Remember the Concorde plane and the sonic booms created by its supersonic flights? Recently a video showing the real noise of a Concorde plane breaking the sound barrier went viral online. With their sharp looks and incredible speed, these supersonic airliners could travel from London to New York in less than three hours, making them a visual spectacle to watch.
The Concorde was an Anglo-French supersonic airliner built collaboratively by teams in the United Kingdom and France. This collaboration resulted in one of the most spectacular aviation inventions of all time. The development of these airlines began in 1954, with the maiden test flight taking place in 1969. The commercial launch took place in 1976. The initiative cost an estimated £70 million (approx. Rs 740 crore), which, adjusted for inflation, is worth up to £1.4 billion (Rs 1,480 crore).
They would carry 100 passengers and use four Rolls-Royce jet engines to achieve supersonic speeds. At 60,000 feet altitude, the plane’s speeds of up to Mach 2.04 (1,350 mph) may be maintained during super cruise.
When they broke the speed of sound (660 mph), the sounds they created were absolutely huge, leaving onlookers in amazement to see the airliner break the sound barrier.
Have a look at the same in the YouTube video below:
However, sometimes this loud ‘boom’ sound elicited concern from individuals on the ground, as it could be disruptive and even startling to unsuspecting persons. Another issue with these flights was that the Concorde also required more fuel compared to other planes.
The flight was able to sit in ‘super cruise’ mode without using its afterburners, which meant it only consumed half of its fuel for take-off and landing. It would cover 22.5 miles per minute, but its use sparked a lot of noise and environmental protests at airports. Those inside the planes were unconcerned, since screens displayed the Mach number, altitude, and temperature. Isn’t that quite fascinating?
Sales were never an issue in the 1980s and 1990s, either, as former captain John Hutchinson said that they charged passengers £4000-5000 (approximately Rs 4,20,000-Rs 5,29,000) per ticket as they believed that was how much they cost when asked, reported Ladbible.
So, you must be wondering why these planes aren’t around anymore.
According to reports by Ladbible, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde airliner, crashed shortly after take-off in July 2000, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. It collided with a hotel after hitting a metal strip on the runway, which punctured a tyre and sent rubber into the wing, damaging the fuel tank.
The airliner was set alight before its crash, and it nearly collided with an Air France Boeing 747 carrying French President Jacques Chirac. Post the mishap, Concorde flights were suspended until 2001. Later, it was retired for good in 2003.
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