The date was April 9, 1969. The first flight of the supersonic 002 Concorde was to take place at Filton Airfield, watched by a big gathering of reporters along with thousands of people around north Bristol who looked up into the skies for the prototype.
It marked the end of years of prepartion at the British Aircraft Corporation in Filton, where first a wooden model was made in 1967, followed by the real thing a year later in 1968.
After months of testing, it was finally wheeled out for take-off on that bright day in 1969, and landed successfully at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Following this, 10 of the models were built, and provided a faster way to travel between the UK and America with the plane travelling at an average speed of 1,250 mph. The final flight for Concorde was in 2003, when it returned to Filton.
Today, the Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, that last Concorde to fly, can be seen and boarded, at Aerospace Bristol. Here are 10 images showing the building and take-off of that first prototype Concorde 002:
1.
Test pilot Brian Trubshaw (left) and his co-pilot John Cochrane pictured in the cockpit of the Concorde 002 aircraft as they prepare to take off for the first time
2. Preparations
A wooden mock up of the supersonic aircraft ‘Concorde’ at Filton in October, 1963
3. Cleaning the prototype
Cleaners at work on the prototype supersonic airliner Concorde 002 at British Aircraft Corporation at Filton
4. Not taking off, just yet!
Passengers fill a full-scale model of the Concorde supersonic airliner at the British Aircraft Corporation factory at Filton in 1967 - 18 months before its first flight