Test pilot André Turcat took the Concorde 001 prototype past Mach 1 for the first time, a milestone in the decade-long Anglo-French effort to build a commercially viable supersonic airliner. The achievement, following the aircraft's maiden flight in March, paved the way toward the Concorde's eventual 1976 entry into passenger service, which would cut transatlantic flight times in half.
Test pilot André Turcat took the Concorde 001 prototype past Mach 1 for the first time, a milestone in the decade-long Anglo-French effort to build a commercially viable supersonic airliner. The achievement, following the aircraft's maiden flight in March, paved the way toward the Concorde's eventual 1976 entry into passenger service, which would cut transatlantic flight times in half.