The flying Wonder!!!

The Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner or supersonic transport (SST). It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation. First flown in 1969, piloted by André Turcat, Concorde service commenced in 1976 and continued for 27 years. Concorde also set many other records, including the official FAI "Westbound Around The World" and "Eastbound Around the World" world air speed records. As a result of the type's only crash on 25 July 2000, world economic effects arising from the 9/11 attacks, and other factors, operations ceased on 24 October 2003. The last "retirement" flight occurred on 26 November that year.

Concorde pioneered a number of technologies:

For high speed and optimisation of flight:

* Double-delta (ogee/ogival) shaped wings
* Variable inlet ramps
* Supercruise capability
* Thrust-by-wire engines, predecessor of today's FADEC-controlled engines
* Droop-nose section for improved visibility in landing

For weight-saving and enhanced performance:

* Mach 2.04 (~2,200 km/h - 1350 mph) cruising speed for optimum fuel consumption (supersonic drag minimum, although turbojet engines are more efficient at high speed)
* Mainly aluminium construction for low weight and relatively conventional manufacture (higher speeds would have ruled out aluminium)
* Full-regime autopilot and autothrottle allowing "hands off" control of the aircraft from climbout to landing
* Fully electrically controlled analogue fly-by-wire flight controls systems
* Multifunction flight control surfaces
* High-pressure hydraulic system of 28 MPa (4,000 lbf/in²) for lighter hydraulic systems components
* Fully electrically controlled analogue brake-by-wire system
* Pitch trim by shifting fuel around the fuselage for centre-of-gravity control
* Parts milled from single alloy billet reducing the part-number count
* Lack of Auxiliary power unit (Relying on the fact that Concorde will be used for premium services to big airports, where a ground air start cart would be readily available)
* Flush fitting lights