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CONCORDE HISTORY

(1st shutter of our Concorde Report)

Launching of the project and design
1958 First studies in France and the United Kingdom of a supersonic airliner
June and July 1961 First meets Franco British on a project of supersonic
11/29/1962 The French and British governments sign an agreement for the design and the manufacture of a supersonic airliner
05/02/1963 Cut out first sheet
June 1963 BOAC and Air France as Pan American sign options to buy
July 1964 The engine Olympus 593 extrapolated of bomber TSR1 is in end of track for a first test
April 1965 Machining of the first parts of the prototype
October 1965 Start of the assembly
November 1965 The version 593B of the Olympus engine makes its first fixed point, it acts almost of the engine of series
March 1966 Thermal test of the wing a part of 16 tons in Toulouse
April 1966 Beginning of the final assembly of prototype 001 in Toulouse
June 1966 The simulator of study enters in service
6/15/1966 The Olympus engine equipped with a conduit with variable section is ignited for the first time at factory SECMA of Melun-Villaroche
August 1966 Beginning of the assembly finale of prototype 002 with Bristol-board-Filton
September 1966 The Olympus engine equipped with its conduit with variable section is assembled under the fuselage of a bomber "Vulcan" the flight test of the real engine in situation starts
December 1966 Mechanical test of the whole of the fuselage in Royal Aircrat Establishment in Farnborought
february 1967 A model to propose interior installations is presented at the airline companies
April 1967 First test of the Olympus engine in room of altitude in Saclay
12/11/1967 Agree 001 fate of its Hangar, its F-wtss registration leaves the hangar. Generic TSS SST name for supersonic airliner
12/11/1967 Agree with an E becomes the final name of supersonic Franco-British
January 1968 The aft section of the Olympus engines is ready A being assembled on prototype 001
2/04/1968 First point fixes engines of prototype 001
   

FIRST REAL TEST
   
8/20/1968 First rolling test low speed
12/31/1968 First flight of Tupolev 144, the Russian challenger (just in time ? or before the time)
2/17/1969 Rolling test high Speed
   

The FIRST TAKEOFF

3/02/1969 First 42 minutes Flight of the 001. One still remembers the enthusiastic report of French reportor Albert Ducro on the Seventies radio
3/02/1969 The first flight was carried out with André Turcat, Jacques Guignars, Michel Rétif and Henri Perrier
March 1969 Agreement of the French and British government for the production of two Concorde of pre series, two for static tests and 3 of series
4/09/1969 First flight of the prototype 002 G-bsst with FairFord. With the order Brian Trubshaw and John Cochrane assisted of the flight engineers Brian and Watts
June 1969 The two Concordes are presented at the show of Le Bourget. The demonstration époustouflante A can be thorough Soviet beyond the possibilities of Tupolev 144 which is dislocated and exploded at the court of its demonstration in flight
10/1/1969 Concorde 001 crossed the wall of the sound (MACH 1)
11/8/1969 The pilots appointed by the customer companies (Air France, BOAC, SIDE AM, TWA) make a flight in Toulouse at Mach 1,3
December 1969 Order by France of the production aircraft 4,5 and 6
February 1970 Endurance test of a Olympus engine during 300 hours
   

Crossing Of the wall of the sound

3/25/1970 Concorde 002 break the wall of the sound Mach 1
11/04/1970 Concorde 001 at MACH 2
11/12/1970 Concorde 002 at MACH 2
3/24/1971 The American government edge its research programme for a supersonic aircraft SST (the beginning of the commercial war about Concorde)
April 1971 Authorization of construction of the production aircraft number 6 to 10
5/07/1971 George Pompidou (president T of the French republic) made a supersonic flight on board Concorde 00
5/13/1971 First landing in automatic mode of Concorde 001
5/25/1971 Concorde 001 fact a first international flight for demonstration - Paris Dakar in 2H52 minutes of which 2H7 in supersonic flight
June 1971 New presentation with the show of Le Bourget with several demonstrations  flights
August 1971 The 100ème flight at MACH 2 of Concorde
12/12/1971 George Pompidou joined in the Azores Richard Nixon in Concorde
12/17/1971 Concorde 01 of preproduction makes its first flight of Fulton with Fairford
4/13/1972 The French and British governments authorize the construction of the section 11 à16
5/16/1972 The two prototypes of preproduction reached 1000 Hours of flight
6/02/1972 Concorde 002 made a world round demonstration of 1 month (72000 km) which will carry out it to Japan and in Australia

