Concorde’s Record-Breaking Test Years

Between the late 1960s and the mid-1970s, Concorde was pushed to its limits by test pilots and engineers in France and the United Kingdom. During this period, it achieved records that no passenger aircraft had ever reached before.

In 1973, the Concorde 001 prototype climbed to 68,000 feet during its 340th test flight, setting a new altitude record in commercial aviation. In the same year, the aircraft reached an impressive speed of Mach 2.23 and completed the longest recorded uninterrupted supersonic flight.

On that flight, Concorde cruised above Mach 2 for three consecutive hours.

These achievements established Concorde not only as a passenger aircraft but also as an icon that pushed the boundaries of engineering and courage.