The last Concorde to fly supersonically before the aircraft was taken out of service has gone on show to the public at a ground-based tribute to the first commercial airliner ever to fly at more than twice the speed of sound.
Concorde At Filton, on the outskirts of Bristol, opened its doors for the first time yesterday. On show is Concorde 216 one of the British built airliners initially developed and tested at the Fairford Flight Test Centre. The Concorde fleet was withdrawn from service following a drop in transatlantic passengers and a crash in France which claimed 114 lives.
Concorde 216 was the last of the airliners to fly faster than the speed of a bullet from a rifle which it did on its final flight to Filton in November last year.
During the early days of the aircraft's development several hundred people worked at the Fairford Test Centre, set up using the long runway at RAF Fairford. Crowds regularly flocked to the base to see the aircraft take off on one of its many test flights.
The late Brian Trubshaw, who was the aircraft's chief test pilot, became a household name, and the aircraft could often be seen in the skies above Swindon.
Concorde At Filton will be open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday every week with four guided tours daily. Tickets cost £12 for adults and £7 for children.
All proceeds will go towards creating a permanent home for Concorde and the rest of Filton's aviation heritage.
Call the ticket hotline on 0870 3000 578.
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