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Introduction
Description
The name 'Concorde' conjurs up images of a sleek miracle of modern technology cutting through the stratosphere of transatlantic skies at twice the speed of sound - London to New York in half the time it takes the average jumbo jet. As chief test pilot for BAC in the 1960s, Brian Trubshaw, was closely involved with the Anglo-French Concorde programme. He flew the British prototype of the world's first (and only) supersonic passenger transport aircraft from Filton in 1969 on its maiden flight and remained a key member of the Concorde flight-test programme after the aircraft entered airline sevice in 1976.
Trubshaw's close association with Concorde placed him in the unique position of being able to write the inside story of the aircraft, from the early days of its planning in the 1950s, through design and pre-flight testing, maiden flight and demonstrations, to certification and airline service.
The Concorde project was a venture of colossal proportions and its achievement has been hailed by many as truly marvellous, yet its development phase was not a smooth ride. Many challenges and difficulties had to be overcome, and every member of the team experienced grief, woe, frustration and disappointment along the way.
Trubshaw provides a rare insight into the trials and the tribulations involved in achieving the miracle, from the cripplingly high development and construction costs to sales and post-delivery modifications.
In this revised and updated edition, Concorde's 25-year service record with British Airways and Air France is reviewed by former Concorde pilot Jock Lowe, including full details of the Paris crash in July 2000. The investigation into the accident and subsequent modifications to the Concorde fleet are examined and the Concorde story is brought right up to date with its return to airline service in late 2001.
Brian Trubshaw's authoritative text is fully supported by a fascinating selection of more than 160 photographs of Concorde, giving the reader a truly all round look at one of the world's best known aircraft.
Hardback. 192 pages.
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