http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/a380-celebrates-first-decade-in-flight--but-how-long-will-it-last-10205583.html
The Concord was not a failure. It was a wonderful aircraft in concept, design and build and was far in advance of anything then on the market. The Concord was, in fact, murdered by the American government and the American aircraft manufacturing lobby led by Boeing. At that time the Boeing SST design and build programme was at least 6 years behind the Aerospatiale BAC joint venture to build a supersonic passenger aircraft. Similarly, the Rolls Royce/SNECMA engines were ahead of the Pratt and Whitney engines for the Boeing aircraft. For these reasons, and being unable to prevent flights to the USA completely, the American authorities would not grant licences for direct flights into New York or Las Angeles but instead granted a licence for flights to Washington. After some 2 years of delay however scheduled service from Paris and London to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport began in November 1977.The delays in commencing scheduled services onto the more lucrative Trans Atlantic routes ensured that Aerospatiale BAC were unable to continue the programme for Concord marks 2 and 3.
Concord was not a failure, but it was a victim.
Aviation history is littered with failures - not just the fatally flawed Comet 1, the hopelessly timed Bristol Brabazon and the terminally unviable Concorde.
(Simon Calder. Travel Correspondent for the Independent)
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| Concord. Murdered by the United States aviation industry |
The Concord was not a failure. It was a wonderful aircraft in concept, design and build and was far in advance of anything then on the market. The Concord was, in fact, murdered by the American government and the American aircraft manufacturing lobby led by Boeing. At that time the Boeing SST design and build programme was at least 6 years behind the Aerospatiale BAC joint venture to build a supersonic passenger aircraft. Similarly, the Rolls Royce/SNECMA engines were ahead of the Pratt and Whitney engines for the Boeing aircraft. For these reasons, and being unable to prevent flights to the USA completely, the American authorities would not grant licences for direct flights into New York or Las Angeles but instead granted a licence for flights to Washington. After some 2 years of delay however scheduled service from Paris and London to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport began in November 1977.The delays in commencing scheduled services onto the more lucrative Trans Atlantic routes ensured that Aerospatiale BAC were unable to continue the programme for Concord marks 2 and 3.
Concord was not a failure, but it was a victim.
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