1.
CU SIGN: "TOULOUSE"
0.02

2.
LV ENTRANCE TO CONCORDE WORKS.
0.11

3.
SV MODEL OF CONCORDE IN WIND TUNNEL.
0.20

4.
CU WINGS OF PLANE WITH FAN WORKING IN B/G. (2 SHOTS).
0.39

5.
CU NOSE OF PLANE.
0.41

6.
SV PLANE.
0.46

7.
SV MEN WORKING ON FUSELAGE OF PLANE (2 SHOTS)
0.56

8.
CU MACHINE TESTING FOR VIBRATION (2 SHOTS).
1.05

9.
CU MAN WATCHES OSCELLOGRAPH (2 SHOTS).
1.12

10.
SV HEAT TREATMENT MACHINE (2 SHOTS).
1.24

11.
TV MODEL OF PLANE IN SPECIAL WIND TUNNEL WITH STRIPS STUCK TO WINGS.
1.28

12.
CU FAN.
1.31

13.
CU STRIPS ON WINGS.
1.35

14.
LV MODEL OF PLANE.
1.40



Initials WB/S/WH/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BRITAIN HAS TOLD FRANCE THAT SHE WILL CARRY OUT THE FULL TERMS OF THE ANGLO-FRENCH TREATY ON THE CONCORDE SUPERSONIC AIRLINER PROJECT -- SUBJECT TO CONSTANT JOINT REVIEW ON ITS COST.

THE BRITISH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (BAC) IS DEVELOPING AND MANUFACTURING THE CONCORDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH SUD-AVIATION OF FRANCE. DELIVERY POSITIONS HAVE BEEN RESERVED BY NINE AIRLINES FOR A TOTAL OF 31 AIRCRAFT; EACH CONCORDE IS EXPECTED TO COST ABOUT GBP4,500,000 AND ABOUT 100 OF THE AIRCRAFT MUST BE SOLD BEFORE THE PROJECT BREAKS EVEN FINANCIALLY.

SUD-AVIATION WILL COMPLETE THE FIRST PROTOTYPE TO HAVE IT READY FOR TEST PLIGHTS IN MARCH 1968, INSTEAD OF AT THE END OF 1967 AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED -- BRITISH RECONSIDERATION OF THE SCHEME CAUSED THE DELAY. B.A.C. WILL PRODUCE THE SECOND PROTOTYPE FOR TEST IN OCTOBER 1968.

THE CURRENT MAIN STAGE OF THE PROJECT -- THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT OF FUSELAGE AND WING SECTIONS -- WENT AHEAD NORMALLY DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY OF BRITAIN'S FINAL DECISION. WORK ON THE FIRST PARTS OF THE ACTUAL PROTOTYPES BEGAN IN JANUARY.

CONCORDE'S BELLY PANELS ARE ALREADY BEING FORMED FROM SOLID SLABS OF THE NEW ALLOY SPECIALLY DEVELOPED TO WITHSTAND THE HEAT AND STRAIN ON THE SKIN OF THE SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT WHEN IT FLIES AT MACH 2.2 (2.2 TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND). SUD-AVIATION IS PRODUCING THE MAIN PART OF THE FUSELAGE WITH THE WINGS AND MAIN UNDERCARRIAGE.

(THE NOSE AND TAILPLANE ARE BEING FABRICATED AT THE B.A.C. WORKS AT FILTON, NEAR BRISTOL; THE ENGINES FROM THE OLYMPUS ENGINE, A VERSION OF WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO POWER THE BRITISH TSR-2 STRIKE AIRCRAFT.)
THE SPECIAL SUD-AVIATION LABORATORY IS EQUIPPED WITH HEATING AND REFRIGERATION TO SIMULATE ACTUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS ON A COMPLETE TEST AIRCRAFT WHICH WILL BE BUILT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PROTOTYPES. IT ALSO HOUSES EUROPE'S LARGEST COMPUTER OF ITS TYPE, CAPABLE OF CORRELATING AND INTERPRETING THE TESTS ON BOTH THE STATIC AIRCRAFT AND THE FLYING PROTOTYPE. (INFORMATION FROM THE AIR WILL BE TRANSMITTED DIRECT, THUS SAVING MANY HOURS OF TRANSCRIBING.)
DURING THE FLIGHT THE TEMPERATURE OF MOST OF THE SKIN OF CONCORDE WILL BE 110 DEGREES CENTIGRADE (230 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT). IN THE TOULOUSE LABORATORIES, SECTIONS OF FUSELAGE ARE BEING SUBJECTED NIGHT AND DAY TO A WIDE RANGE OF TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS TO TREMENDOUS MECHANICAL LOADS AND PRESSURES, FAR EXCEEDING ALL POSSIBLE FLIGHT DEMANDS. CREEP AND FATIGUE TESTS WERE STARTED ON MATERIALS AS LONG AS AGO AS 1960. AS A RESULT OF THE VARIOUS TESTS, MUCH OF THE DESIGN HAS BEEN ALTERED.

WIND TUNNEL TESTS SHOWED THAT THE WINGS, WHICH HAVE TO BE VERY THIN, BENT UPWARDS WHEN HIGH SPEEDS WERE REACHED, AND SO LOST SOME OF THEIR 'LIFT'. THEY WERE REDESIGNED; NOW THEY WILL CURVE DOWNWARDS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IS ON THE GROUND, BUT STRAIGHTEN OUT TO HORIZONTAL WHEN CONCORDE REACHES ITS CRUISING SPEED.

IT IS HOPED THAT CONCORDE WILL BE PUT INTO SERVICE ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS AS PLANNED, IN 1971.