BOAC ORDERS 5 Concordes

6/28/1972 BOAC which will become British Airways announces the order of 5 Concordes
/7/28/1972 Air France orders 4 deliverable Concordes in 1975
1/10/1973 Concorde 02 of preproduction makes its first flight in Toulouse with final engines, Rolls Royce Olympus 593-602 of 17,2 tons push
2/23/1973 Concorde 02 fact a course of 6000 km in direction of Iceland with Toulouse return is the equivalent of a flight towards New York, in 3 hours 27m, including 2 hours 9m at MACH 2
6/30/1973 Concorde 001 takes along a group of French, English and American scientist to observe a sun eclipse in Africa during a flight of between Las Palmas and remaining Djamena in l?alignement of the sun and the moon during 75 minutes.
9/20/1973 Concorde 02 E poses in Dallas - Strong Worth, first visit of lãvion of supersonic line in the United States
9/26/1973 First supersonic crossing in 3h 3mn of the Atlantic with passengers between Washington and Orly
10/19/1973 Last Flight of Concorde 001 which is given to the museum of the air of Le Bourget after 82 hours of trial flights
12/06/1973 The first standard appliance flies to Toulouse
2/13/1974 The second standard appliance flies in Filton
february 1974 Tests by great cold with Encorage in Alaska
6/05/1974 Concorde carries out an outward journey return between Paris and Rio de Janeiro, covering the 18 240 Kilometer in 11 Hours and 20 Minutes
6/17/1974 Concorde 02 Décolle of Boston at the moment or one 747 Décolle of CDG it is posed in Paris filled the tank and returns to BOSTON 5 minutes before the Boieng 747 landing.
8/07/1974 Beginning of a trial run of takeoff and landing with the high temperature of the Persian Gulf and with Singapore
10/09/1975 Delivery of the French navigability certificate after 5300 hours carried out by eight Apparatuses
12/05/1975 Delivery of the British certificate which will be exploited by British Airways (fusion BOAC and BEA)
   

AIR FRANCE RECeiveS ITS FIRST Concorde

BEGINNING OF The COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION

12/19/1975 Air France receives its Concorde first F-bvfa  (Fox Alpha history here)
1/05/1976 In Washington DC public audition of the adversaries and partisans of the supersonic exploitation of flights bound for the United States
1/21/1976 Opening of the line Paris Dakar Rio by Air France
1/21/1976 Opening of the line London Bahreïn by British Airways
2/04/1976 Concorde is authorized by Department of Transportation with flights towards the United States for one duration maximum 12 months (measurement) and 4 months analyze
02/04/1976 The French and British companies can exploit daily flights towards New York and a flight towards Washington Dulles. Revocable authorization immediately in the event of danger for the American population or on simple descision with prévi of 4mois
3/11/1976 The PONYA (port of New York Authority) pretexting that it was not held of respects a federal decision, prohibited in Concorde any landing in New York or Newark. The opening of the line would have to be made on March 15
4/09/1976 Opening of the line Paris Caracas, with Stopovers technique in Santa Maria. d6une direct connection Caracas CDG 7620 km, the record of distance to summer beaten for a supersonic flight
5/24/1976 The 2 Concordes of Air France and British Airways are posed simultaneously on 2 parallel tracks of Washington Dulles to inaugurate the opening of the line
10/19/1977 Beginning in New York Kennedy air wearing of tests Beginning of a series of measurement of noise in New York to takeoff
11/01/1977 To the occasion of sound jubilée of money the Queen Elizabeth II flies for the first time on Concorde
11/01/1977 Aeroflot inaugurates a commercial connection in Tupolev 144 + Moscow Alma ATA
   

AIR FRANCE and BRITISH AIRWAYS GAIN the LAWSUIT AGAINST the US AND OPEN the New York LINE - the ONLY PROFITABLE one

BEGINNING OF The PROFITABLE PHASE FOR The COMPANIES (1977 A 1994)

