1.
LV PAN CONCORDE OO1 BEING ROLLED FROM HANGAR
0.10

2.
SCU & ANGLE VIEW CONCORDE OUT OF HANGER
0.29

3.
TV CONCORDE
0.36

4.
TV PANS & SV WORK IN PROGRESS ON BRITISH CONCORDE (SIX SHOTS)
1.09

5.
STVs MILLING MACHINE CUTTING SECTION, COMPLETES SECTION (TWO SHOTS)
1.28

6.
SV ENGINE TEST IN PROGRESS
1.35

7.
NATURAL SOUND SVs ENGINE AND FLAME DURING TEST (TWO SHOTS)
1.45

8.
SVs & SCUs INTERIOR OF MOCK UP CONCORDE, PASSENGER SEATED, COCKPIT (FIVE SHOTS)
2.16

9.
CUs & SVs HOSTESS GIVES FLIGHT DETAILS, PASSENGERS AND CREW (SIX SHOTS)
2.52

10.
SV INTERIOR COCKPIT
2.54

11.
SV PAN MOCK UP OF BOEING SST SWING WING AIRCRAFT
3.03

12.
SVs, TV 7 SCU SST FUSELAGE, SWING WING AND DROPPED NOSE (FOUR SHOTS)
3.26

13.
TV ZOOM OUT, SCU PAN MODEL OF BOEING DELTA WING AIRCRAFT, DESIGNERS WITH MODEL IN WIND TUNNEL, PAN MODEL (FOUR SHOTS)
3.51

14.
LV EXTERIOR EARLS COURT EXHIBITION HALL
3.54

15.
ANGLE VIEW PANS/MODEL OF SOVIET AIRLINER
4.12

16.
SCUs & SVs PEOPLE LOOKING SKYWARDS
4.27

17.
NATURAL SOUND ENDS AIR TO AIR XB 70 IN FLIGHT
4.39



Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BOTH THE BRITISH AND FRENCH PROTOTYPES OF THE CONCORDE SUPERSONIC AIRLINER ARE SCHEDULED TO FLY EARLY IN 1969 -- THE FRENCH VERSION, 001, IN JANUARY, AND 002, THE BRITISH VERSION, IN FEBRUARY.

THE TEST FLIGHTS OF THE TWO PROTOTYPES WILL MARK THE START OF A NEW ERA IN AVIATION -- THE ADVENT OF SUPERSONIC COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICES, AND THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMERCIAL AIRLINER BY TWO COUNTRIES.

THE IDEA OF CONCORDE AS A JOINT VENTURE WAS FIRST CONCEIVED IN NOVEMBER 1962, BUT SINCE THEN THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DISRUPTED BY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND AN ENORMOUS RISE IN COSTS. WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS MADE THE COST OF THE PROJECT WAS ESTIMATED AT GBP160-MILLION STERLING. AS THE FIRS PROTOTYPES NEAR COMPLETION THE OFFICIAL ESTIMATE OF THE COST IS GBP500-MILLION STERLING AND THE PROGRAMME HAS FALLEN NEARLY A YEAR BEHIND SCHEDULE.

FOR SOME TIME THE ANGLO-FRENCH PROJECT APPEARED TO FACE STRONG COMPETITION FROM THE AMERICAN BOEING COMPANY WHICH WAS DEVELOPING A SWING-WING VERSION OF A SUPERSONIC AIRLINER, THE SST. HOWEVER, IN OCTOBER 1968 THIS PROJECT WAS ABANDONED IN FAVOUR OF DEVELOPING A FIXED DELTA-WING AIRCRAFT,SIMILAR TO CONCORDE. THIS PROJECT IS THREE YEARS BEHIND THE CONCORDE PROGRAMME.

THE SOVIET UNION IS ALSO DEVELOPING A SUPERSONIC AIRLINER, THE TU 114, AND THIS PROGRAMME IS REPORTED TO BE RUNNING LEVEL OR SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE CONCORDE PROJECT.

THE TEST FLIGHTS OF CONCORDE WILL BE OBSERVED WITH INTEREST BY AVIATION EXPERTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THEY ARE ANXIOUS TO LEARN HOW THE NOISE OF SUPERSONIC CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT OVER DENSELY POPULATED AREAS WILL AFFECT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE. IT WILL BE THE FIRST CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT TO PRODUCE A SONIC BOOM, THE RESULT OF THE AIRCRAFT BREAKING THROUGH THE SOUND BARRIER. THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEMANDS IN SOME COUNTRIES TO PROHIBIT THE OPERATION OF SUCH AIRCRAFT OVER POPULATED AREAS.