I have a fascination with airplanes of all types and descriptions since I was first introduced to them as a child by my father and visited and toured the military air shows and climbed into the cockpit and saw those amazing shiny controls and objects. I was hooked and had the privilege of visiting many shows, airfields/airports/military installations, NASA and museums with my family. The National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia are a favorite annually as there is so much to see, study and photograph. The image above of “The Concorde” is from my latest visit and processed HDR.
Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France
“The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.
In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft’s retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)
Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)
Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)
Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)
Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each
Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom
The Concorde is now prominently displayed at the Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.”
Visit the Air & Space Museum @ Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center here.
Download the .pdf for details here
This full view image is courtesy of the National Air & Space Museum.
HDR Chic 