11/22/1977 After the action at law carried out against the PONYA and after many bounces in the bad time, Air France and British Airways inaugurate their New York connection
12/10/1977 The line British Airways towards Bahreïn is prolonged towards Singapore, jointly with Singapore Airline, the overflight of India was interdict in supersonic flight
6/06/1978 Aeroflot stops its flights Tupolev 144
9/20/1978 P rolongation of the line Paris Washington towards Mexico City
1/12/1979 The American company Brannif prolongs the flights Concorde New York towards subsonic Dallas Fort with its own crews
3/10/1979 Malaysia prohibits its overflight and supersonic flight
3/29/1981 Stop of the connection Paris Washington
4/01/1982 Stop of the connection Paris Caracas and Paris Rio
5/01/1982 British Airways creates an Concorde division which will be responsible for the profitability of Concorde
11/1/1982 Interruption of the prolongation of the line Paris New York towards Washington towards Mexico City
3 /27/1984 Prolongation of the line London Washington de British Airways towards Miami at a rate of three flight per week
2/13/1985 First flight charter between London and Sydney in 17 Hours and 30 Minutes.
3 /28/1985 A Concorde of British Airways connects London to the Cap in 8 hours and 8 Minutes
3/01/1986 A Concorde with the colors of Pepsi Cola (delivered blue)
11/08/1986 Departure of the first turn of the world in 16 Days of British Airways, via New York, San Francisco, Honolulu
12/02/1986 Departure of the first turn of the world in 18 Days of Air France: Paris, New York, Oakland, Honolulul, PAPEETE, Sydney, Djakarta, Bangkok, Colombo, Bahreïn, and Paris. It will be followed of much other organized by TMR.
1/01/1991 Suppression of the extension Washington Miami
9/05/1994 Inauguration of the airport of Osaka-Kansai with the presence of Concorde
   

