50 years on: Concorde: technical feat, financial fiasco

The Concorde with the possible exception of the 747 was the most gorgeous bird to fly.

We had supersonic commercial passenger air travel 50 years ago. We will again.

.. There is no exception. Compared with Concorde, the 747 looks like a fat whale.

When I was young, there were 2 airplanes that I fell in love with the first time I saw them. The first was the Concorde. The second was the SR-71.

They were beautiful aircraft. Even today, they evoke the same feelings for me when I see footage of them.

As for the 747, my feelings are different. I didn't view it as a beautiful, elegant aircraft on the outside, but the size and uniqueness of it amazed me. The two decks, the sheer impressiveness of the aircraft. My dad would take me to Haneda in the late '70s and we stand on the observation deck and watch them come and go. Loved seeing the Pan Am 747 SPs.

And in '79, I had the chance to take an original 747 from Tokyo back to the U.S. and because of ticketing issues, I got to sit in the upper deck. Which had the original swivel lazy boy seats, card table and the wet bar. Very cool.

Alas, I never got to ride on the Concorde.... or the SR-71 :-)

Compared with Concorde, the 747 looks like a fat whale.

Oh, the Concorde is sleeker, no question. But the 747 is majestic. Especially Air Force One :D

that is called business risks.

Like politicians game of chances depend like business risks, if they lose one election one election losses much more than any business based risk losses if properly accounted, as investors in politics is very businesses. so Concorde winding up in losses is just business risks, so investors cannot say they can't take losses, nut only profits, that is what i wrote in my several essays in my book How we misinterpret our energy. Investment is also termed as financial muscle called financial energy, that goes on circles always. Before launching one needs to evaluate things better that would be more wiser option for investors to tell projects evaluate probability of success for that might cost research costs might go up, better spend for sensible research, i may say all investors ought to develop research consortium, that can be better insurance for investment i call investment insurance. tks

Concorde has been a commercial fiasco, but there must have been scientific learnings that have benefited further airplane development.

This was in the civil aviation this is why we know it has been a fiasco. I am sure much bigger fiasco have/are happening in the confidential army aircrafts development.

Bottom line it was a beautiful airplane for rich people when CO2 emissions were not a problem.

What happened to the Russian Concorde? https://youtu.be/ZSjucCVHZM4

It's pretty fitting that two of the most important planes in the history of air travel first flew within one month of each other.

And soon, the 747, on its last legs as a passenger liner, will join the Concorde in the flight museums.

The French are really good to make beautiful...anything :)

Concorde landing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlxc6e956lU

Air Force One 747 landing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Larlotxwl4A&t=170s

Apparently some fellows at NASA thought building a supersonic passenger jet was more difficult than plonking Bud Armstrong and his mates on that moon thing.....