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The Concorde rider jet-propelled plane set a criminal record when it fly between New York City and London in2 hour , 52 minutes , 59 seconds . The ultrasonic plane could vanish at more than twice the speed of sound . But just how fast was this aircraft , and what made it so rapid ?
The fountain , which flew from 1976 to 2003 , had a burlesque speed of 250 miles per hour ( 402 km / h ) and an medium cruising stop number of 1,350 mph ( 2,173 kilometer / h ) . In comparison , aBoeing 737 - 700 , one of themost plebeian airplane modelsflown now , has atakeoff speed of 173 mph(278 km / h ) and a cruising speed of 514 mph ( 828 km / h ) .
Concorde planes could accelerate to faster than the speed of sound, leaving a loud sonic boom in their wake.
To achieve eminent speeds , Concorde locomotive engineer ask to plan a foxiness that could cover both low - swiftness scenarios , such as takeoff and landing place , as well as ultrasonic cruising speeds , Tony Farina , an assistant help prof of aviation engineering at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida , tell Live Science in an e-mail .
" A annexe design for efficient performance supersonically is typically very poor at providing the raise needed at slow f number when occupy off and land , " Farina pronounce . To reduce drag , ultrasonic wings are typically thinner and more swept back , Farina said , compared to standard wing which are thicker to more easily provide lift .
Providing ski lift was especially of import because the faster an aircraft goes , the more retarding force force it experiences , saidBob van der Linden , an aeronautics curator at the Smithsonian ’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington , D.C. Essentially , fast aircraft live more force play that pit nip and tuck .
Concorde planes could accelerate to faster than the speed of sound, leaving a loud sonic boom in their wake.
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One way Concorde engineers solved this problem was by designing an aircraft with a silken body , Farina said , let in a narrow-minded rider cabin and extended tail cone . Engineers also used a delta fender , a offstage profile that ’s typically reserved for fighter green , van der Linden said .
" The delta backstage had very good eminent - speed characteristics , as well as very okay low - fastness characteristics , " he differentiate Live Science .
The Concorde had a “droop nose,” nicknamed the “droop snoot,” which helped the pilot see their surroundings during takeoff and landing.
This triangle - shape wing figure worked to reduce puff on the aircraft , but it did introduce an interesting design crotchet . Because of the aircraft ’s soundbox shape , Concorde fountain needed to land with their nose angled higher into the atmosphere than a traditional commercial-grade airliner . This made it very difficult for airplane pilot to see where they were pass away , van der Linden tell .
" They actually had to organize a way for the nose to go down [ mechanically ] , " he said . " In the business , we call this a ' droop snoot . ' "
ultrasonic aircraft design today are now circumventing this issue using technology that the Concorde did n’t have access to when it was design in the 1960s , Farina said .
" Under development now , theBoom Supersonic XB-1aircraft use an augmented vision organization ( camera and screen door ) to avert the need for loll the nose , " Farina said .
In gain to having a sleek intent , Concorde honey oil were powered by four turbo reverse lightning engines that singly generated18.7 tons of thrustand combust intimately 7,000 Imperial gallon ( 26,000 liters ) of jet fuel per hour . In compare , the Boeing 737 - 800 uses850 gallons(3,200 liters ) of honey oil fuel per minute .
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The Concorde also increase the thrust created by its engines , using a gadget called an afterburner , van der Linden said .
" Afterburners are really used on hero jet-propelled plane or very - high - hurrying bombers , and what it does is but ditch raw fuel into the exhaust fumes flame , " he say . " It pushes the aircraft onward even faster , but your fuel consumption charge per unit goes through the ceiling . "
Ultimately , it was the fuel cost associate with the Concorde that made it a commercial bankruptcy , van der Linden suppose . Other incident , including the fatalAir France Flight 4590crash in 2000 , made matters worse .
" It is a gorgeous airplane , " van der Linden say . " But to keep it that fast , you take a passel of power . Power intend a raft of fuel , and a lot of fuel mean a big price . "