The FIRST ALERT ON THE FUTURE OF CONCORDE

11/1/1994 Suppression of the three regular flights weekly magazine between London and Washington. The regular flights charter between London and Barbados become weekly every saturday.
8 /13/1995 Coors Beer company finances with Air France the attempt at record of turn of the world in the airliner. Record succeeded: 31h27 min 21 S for a time of flight of 22. 39 min 21 S of which 18h40min and 8 S into supersonic. Distance covered: 40630 km and consumption of 521,64 Ton of kerosene is 652.050 liters! The media cover of the event generated a media cover equivalent to an expenditure of 4,5 million Francs. A good advertising operation but to sell what?
12/29/1996 Tmr organizes a midnight supper of prestige with Concorde in Rio de Janeiro - Report here - the full history will show that this flight is the last great operation of prestige of Concorde
7/25/2000 CRASH of Gonesse agrees it F-btsc is crushed in the garden of a hotel, engine on fire on takeoff After 30 years of flight commercial Concorde by 16 Apparatuses it is the first incident which caused died of man
August 2002 Withdrawal of the navigability certificate of Concorde in France and England
1 /18/2001 to 1/21/2001 A Concorde with Istres equipped with reinforcement in Kevlar in the tank tries to réobtenir its navigability certificate, it is an announced failure.
2/03/2001 Michelin invents a new type of tire, which allows Concorde equipped with reinforcement tank in Kevlar to reobtain its navigability certificate
Middle-2001 Begun again commercial flights on New York, the frequentation does not begin again (20% of the occupied seats)
2/27/2003 British Airways announces it's considered that a stop of the Concorde exploitation taking into account da the fall the frequentation.
4/10/2003 Air France announces the final adoption of the end of Concorde flight for October 3,  2003
4/13/2003 Air France announces the suspension of the Concorde flights as from May 31, 2003, the last flight for New York would be flight AF001 of Friday May 30, 2003
5/05/2003 Richard Bronson, confirms that it wishes to save Concorde by founding a 2 class Concorde, more expensive at the behind and less expensive at the back... To follow
5/24/2003 14h25, takeoff on flight AF4334 our immortalisation of the Concorde History - See the very impresive french report with many sound and picture
5/30/2003 The last flight Air France Agrees AF001 left Roissy this morning with 58 passengers to edge only, under the flashs of the amateurs of the beautiful aviation. Reception in New York under the arch of the lances of the firemen of New York (as for the deck chairs)
5/31/2003 Last flight return AF002 of New York with Air France, Last flight with Passenger 14H Roissy for a loop TMR.
6/02/2003 A flight agrees private of prestige takes off Roissy flight AF4402/plane: F-btsd
CDG 10CH00 - JFK 13CH55
6/03/2003 Return of the flight of prestige. Flight AF4401 JFK 14H00 - CDG17H45
6/12/2003 Delivery to Smithsonian Institute of Washington of the Concorde F-BVFA intended for the National Air and Space Museum. Takeoff of CDG Thursday 12 June with 12h00 local, arrived envisaged 10h10 local. F-BVFA is oldest Concorde of Air France which was still in exploitation on May 31, 2003. The donation of F-bvfa ("Fox Alpha") results from an agreement signed between 1989 between Air France and Smithsonian Institute, one of the most famous museums in the world. This Concorde entered in service on December 18, 1975. It is with this apparatus that Air France opened on January 21, 1976 its first supersonic line, Paris-Dakar-Rio. This Concorde adds up 17.824 hours of flight and carried out 6.967 flights. The president of Air France Jean-Cyril Spinetta will accomodate on board this flight the French Minister for Transport Gilles de Robien, the former presidents of the company and the former pilot heads of Concorde, like Robert van der Linden, conservative of the exposure of the Concorde. Note: A very good operation for the prestige of France in America  for decades... or centuries as long as there will not be new Supersonic civil plane. 
6/23/2003 British Airways don't accept Richard Bronson offert about her five Concordes for 5M£ for create a futur with Concorde for an airline from London to Barbados and Dubaï
6/14/2003 Delivery to the french museum of the air of "Le Bourget" of the Concorde F-BTSD. It is agrees it "New Bright burning coal" which we took for our report on May 24, 2003. This Concorde should take off Saturday towards the 10h10 of CDG to arrive at Le Bourget towards the 11h55 for a presentation to President CHIRAC. According to certain information, it will may be pass with the Patrol of France. Unfortunately, impossible to go with the SIAE day causes presses... Donc you can see it by posting you in the surrounding of the airport of Le Bourget. Here pictures for final landing of F-BTSD in Bourget airport
6/24/2003 Delivery in Technik Museum Speyer de Sinsheim Karlsruhe via Baden Baden Flight AF4406/plane: F-BVFB CDG 10H30 - FKB 12H45

6/27/2003

The last one takeoff of Concorde in France: Delivery at Airbus in Toulouse for conservation of the Concorde F-bvfc Flight AF6903
CDG 08H30 - TLS 10H15 (delivery at Airbus in Toulouse)
7/18/2003 Beginning of the convoying by the road and in boat of the harmony F-bvfb. Place Starting Baden Baden destination: Technik natural history museum Speyer de Sinsheim (Germany). It will be necessary to withdraw the engines, to dismount a part the wings and the empennage of the Harmony. Dismounted the Concorde a width of 14,45 ml will still have. This convoie really exceptional which will last 2 days. Transport will begin Midi Friday after the loading of Concorde on the Rhine (Concorde leaves on a journey!). It will be necessary then that Concorde passes the lock of Iffezheim. Saturday evenning towards 20H after having regained the ground closes it will take the motorway with 15 trucks, the difficulty will be the crossing of the bridges and circulation will be stopped on the motorway, then of immense cranes will pose Concorde on its new pedestal with the museum. Pretty pictures in prospect!
10/9/2003 News: Concorde with the colors of British Airways establishes a new record on the London-Boston connection in three hours, five minutes and 34 seconds "the white bird" landed Wednesday in Boston within the framework of a round of good-bye on the North-American continent who must also take it along to Washington.
10/20/2003 By drawing of lots of the British will be able by couple to make a free flight on Concorde at the time of a last round in British Isles.
10/24/2003 THE END! October 24 in the morning departure of New York of the last Flight British Airways de Concorde, it will be posed in London with the airport of Heathrow in the afternoon. All tree Concordes of British Airways are on the ground.
And now place with reality virtual: The complete report on a flight Agrees (video, photo and sound track)

MORE INFOS the Video is available here : A beautiful book :

and the site of Concorde-Coiling: www.concorde-jet.com