Date: 2025-10-05 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00025925
AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY
CONCORDE
Which fighter jets could the Concorde have outrun?
CONCORDE
Which fighter jets could the Concorde have outrun?
Original article:
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Which fighter jets could the Concorde have outrun?
As others have said, it would be difficult. There were a number of aircraft which, on full afterburner, would be faster than a Concorde at full speed. However, in doing so they use so much fuel they would be unlikely to have actually been able to actually intercept one.
To show how difficult this would be, the above is the only picture ever taken from the air of a Concorde flying supersonic. The photo was taken by an RAF Tornado going full throttle. The Tornado pilot, Adrian Meredith, knew the Concorde’s position and course and the Concorde had throttled back so it was ‘only’ doing Mach 1.5 so Meredith could catch up. Never-the-less, Meredith only had four minutes to take the picture before he reached bingo fuel and had to return to base. The Concorde accelerated away and carried on to JFK.