The only picture ever taken of Concorde flying at Mach 2 (1,350 mph). Taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado fighter jet, which only rendezvoused with Concorde for 4 minutes over the Irish Sea: The Tornado was rapidly running out of fuel, struggling to keep up with Concorde at Mach 2.
Concorde was a supersonic airliner, meaning that it could fly faster than the speed of sound. Built by Britain and France, Concorde was in service from 1976 to 2003. It was the fastest airliner ever, with a cruising speed of 1,354mph (2,179km/h). But it was costly to run and could carry less than 130 passengers.
Aircraft flying at supersonic speeds cause a shock wave in the air that is heard on the ground as a loud "boom." Because of this, Concorde only went supersonic over the sea or away from inhabited areas.
Concorde could cross the Atlantic Ocean in about 3.5 hours, compared to around 8 hours for a normal airliner.
The only photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 taken by Adrian Meredith from an RAF Tornado attack fighter over the Irish Sea in April 1985. |
Concorde was a supersonic airliner, meaning that it could fly faster than the speed of sound. Built by Britain and France, Concorde was in service from 1976 to 2003. It was the fastest airliner ever, with a cruising speed of 1,354mph (2,179km/h). But it was costly to run and could carry less than 130 passengers.
Aircraft flying at supersonic speeds cause a shock wave in the air that is heard on the ground as a loud "boom." Because of this, Concorde only went supersonic over the sea or away from inhabited areas.
Concorde could cross the Atlantic Ocean in about 3.5 hours, compared to around 8 hours for a normal airliner.