ground. British Airways, however, took the decision after considering the risks, a day later again to carry out commercial flights. On 16 August 2000 the BA Concordes were by aviation authorities held on the ground by the withdrawal of the certificate of airworthiness. According to a research report published later was the Concorde driven at the start of a metal bracket (loose from an engine of a DC-10 that had taken off moments before) lying on the runway. This snapped a tie and beat the landing gear pieces of that band at the left (also fuel tank). This caused a shock wave, whereby the fuel tank tore. The leaking fuel began to burn by sparks from the wiring of the landing gear which was also damaged during the blowout. Moreover, pieces of rubber came via the air intake in the two left engines find who dropped thereby. Because the landing gear could not be retracted air resistance was so great that the two remaining engines could no longer keep airborne unit. The fire itself destroyed in a short time the controls on the left. The loss of thrust and maneuverability the plane was no longer in keeping the air and collapsed within a minute after takeoff down.

Continental was fined worth 200,000 euros, but this has been reversed on appeal. [18] A service technician was sentenced to a prison sentence of fifteen months probation. The European aeronautics consortium EADS was sentenced by the court to pay compensation to survivors.

British Airways [ edit ]
British Airways Concorde in the livery of 1976-1980

British Airways Concorde in the livery of 1985-1999

British Airways had several destinations in mind for the Concorde, which the transatlantic flights were the most promising. In the spring of 1976, British Airways has published a list of planned destinations and a comparison of flight times to and from London. [19] Just as Air France, British Airways had to settle for an inaugural flight to a destination other than New York . For this, was chosen for the first stage of the route to Australia that Bahrain was the first destination Concorde from British Airways. Concorde 206 (G-BOAA) took 3:38 hours flight London - Bahrain.The other destinations on the list were still subject to approval of the countries along the route. Bahrain was not optimal because over France, Switzerland and northern Italy could not be flown supersonic so only south of Venice over the Adriatic, the speed really came in. Saudi Arabia had initially allowed to fly supersonic over land but pulled it back in 1980. Singapore and Melbourne to be the next destinations of this route (see Singapore Airlines). The route toJohannesburg would be flown with a stopover in Lagos, British Airways held in 1982 for the portion London - Lagos yet to start but saw still there from. [6]For the route to Tokyo saw Japan Airlines polar route for Concorde in 1973, though not sit and shortest routes were over land. The route via Tehran and China might be a possibility. The proposed indeed shortest route to a refueling stop in Novosibirsk was almost adventurous. The Soviet Union would have had to allow a Western aircraft, like fighter jets, supersonic would fly over its territory, this route has not been established. [20] The United States gave in spring 1976 permission for flights to Washington . On May 24, 1976, the first flight from London to Washington instead, [21] British Airways maintained that service until 1 November 1994. New York followed, after several lawsuits, until November 22, 1977, [17] This service was maintained until 15 August 2000. The suspension was due to the disaster at Gonesse, the service was resumed on November 7, 2001 and terminated on 24 October 2003. From December 12, 1987 until August 30, 2003 A service was maintained between London and Barbados which also number of passengers was restricted. In the summer of 1988 British Airways conducted a number of services between London and Dallas Fort-worth.

Singapore Airlines [ edit ]
Singapore Airlines Concorde (G-BOAD) at Heathrow in 1979

Singapore was from the outset a planned stopover for flights from London to Melbourne . After all ordered by British Airways aircraft were delivered was also the route to Australia are undertaken. The existing service to Bahrain would be extended for this purpose. British Airways teamed up with Singapore Airlines for a shared service implementation and Concorde 210 was on the port side painted in the colors of Singapore Airlines, which they entered the third and final airline was a Concorde in its colors. The joint service London - Bahrain - Singapore Airlines and British Airways cabin crew delivered the fliers. Singapore Airlines wanted two aircraft, including gliders, rent manufacturers. They could not guarantee that they are four years pilots and maintenance could provide, so the 9V 9V SIA and SIB were not there. The service was launched on December 9, 1977 but already stopped after a week because Malaysia with environmental arguments banned overflights. [22] On December 16, 1977 were three round trips carried out when the service was suspended. The Singapore Airlines Concorde was integrated into the timetable of British Airways. Singapore Airlines meant a huge advertising in the United States because there with "her" Concorde was seen. After a year of negotiations with Malaysia on the approach routes Singapore Airlines resumed service on 24 January 1979. [23] The agreement with Malaysia meant no rest, India, ever self SST candidate, wanted in exchange for supersonic flights over its territory extra landing rights, which They did not, for Air India in London and Saudi Arabia also declined to authorize more. [24] The additional subsonic pathways provided extra fuel consumption and additional flight. The remaining time savings for passengers apparently weighed against the higher ticket price and capacity utilization also declined. Losses ran up and stopped on November 1, 1980 Singapore Airlines and British Airways with service London - Bahrain - Singapore. The planned extension to Sydney and Melbourne to Darwin has never been established. [23]

