Developing Concorde, the first supersonic passenger jet

October 1963

A wooden mockup of the Concorde nose and cockpit under construction at Filton factory in Bristol.

Image: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

When, in 1947, the U.S. Air Force’s Bell X-1 became the first manned aircraft to fly at a supersonic speed, it inaugurated a new age of intercontinental travel. 

The U.S., Soviet Union, UK and France all raced to develop designs for supersonic passenger aircraft, seeking to drastically reduce transatlantic flight times. But such an aircraft would need to fly at supersonic speeds for sustained periods of time — not a requirement for its military predecessor.  Read more...