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Concorde Supersonic Airliner
The Concorde was a supersonic transport (SST) that was a joint development by France's Aérospatiale and the UK's BAC (British Aircraft Corporation). Its maiden flight was in 1969, and went into passenger service from 1976-2003.
213 Questions
Why was the Concorde jet removed from operation?
The Concorde was a successful aircraft design in that it could break the sound barrier. However the main reason it was decomissioned was cost. They were too expensive to fly and maintain. The Concorde required lots of fuel to cruise above the speed of sound and other maintanence and engineering issues proved to be too expensive to employ. But there is research being done by big aircraft manufacturers to design a supersonic transport like the Concorde. Hopefully these can carry more passengers for cheaper and give everyone a chance to break the sound barrier.
The plane breaking the sound barrier over land caused a lot of damage. It was limited to Atlantic Ocean fly overs, and did not carry enough fuel to fly over the Pacific Ocean. The cost of the fuel was more expensive than the money it could make from business travelers. Eventually it proved to be too expensive to fly.
Operational cost is the main reason for that
It cost an absolute fortune to operate. BA have been making a loss for years. (Not sure about Air France) After the September attacks, fewer people flew. This compounded the problem. So when a Concorde crashed it was seen as a good enough reason to cut off a huge drain on the company finances. It was more profitable to fly in a normal aircraft like the Boeing 747 and so on.
Did concord break the sound barrier?
Yes. The Concorde jet is the only passenger jet that has exceeded the Sound Barrier. The speed of the flight must exceed atleast 720 miles per hour and the Concorde can almost double that. Since there is a booming noise that is loud enough to shake houses, the Concorde is only allowed to fly over the ocean. It travels from New York to Europe, or vice versa.
What was the first supersonic passenger flight?
The Tupolev Tu-144 holds the title for the first supersonic passenger flight, ahead of the Concorde. However, the Tu-144 also holds the dubious distinction of being the first to end supersonic passenger service, lasting only 55 flights.
What is special about the Concorde?
Concorde went mach 2 that's twice the speed of sound, it carried people that fast. Really I think its amazing!
Concorde had a maximum range of approximately 4,500 miles (about 7,250 kilometers) when fully loaded. This allowed it to operate transatlantic flights, such as from London to New York, which typically took around 3.5 hours. The aircraft's design and performance enabled it to cruise at speeds of up to Mach 2.04, significantly reducing travel time on long-distance routes. However, its operational range could vary based on passenger load and other factors.
When did Concorde go out of service?
Air France and British Airways retired the Concorde SST in October, 2003. It was retired because of safety issues and high maintenance costs.
When did the Concorde plane crash?
Concorde's Air France Flight no. 4590 crashed in Gonesse France on 25th July 2000
Air France Flight 4590 crashed on July 25, 2000 in Gonesse, France.
All 109 people on the Concord, and 4 people on the ground were killed.
The Concorde (Concord by the British spelling) is certificated to fly at a maximum altitude of 60,000 feet. It normally cruises at between 55,000 and 60,000 feet.
British Air also used the French spelling Concorde.
The Concorde's maximum cruise altitude was 18,300 metres (60,000 feet), and its speed was an average cruise speed of Mach 2.02 (about 2,140 km/h or 1,330 mph).
When did the Concorde go out of service?
Due to the Air France 4590 crash, 9/11 attacks, and a decision by airbus to discontinue service resulted in British Airways and Air France retiring their concordes in October 2003
