What did a Concorde takeoff feel like?

What did a Concorde takeoff feel like? NOVA: What did a passenger feel on takeoff? Calvert: Even on the smoothest runway Concorde vibrated a lot on takeoff. If you sat in the way back of the cabin while the plane was taking off you could see that the entire 150-foot cabin was whipping up and down in the fishing-rod motion I described.

Why did the Concorde have a bent nose?

But Concorde's long, pointed nose had a hinge. As the plane took off, landed, and taxied, the pilots tilted its nose forward so that they could see the runway. For supersonic flight, the nose was hydraulically lifted, streamlining the plane's shape and allowing it to efficiently pierce the air.

Did Concorde use afterburners?

Afterburning was added to Concorde for take-off to cope with weight increases that came after the initial design. It was also used to accelerate through the high-drag transonic speed range, not because the extra thrust was required, but because it was available and improved the operating economics.

What are some fun facts about the Concorde?

Only 20 Concordes were ever built. The standard return fare from London to New York was £6,636 in 2003. Concorde guzzled a staggering 25,629 litres of fuel per hour. Over one million bottles of champagne have been consumed on Concorde passenger flights.

How loud was Concorde taking off?

The Concorde was famously loud: a take-off at Washington airport in 1977 measured 119.4 decibels. By comparison, a clap of thunder hits 120 decibels while the pain threshold for the human ear is around 110.

Could you hear the sonic boom on the Concorde?

People inside the plane didn't hear a thing. In fact, the transition to supersonic flight was so unimpressive that they decided to install a “mach meter” inside the passenger cabin so that people would know then they passed the speed of sound.

Could you hear a Concorde from the ground?

Below Mach 1.3, this would dissipate in the atmosphere, but Concorde could 'supercruise' at Mach 2, twice the speed of sound, causing a noise like a thunderclap to be heard on the ground.

Which celebrities flew on Concorde?

Concorde was also popular with the Queen and celebrities. Joan Collins travelled with the aircraft so frequently that she became something of an ambassador for the service. Other notable passengers included Elton John, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery.

Did Concorde stretch in flight?

The high temperatures also caused Concorde's titanium and steel skin to expand—the plane stretched as much as ten inches in length during flight. A specially developed white paint accommodated this stretching and dissipated the heat generated by supersonic speeds.

How much did a Concorde ticket cost?

Such speed didn't come cheap, though: A transatlantic flight required the high-maintenance aircraft to gulp jet fuel at the rate of one ton per seat, and the average round-trip price was $12,000.

Was Concorde comfortable to fly in?

flying on the Concorde was not a comfortable experience. this ultra fast supersonic jet. was once revered as the future of business travel, but its interior felt more like flying in a shoebox.

Why is Concorde so special?

Concorde used the most powerful pure jet engines flying commercially. The Aircraft's four engines took advantage of what is known as 'reheat' technology, adding fuel to the final stage of the engine, which produced the extra power required for take-off and the transition to supersonic flight.

Did Concorde ever make a profit?

BA never suffered a serious accident with its seven strong fleet. Concorde service was profitable by the late 1980s and if not for the economic downturn and Air France Concorde crash of 2000, may have survived to this day.

How fast was the Concorde vs 747?

The aircraft quickly proved itself unquestionably as it reached speeds of up to 1,354 mph. To put that into context, that is around 800 mph faster than a Boeing 747 and over 350 mph faster than the earth spins on its axis!

How many Concordes are left?

Concorde is sadly no longer flying, but it is still possible to visit some of the remaining 18 airframes, there are others not open to the public but you can still see them.

Did the Concorde have a bathroom?

Bathroom: The smallest room on Concorde was also a squeeze. Su Marshall, who flew on the airplane, said she was advised by a regular passenger to go before takeoff as the size made it impossible to pee once in the air.

How many Concordes were actually built?

Twenty Concorde aircraft were built, six for development and 14 for commercial service. All of these, except two of the production aircraft, are preserved. One aircraft was scrapped in 1994, and another was destroyed in the Air France Flight 4590 crash in 2000.