Concorde

Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2022 by Seb

Album Concorde Tourism Le Bourget

Paris-Le-Bourget is a French airport located near Paris. This airport is not used in regular flight trafic but only for private or limited public usage. It is also an Exposition center that hosts every two years the Paris Air Show (in French, le Salon International de l’aéronautique et de l’espace de Paris-Le-Bourget, more commonly le Salon du Bourget) and a permanent museum called le Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace.

There is one thing I love in this museum : you can visit two Concorde. Concorde is a Franco-British turbojet-powered supersonic airliner used for civilian transport from 1976 until 2003. I’ve always loved this airplane : it’s a wonderful machine, an amazing engineering work, and also a very beautiful plane.

Sadly, Concorde was also an over expensive plane to maintain, run, feed, and afford. Twenty Concordes were built, six for development and fourteen for commercial use. The only major accident was the Air France Flight 4590 that crashed in Gonesse, France, killing all of its passengers and the flight personal on 24 July 2000. This tragic accident accelerated the plane retirement, grounding the other Concordes for safety modifications. The Concordes were also maintained grounded because of the World Trade Center attacks in the Unites States. The commercial operation resumed in 2001 but the fate of Concorde was already decided because its profitability was no longer possible.

In the permanent exposition, you can visit two models : The F-WTSS Prototype, the first Concorde to fly ; and the Sierra Delta 213 F-BSTD Air France, a plane that holds some world records.

The Sierra Delta
The Sierra Delta f/8 18mm 1/100.0 s - 0.01 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019

The Sierra Delta had a brillant career. This plane was used for special flights and maiden flights like the first Mach 2 speed usage. It also established the record for the highest commercial worldwide run from West to East between 12 and 13 October in 1992, with a 25h15 hours of flight including 18h18 supersonic speed. On the 15 and 16 August 1995, it’s the reverse way from East to West that was made with a 22h46 flight duration, including 18h46 at supersonic speed.

The Sierra Delta stopped its career on the 31 May 2003, with the last Concorde flight when it landed at Roissy. Its complete exploitation is 12 976 hours on 4 282 flights since the 26 June 1978.

The powerful supersonic turbojet engines.
The powerful supersonic turbojet engines. f/8 20mm 1/6.0 s - 0.16666666666666666 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The visit starts by the Prototype backdoor.
The visit starts by the Prototype backdoor. f/8 18mm 1/40.0 s - 0.025 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/2.5 s - 0.4 ISO 400 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/2.5 s - 0.4 ISO 400 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Because it's a test model, the Prototype does not have any commodities installed, only flight recording and computing systems to validate the plane.
Because it's a test model, the Prototype does not have any commodities installed, only flight recording and computing systems to validate the plane. f/8 18mm 1/10.0 s - 0.1 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Concorde 001 above the Golfe de Gascogne. For the first time, on 1st October 1979 at 11 000 meters high, Mach 1 is passed.
Concorde 001 above the Golfe de Gascogne. For the first time, on 1st October 1979 at 11 000 meters high, Mach 1 is passed. f/8 36mm 1/10.0 s - 0.1 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/10.0 s - 0.1 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/2.5 s - 0.4 ISO 1600 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 1600 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The Prototype monitoring Flight computers
The Prototype monitoring Flight computers f/8 18mm 1/5.0 s - 0.2 ISO 1600 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/3.0 s - 0.3333333333333333 ISO 2500 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 1250 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 1250 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 1250 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The Prototype Cockpit
The Prototype Cockpit f/4.5 34mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 1250 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/10 48mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 6400 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Side view of the Prototype, the next step of the visit is walking to the Sierra Delta by a catwalk, entering through the normal door.
Side view of the Prototype, the next step of the visit is walking to the Sierra Delta by a catwalk, entering through the normal door. f/10 18mm 1/15.0 s - 0.06666666666666667 ISO 1000 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/10 18mm 1/15.0 s - 0.06666666666666667 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Sierra Delta front
Sierra Delta front f/10 18mm 1/10.0 s - 0.1 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Sierra Delta back
Sierra Delta back f/10 18mm 1/15.0 s - 0.06666666666666667 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The Prototype front
The Prototype front f/10 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
Sierra Delta's Cockpit
Sierra Delta's Cockpit f/8 25mm 1/4.0 s - 0.25 ISO 4000 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 25mm 1/40.0 s - 0.025 ISO 2000 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The passengers seats. Concorde was a very tight plane, you don't have a lot of space. Half of them were removed for the visit.
The passengers seats. Concorde was a very tight plane, you don't have a lot of space. Half of them were removed for the visit. f/8 25mm 1/25.0 s - 0.04 ISO 2000 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 2000 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The actual seats disposition.
The actual seats disposition. f/8 18mm 1/8.0 s - 0.125 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/80.0 s - 0.0125 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The Prototype face is different from the commercial models.
The Prototype face is different from the commercial models. f/8 18mm 1/15.0 s - 0.06666666666666667 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/25.0 s - 0.04 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/20.0 s - 0.05 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The front of the turbojets engines.
The front of the turbojets engines. f/8 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
And the massive wheels.
And the massive wheels. f/8 18mm 1/13.0 s - 0.07692307692307693 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
The turbojets thrusters were made by Rolls Royce.
The turbojets thrusters were made by Rolls Royce. f/8 18mm 1/15.0 s - 0.06666666666666667 ISO 800 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
f/8 18mm 1/60.0 s - 0.016666666666666666 ISO 400 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019
One last before leaving the place.
One last before leaving the place. f/8 18mm 1/50.0 s - 0.02 ISO 400 NIKON D5600 Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR       Seb - July 10, 2019