The Concorde: The Rise and Fall of the Supersonic Passenger Aircraft

The Concorde, developed in the 1960s as an Anglo-French project, was seen as the future of air travel. Despite overcoming technical challenges like skin heating and poor pilot visibility, it faced market issues due to high operational costs and limited sales. The Concorde was restricted to transatlantic flights due to sonic booms. A tragic accident in 2000 marked the beginning of its decline, leading to its retirement in 2003.

What was one of the major technical challenges faced by the Concorde during its development?

• Limited passenger capacity

• Inability to fly at high altitudes

• Excessive fuel consumption

• Skin heating due to supersonic speeds

Why did the Concorde only manage to sell 20 units?

• It was too slow compared to other planes

• Other manufacturers offered more economical wide-bodied planes

• It was banned from flying internationally

• It had a limited range

What restricted the Concorde's ability to fly supersonically over land?

• High fuel costs

• Limited runway availability

• Environmental regulations

• Sonic boom

What event in 2000 marked the beginning of the end for the Concorde?

• An accident involving a titanium strip

• A financial crisis

• A runway collision

• A major design flaw discovery

In what year was the Concorde officially retired?

• 2002

• 2001

• 2000

• 2003