In the Beginning - 1950s
The Concorde’s name symbolizes the collaboration between the aircraft industries and governments of the United Kingdom and France, a partnership dubbed 'The Great Collaboration.'
The project’s origins trace back to the early 1950s when Sir Arnold Hall asked Welsh aeronautical engineer Morien Morgan to form a committee to explore the potential of supersonic transport (SST). The group met for the first time in February 1954, and after much discussion and deliberation, delivered their first report in April of the following year. Their recommendations outlined a design that looked very similar to an enlarged Avro 730, but concluded that the concept of an SST was unfeasible due to challenges such as long take-off runs and high landing speeds.
However, in 1956, scientists at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough published a series of new reports on a revolutionary 'wing planform', known in the UK as the 'slender-delta concept'. This led to renewed interest in supersonic designs. On 1st October 1956, the Ministry of Supply asked Morgan to form a new study group, the Supersonic Transport Advisory Committee (STAC), with the explicit goal of developing a practical SST design and finding industry partners to build it.
In 1959, a study contract was awarded to Hawker Siddeley and to Bristol Aeroplane Company for preliminary designs based on the slender delta concept. These were initially developed as the HSA1000 and the Bristol Type 198. Meanwhile, Armstrong Whitworth had also responded with their own internal design (based on the M-Wing) and specifically targeted the lower-speed shorter-range category. Even at this early time, both the STAC group and the government were looking for major partners to develop the designs. In September 1959, Hawker Siddeley approached Lockheed in the USA whilst following the creation of the British Aircraft Corporation in 1960, the Bristol Division immediately started talks with US giants Boeing, General Dynamics and Douglas Aircraft, as well as Sud Aviation in France.
Political and economic concerns in France, had led them to hold their own SST Design Contest, which had been won by the Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle. In April 1960 however, Sud’s Technical Director was sent to discuss a potential partnership with the BAC Design Team, who were surprised to find that Sud had designed a very similar aircraft to their initial plans. During the months that followed, both sets of engineers found that they had much to agree on. For instance, the French had admitted that they had no modern large jet engines available, and that they had already decided they would need to buy a British design. After much political and economic posturing, the Development Committee negotiated an 'International Treaty' between the two countries, rather than relying on any form of agreement between two commercial companies. On 29th November 1962, a draft treaty was signed.
Design Begins – 1962
Both countries lacked experience in supersonic airframes, leading to the choice of an ogee-shaped wing for the aircraft. The UK focused on a 150-passenger transatlantic design, while the French were deliberately avoiding this specification entirely, as it considered it economically unviable. Eventually, a single design emerged, differing primarily in fuel loading, and powered by Bristol Siddeley Olympus engines. Initially, the aircraft was named 'Concord' in the UK and 'Concorde' in France, but the UK government later adopted the French spelling, claiming the 'e' stood for ‘Excellence, England, Europe, and Entente Cordiale.’
Development and Production – 1965
In February 1965, the construction of two prototypes began: Concorde 001 being built by Aerospatiale (formerly SUD Aviation) in Toulouse and Concorde 002 by BAC in Filton. The collaboration between the two nations was complex, with differences in measurement systems and engineering practices. The production process would later become the subject of many publications detailing the challenges of managing two different systems.
She Flies – 1969
Despite such difficulties, Concorde 001 made its first flight on 2nd March 1969, piloted by André Turcat and subsequently went supersonic on 1st October 1969. Concorde 002 followed with its first flight on 9th April 1969, piloted by Brian Trubshaw. Over the next decade, 20 aircraft were built, consisting of two prototypes, two pre-production models, and 16 production aircraft (of which only 14 entered into commercial service).
After almost seven years of testing and route proving, commercial flights began in 1976 on routes between London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio. Of the 14 customer aircraft, seven each were delivered to Air France and to British Airways. Both Air France and British Airways received considerable government subsidies in order to purchase the aircraft and the final overall cost of the project was said to be in the region on £1.3 billion, which represented a substantial economic loss on both sides of the channel.
Perhaps the biggest issue for Concorde was the ban imposed by the US Congress on landings in the USA, mainly due to concerns raised by American voters over sonic booms which would have been created over mainland routes. This decision prevented the launch of coveted North Atlantic routes and dissuaded any potential purchases from American airlines. Despite this, limited US services were eventually granted, and Concorde began flights to Washington in May 1976.
Among other destinations, Concorde flew regular transatlantic flights from London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to New York-JFK, Washington Dulles and to the holiday island of Barbados; it flew these routes in less than half the time of other airliners, with Concorde flying at over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph). Over time, the aircraft operation became profitable when it found a wealthy customer-base willing to pay for flights, on what was for most of its career the fastest commercial aircraft in the world.
Despite orders being placed by 17 different airlines, for 74 aircraft over the next 27 years, Concorde only ever flew commercially in just 4 individual airline liveries. British Airways and Air France were the largest operators of course, with Singapore Airlines and Braniff International Airways both operating just one individual aircraft on a short term lease.
A Giant Leap Backwards
Concorde was retired in 2003, following the type’s only crash in Paris on 25th July 2000, and the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The commercial aviation downturn and costly overhauls for the remaining aircraft made the business case for continuing flights unviable. Many have equated the retirement of Concorde represented a 'giant leap backwards' although it must always be remembered that it represented so many 'giant leaps forward' as well. Despite its retirement, Concorde remains a symbol of engineering achievement, often referred to as a 'giant leap forward' in aviation. The remaining aircraft were placed in notable locations worldwide, ensuring their legacy as an icon of innovation.