ConcordeIn 1969, the Concorde SST Supersonic jet aircraft, prototype 001, made its first flight from Toulouse airport in France. With tons of test instruments aboard, test pilot Captain Andre Turcat took off at 3:40 pm, followed by two chase aircraft for filming the historic flight, and for calibration purposes. The flight lasted only about a half hour, remaining at a subsonic speed with its landing gear and nose in the down position. The aircraft made a clean landing at 4:08 pm. It was not the first supersonic-capable airliner to fly, however, as the Russian Tupolev-144 first flew several months earlier, on 31 Dec 1968. The British prototype Concorde 002 made its first flight from Filton Airport, Bristol on 9 Apr 1969. It was not until its 45th test flight, on 1 Oct 1969, that prototype 001 flew at a supersonic speed, above Mach 1.« |
