British Aerospace
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Aerospatiale Concorde

British Aerospace, also, Aerospatiale Concorde. . , When Concorde was designed, no other aircraft met its specifications for altitude, speed, range and payload. Designers invented new materials, construction techniques and innovative aerodynamic features to build Concorde., Concorde required a strong structure to fly as high and fast as it did. At high altitudes, the outside air pressure is extremely low, so the aircraft had to maintain higher air pressure safety and comfort. And at fast speeds, friction with the air made the aircraft's outer skin very hot, about 260°F (127°C). To withstand the significant pressure difference and aerodynamic heating, engineers developed a special aluminum alloy for Concorde. The aircraft was also painted white to help dissipate heat from the skin., Designers developed a special wing that was shaped like a delta, or triangle. The wings were extremely efficient at supersonic cruise speeds and at slower landing speeds. Because of the wing shape, Concorde angled skyward when taking off and landing. This positive angle of attack was far greater than that of conventional aircraft. Pilots could not see the runway over the long slender nose. Engineers designed a nose that tilted downward to give the pilots a better view. They also added a small retractable wheel in the tail cone to prevent tail strikes., For an airplane to fly safely, its nose and tail must be balanced. This point of balance is called the center of gravity. When the center of gravity is properly aligned with the center of lift, the airplane maintains balance and flies level. As an airplane accelerates, the center of lift moves aft, away from the center of gravity. Conventional airplanes have small wing-like surfaces on the tail called stabilizers that adjust the balance. Concorde's unique design has no stabilizers. To maintain balance, the third member of the cockpit crew, the flight engineer, used jet fuel as ballast, transferring it between tanks in the nose and tail., [Captions:] , At the high angle of attack required for takeoff and landing, the forward half of the wind screen retracted and the entire nose section tilted downward to give the pilots a better view., Concorde's wings were designed for efficiency at all speeds. Their subtle curves and sweeping shape add to the striking beauty of the aircraft.