- Title: FRANCE: FUSELAGE OF CONCORD LOADED FOR TWO KILOMETRE TRIP TO TESTING SHED
- Date: 5th March 1966
- Summary: THE CONCORD FUSELAGE BEING LOADED ABOARD LORRY. Initials AA/V-S/WH/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th March 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TOULOUSE, SOUTHERN FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVADBY2NITOQZCNP0MK2PRWKDHKW
- Story Text: BRITAIN AND FRANCE HOPE TO FLY THEIR FIRST CONCORD SUPERSONIC AIRLINER BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 1968. AND AS THE TARGET DATE, JUST TWO YEARS AWAY, HANGS OVER THE GIANT WORKSHOPS IN TOULOUSE AND BRISTOL (ENGLAND), THE CONCORD, OR PART OF IT, IS AT LEAST MAKING IT'S FIRST JOURNEY - A TWO KILOMETRE ROAD TRIP TO THE SUB-AVIATION TEST SHED.
THE FIRST TEST FUSELAGE WAS TODAY LOADED ABOARD A SPECIAL ROAD-TRANSPORTER FOR THE JOURNEY. THE 36-FOOT LONG (11 METRE) FUSELAGE AND WING-STEM WEIGHING 30 TONS WAS SCHEDULED TO BE MOVED LATE TONIGHT DURING WHICH TIME TRAFFIC WOULD BE STOPPED FOR THREE HOURS TO CLEAR THE WAY.
ONCE REASSEMBLED IN THE SHED, THE CENTRAL COMPONENT WILL BE LINKED TO A DUMMY COCKPIT AND THE WHOLE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO INTENSE HEAT UP TO 130 DEGREES CENTIGRADE (266 FAHRENHEIT) AND CONSTANT VIBRATION STRESS EQUAL TO 200 TONS ON EACH WING. THIS IS THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM HEAT AND VIBRATION THE PLANE WILL GENERATE AS IT SPEEDS THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AT TWICE THE SPEED OF SOUND.
(PRESIDENT JOHNSON ANNOUNCED IN WASHINGTON OF WEDNESDAY THAT THE UNITED STATES HOPES TO CONDUCT THE FIRST FLIGHT TESTS ON A SUPERSONIC JET AIRLINER, WHICH WILL COMPETE WITH THE CONCORD, BY 1970, AND TO INTRODUCE IT INTO PASSENGER SERVICE BY 1974.)
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