Today marks a special anniversary in the history of worldwide commercial aviation, with it now having been exactly 49 years since the legendary Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde entered service. The delta-winged jet would go on to fly (albeit with a brief hiatus at the turn of the century) until 2003, inspiring both avgeeks and the general public around the world for a span of 27 years. However, given the almost unique nature of Concorde as an aircraft at the time of its production (the jet had rivals in the US and the USSR, although both were commercial failures), it took longer than most planes to get it developed and into the skies.
As Concorde fans around the world celebrate the 49th anniversary of the jet's entry into service, let's take a look back at the story of its development. Early developments While the Second World War was a devastating conflict on a human level, it proved that necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to aviation. Indeed, leaps and bounds were made on this front amid the war effort, such as the introduction of the world's first jet-powered fighter aircraft in 1944.
This progress continued after the war, with a Bell X-1 making the first supersonic flight in 1947. Love aviation history ? Discover more of our stories here! Less than a decade after this milestone, achieved by United States Air Force test pilot Charles Elwood 'Chuck' Yeager, plans began to be laid in Europe regarding passenger planes flying at such speeds. Indeed, as.