Concorde Supersonic Airplane

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“Concorde” Supersonic Airplane Jay Nguyen Enmore Design One of a kind, the only supersonic commercial aircraft in the history of aviation, “Concorde“, was a big technological achievement, an aircraft made beyond its time. The staggering high cost of fuel, environmental opposition and inability to obtain permission to fly supersonically over land lead to economical failure instead of its huge development difficulties and costs. In this essay I will seek to critically examine of explanation for “Concorde failure“ and also consider the impact of Concorde design in our society and future aircraft industry all over the world. The idea of a supersonic aircraft had started as early as 1943 but not yet develop until 1950’s (1). After World War II ended in 1945 , the technological competing between big economy countries such as Britain, France, Soviet and America started to get stronger. The big four airlines in the world were BAC in Britain, Sud Aviation in France and two other from Soviet and America was interested in developing a supersonic transport and hope to take place as a leader in the “Cold War”. Meanwhile British Airways and Air France both were working on the design called Type 233 and Super-Caravelle (2). In early 1960’s when both designs are ready to start Prototype construction but seem like only Britain and France have enough interest to make it happen (3). Soviet and America left out with much less interest. They both were more focus on the “Space Race” try to send the first man on the Moon to assert their dominant and technological leader (4). The cost was so great that the companies and governments between those countries Britain and France decided to join forces. . A draft treaty was signed on November 28, 1962 (5). By this time both companies had been merged into new ones and the Concorde project was thus a part of the British Aircraft

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