Concorde

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 reheat-equipped engines originally developed for the Avro Vulcan strategic bomber. It was 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.

Technological features

Many features common in the early 21st century airliners were first used in Concorde.

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For speed optimization:

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• double-delta (ogive) shaped wings
• afterburning Rolls-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:

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• 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.

Related Topics:
Airbus - Snecma Moteurs - GE - CFM International CFM56

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Although Concorde was a technological marvel when introduced into service in the early 1970s, thirty years later its cockpit cluttered with analogue dials and switches looks very dated. With no competition in either type or airline service, there was no commercial pressure to upgrade Concorde with new avionics or passenger comforts, as occurred with other airliners of the same vintage.

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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.

Related Topics:
BAE Systems - EADS - Type certificate - Airbus

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