After months of meticulous refurbishment, a retired Concorde jet has gracefully floated down the Hudson River in New York, marking a triumphant return following extensive restoration efforts.
Once a symbol of supersonic aviation prowess, the British Airways Concorde had been housed at the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan since the conclusion of its supersonic flights in 2003. Last August, it was carefully transported away for comprehensive refurbishment.
The refurbishment process, overseen by the museum renowned for its exceptional sea, air, and spacecraft exhibits, involved painstaking tasks such as the removal of the aircraft’s paint coating, meticulous sanding, and the meticulous recoating of its exterior with the same iconic colours and markings that defined its legendary status in aviation history.
On Wednesday, the refurbished Concorde embarked on its journey, gracefully floating on a barge down towards Weeks Marine in New Jersey. By the following afternoon, it had made its triumphant return to the museum, where it was delicately lifted by a 90-metre crane to its resting place.
The British Airways Concorde boasts an illustrious legacy, holding the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger aircraft, achieving an impressive time of 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds from London Heathrow to JFK airport in New York.
As the only supersonic commercial jet to fly internationally, the Concorde boasted a remarkable top speed of 1,354mph, significantly reducing transatlantic flight times to a mere three and a half to four hours. In comparison, today’s large airliners operate at approximately 600mph, with a London to New York flight averaging eight hours.
The Concorde’s significance extends beyond its speed and engineering marvels; it symbolizes a unique chapter of Anglo-French cooperation. Upon entering service in 1976, it revolutionized transatlantic travel, offering passengers an unparalleled experience of speed and luxury.
As the Concorde returns to its revered place at the Intrepid Museum, visitors will once again have the opportunity to marvel at its engineering marvels and relive the golden age of supersonic travel. Public tours of the jet are set to resume on April 4th, allowing enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the rich history and technological innovations embodied by this iconic aircraft.