@ Dulles, VA
August 2018
First flown in 1969, the iconic Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying until its retirement in 2003. Concorde’s drooping nose enabled the aircraft to accommodate supersonic aerodynamic efficiency without obstructing the pilot’s view during taxi, take-off, and landing operations. Due to the high angle of attack, the long pointed nose obstructed the view and necessitated the capability to droop. The droop nose was accompanied by a moving visor that retracted into the nose prior to being lowered. When the nose was raised to horizontal, the visor would rise in front of the cockpit windscreen for aerodynamic streamlining as seen here in the Air France Concorde at the National Air & Space Museum. In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft’s retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France donated Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight, with a total flight time of 17,824 hours. Fuji X-E2s w/18-55mm.
