Concorde

Katherine Burke

13167510

To what degree was the British Supersonic Transport (SST) venture about a need for prestige after the failures of their Space Programme?

Content

Historical Context Historiography of SST Why this topic Resources: Primary and Secondary Current Research Provisional Structure Conclusion

Post – WW2◦ Military focus◦ Misconceptions of civil

aviation needs Cold War

◦ Rivalry between West and East

◦ Space Race, Arms Race, SST Race, etc...

Britain’s World Standing and Decolonisation◦ Change in form of prestige

– scientific and technological

Timeline 1956 The Supersonic

Transport Aircraft Committee (STAC)

1962 Concorde Treaty 1968 Flight of

‘Concordski’ 1969 First flight

(prototype) 1976 Commercial

introduction 2003 Retired

Context

Historiography

Much on technical aspects◦ Sonic boom, wing type, etc.

Limited on political issues◦ Johnman, Lynch◦ American not British

Lots on ‘The Concorde Story’◦ Orlebar, March, etc.

Not much written on motivation for SST More recent work is commemorative

Why this topic? Gaps in early historiography

◦ Little research into the British socio-political context

Competition in Cold War beyond US and USSR

Help to explain why SST was only successful in Britain (and France)◦ Less motivation abroad?

Resources

Primary Secondary

Majority based on primary research

Archives◦ National◦ Farnborough?

Articles◦ Newspapers◦ Flight Magazine

Books◦ Costello, Hughes, Knight

Articles◦ Johnman, Lynch

Websites◦ BA, Heritage Concorde

9%

27%

9%9%

36%

9%

Spread of Current Sec-ondary Paper Resources

over Decades

1967-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-2009

2010-2012

Current Research

Contacting people and organisations◦ British Airways◦ Farnborough

Archival research◦ National archives

Treasury and Cabinet papers Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Aviation

Secondary Resources◦ Searching for more◦ Focus on academic articles

Provisional Structure

Proposed thematic approach◦ Introduction◦ Chapter 2: Prestige◦ Chapter 3: Economic◦ Chapter 4: Political◦ Chapter 5: Other◦ Conclusion

Conclusion To what degree was the British Supersonic

Transport (SST) venture about a need for prestige after the failures of their Space Programme?

Context of a SST race Gaps in historiography Focus on primary research Thematic structure