Overview
Concorde was one of only two supersonic airliners ever to enter service. Operated by British Airways and Air France, it cruised at Mach 2 at around 18 km altitude — high enough for passengers to see the curvature of the Earth.
High costs, a fatal crash in 2000 and the downturn after 2001 led to its retirement in 2003.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 61.66 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 25.60 m |
| Height | 12.20 m |
| Wing area | 358.3 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 78,700 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 185,070 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 119,500 L |
Performance
| Max. speed | 2,179 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed | 2,158 km/h |
| Max. Mach | Mach 2.04 |
| Range | 7,222 km |
| Service ceiling | 18,300 m |
| Rate of climb | 25.4 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 3 |
|---|---|
| Seats (typical) | 100 |
| Seats (max.) | 128 |
Powerplant
| Engines | 4 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 Mk 610 |
| Thrust (each) | 139.4 kN |
| Thrust with afterburner (each) | 169.2 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Did you know?
Because of heating at Mach 2, Concorde's fuselage stretched by up to about 20 cm in flight.
Photos
Photo 1: Alexander Jonsson / Wikimedia Commons · GFDL 1.2
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
