Why was Concorde so high off the ground?
Why was Concorde so high off the ground? Aerodynamics requires that all delta-winged aircraft like Concorde have a high nose up angle when landing. If they didn't have a long undercarriage, the tail would hit the ground. Likewise, the long undercarriage gives clearance for the tail when rotating for take off.
Is the Concorde faster than a fighter jet?
So, to answer the question, yes, some fighter jets are faster than the Concorde. However, it is important to note that the Concorde was primarily designed for passenger travel, not for combat or aerial maneuvers.
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.
How loud was Concorde on take-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.
Why did Concorde fly higher?
The higher the plane flew, the thinner the air was, preventing drag from slowing the plane down. Decreasing drag drastically lowered Concorde fuel costs, a critical component of ensuring profitability for a gas-guzzling supersonic jet.
Why was Concorde really grounded?
The jet only had to fly at 50% capacity to break even. The plane was grounded after an accident shortly after takeoff in July of 2000 that killed all 109 people on board and four people on the ground. The official investigation blamed a titanium strip that fell from a Continental plane minutes earlier.
Could Concorde crash have been avoided?
Despite the crew being trained and certified, no plan existed for the simultaneous failure of two engines on the runway, as it was considered highly unlikely. Aborting the takeoff would have led to a high-speed runway excursion and collapse of the landing gear, which also would have caused the aircraft to crash.
Why is Concorde nose gear so far back?
Placing the nose gear farther in front would have reduced the weight distribution under the 10% of the previous point 1. and it would have reduced the manoeuvrability on the ground as given in 3.
Will the Concorde ever fly again?
Technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles make a return to the skies extremely unlikely. Concorde is an aircraft that captures the imagination and is instantly recognizable even to non-aviation fanatics.
Will anything replace Concorde?
Boom Supersonic's Overture plane is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026 and expected to carry passengers by 2029. Capable of flying at speeds of Mach 1.7 – twice the speed of today's fastest airliners – Overture will be able to connect more than 500 destinations in nearly half the time.
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.
Did Concorde create a sonic boom?
The Concorde carried out supersonic flights until 2003, when it was retired. Also, because the plane flew faster than the speed of sound, it created a sonic boom, an explosive noise caused by shock waves that were a nuisance to people on the ground.
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.
What was the takeoff speed of the Concorde?
About Concorde With a take-off speed of 220 knots (250mph) and a cruising speed of 1350mph – more than twice the speed of sound - a typical London to New York crossing would take a little less than three and a half hours, as opposed to about eight hours for a subsonic flight.
How many Concordes still exist?
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.
Why is supersonic flight banned?
Fifty years ago, the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land. The rule prohibits non-military aircraft from flying faster than sound so their resulting sonic booms won't startle the public below or concern them about potential property damage.