The Concorde is without a doubt one of the most documented aircraft in history. A true work of art with wings, and an extraordinary example of futurism applied to transportation. Its retirement in 2003 condemned us to the “subsonic tyranny”, and every image of the Concorde reflects the potential of a future that never was. However, there is an extra detail that not everyone knows: there is only one photograph of the Concorde flying at supersonic speed. Why? Let's just say it was difficult to keep up with it...
History tells us that the first flight of the Concorde was in March 1969, but it had to wait until January 1976 to enter service. Its fastest transatlantic flight was recorded in February 1996, when it managed to link New York and London in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. Its fate would be sealed four years later, when Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after takeoff. The entire fleet was grounded, and it returned to active service in November 2001, but the drop in demand and the “9/11” effect only confirmed its retirement in May (Air France) and November (British Airways) 2003.
Now, the Concorde never disappeared. Of the 20 aircraft built, 18 have been preserved, and the public can see them up close without much difficulty. But that feeling of “unreachable” still lingers in our minds, and through this article, my goal is to reinforce it. Why? Because despite all the material available, there is only one photograph of the Concorde traveling at supersonic speed.
The Concorde at supersonic speed: Chasing the fastest
The image was captured by photographer Adrian Meredith while flying in an RAF Tornado over the Irish Sea in April 1985. From a technical point of view, the Tornado had the capacity to match the Concorde in speed, but in practice, it needed a little help. First, all secondary components were removed, leaving the minimum necessary to fly safely. And second, even that wasn't enough, because after multiple attempts, the Concorde had to reduce its speed to Mach 1.5/1.6 so that the Tornado could catch up and maintain a stable frame. In total, the Tornado could barely follow the Concorde for four minutes.
Autopilot, 37 kilometers per minute, 17 thousand meters, and connecting two continents in three hours or less. It may not have been “the first of its kind”, but the Concorde... was unique.
Source: The Aviation Geek Club