Braniff [ edit ]
Braniff had canceled the options at that time but still wanted to fly with the unit. For the connection between Dallas / Ft. Worth Europe and the existing service was in Washington on January 12, 1979 extended a subsonic range above the United States. Braniff flew own crew member between Dallas and Washington was doing, even though it was flown at Mach 0.95, about fifteen minutes shorter than other subsonic aircraft.Travel agents received information and advertising material with a photomontage of a Concorde Braniff livery. Private aircraft were not and it was intended to provide some Concordes in the summer of 1980 of the Braniff livery. The service implementation was made ​​possible by the incoming planes in Washington to hire British Airways or Air France. Because the Singaporean Concorde meedraaide British Airways also prevented unit regularly in Dallas / Ft.Worth. The aircraft came from within Europe with a French or British registration. As a US company with a US registration if flies were the aircraft turned-registered through a sticker in Washington. [25] The American part was flown with N-94FC as registration, the piece to Paris again received F-BVFC as registration. The British were somewhat more pragmatic by changing the registration integrally example G-N94AD did and then within the United States only to tape the G-. The time savings in the United States was marginal but Texas this did have a fast connection to Europe. Braniff wanted to extend the service to several Central American destinations, but that there was no longer, by the low capacity utilization Braniff stopped on June 1, 1980 with the Concorde. This also fell refinishing Braniff colors, there has never flown in a Concorde Braniff livery.

The end in 2003 [ edit ]
Landing at the last flight

Although the Concorde made ​​it possible for a passenger to fly one day to New York, there to do business and still return the same day, many business travelers found the rate still too high; a return ticket London-New York cost € 11,000. When fuel prices rose even further was stopped in October 2003 with dailytransatlantic flights . That was the end of the Concorde, which was defeated by the slower but much cheaper widebody airplanes like the Boeing 747 . To keep in the air five Concorde had Appliances Air France 200 people. [source?] The disaster in 2000 led to lower passenger numbers and higher maintenance costs, and thus has contributed to the accelerated termination of the Concorde program in 2003. On 31 May 2003 led Air France Concorde flight from the last. On October 24, 2003 it was the turn of British Airways to bid farewell to the Concorde. [26] The last commercial flight was conducted between London and New York . The return flight to London, which was intended for guests, there was (being) an end to the supersonic era in civil aviation, which lasted a total of 28 years.

Museums [ edit ]
Since the end of 2000 is a copy of the Concorde drafted in the German Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim, but the first prototype (French 001) in March 1969 flew the first, is installed in the aviation museum at the airport of Le Bourget ; The second prototype (English 002) is in the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton ,Somerset (UK), while British Airways Concorde 216 (G-BFKX) was on November 26, 2003 flew back from London to Filton where he (in 1979 ) is built; at British Aerospace / Airbus in Bristol . This led concorde 216 the last ever Concorde flight out. [27]

Another copy, serial number 210 (G-BOAD), BA is seen in downtown New York. It has been prepared by the "sea air and space" museum "The Intrepid Experience". At the Blagnac airport near Toulouse, in the grounds of the Airbus A330 factories, is still an Air France machine (F-BVFC) drafted, which can be visited by the public as part of a tour.

A copy of the Concorde, the supersonic plane that was taken in 2003 after more than three decades of service out of circulation, has a large audience received a place in the future aviation museum Aeroscopia in Blagnac, near Toulouse in southwestern France

Successor [ edit ]
In June 2005 announced France and Japan, together to develop a successor to the Concorde. This supersonic airliner should get 300 seats, three times as many as the Concorde. [28] [29]

Future [ edit ]
In late May 2010 it was announced that researchers from the British Save Concorde Group and the French organization Olympus 593 successfully tested the engines of a French Concorde. [30] In these assays are no major technical faults found and this would mean that the Concorde the future without problems can fly again. Following the test looks at how the device can be ready to start again, followed by a road test and a possible flight. [31]

The ultimate goal was in 2012 to fly again, incidentally, it is intended that the supersonic aircraft would only be used in the future for special events. Thus, the initiators wanted to fly the unit during the opening ofLondon Olympics in 2012. This is not happened.

[Trivia edit ]
The Concorde flew so fast that a flight from Europe to the United States, because of the time difference, according to local time hours rather than arrived at departure from Europe. Passengers who flew just after sunset from London or Paris to New York, therefore saw the sun rise in the west. [32]

See also [ edit ]

 * Tupolev Tu-144, Russia's supersonic passenger aircraft that is very similar to the Concorde.
 * Aerion AS2