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Could Concorde do a barrel roll?

Did Concorde ever perform a barrel roll – well yes and the video below will tell you all about it. It was performed by one of British Airways' most celebrated pilots Brian Walpole.



Yes, the Concorde was capable of performing a barrel roll, a feat almost unheard of for a commercial passenger jet. This maneuver was performed multiple times during the aircraft's testing phase by legendary test pilots like Brian Walpole and Jean Franchi. Because the Concorde was designed with high-strength delta wings and a flight control system derived from supersonic fighter jets, it could handle the G-forces of a 360-degree roll provided it maintained a "positive G" throughout the maneuver. While it was a spectacular display of the aircraft's 1970s-era engineering, it was never performed with passengers on board for obvious safety and liability reasons. In 2026, aviation historians still cite this as proof of the Concorde's superior structural integrity and power-to-weight ratio. The barrel roll remains a high-value piece of aviation trivia, illustrating that the "Queen of the Skies" was essentially a 100-seat supersonic fighter disguised as a luxury airliner.

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Can you barrel roll an A380? In the case of the A380, the maximum bank angle permitted is 67 degrees, and it is 33 degrees in normal flight operation. To roll the aircraft, this system would have to be overridden. Also, there is a serious complication with the engine and fuel systems.

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The NTSB described those incidents as potentially catastrophic, because they were caused by blown tyres during takeoff. During its 27 years in service, Concorde had about 70 tyre- or wheel-related incidents, seven of which caused serious damage to the aircraft or were potentially catastrophic.

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The Pilots For those looking after the safety of everyone on board, the A380 is generally well-loved. “The A380 is a pleasure to operate,” said Nigel, a captain for a European airline. “Handling is similar to the A320, with the 380 being a little more sensitive in pitch.

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However, the $445 million price tag of each aircraft was not sufficient to even cover the production cost, so with Airbus losing money on each A380, and with orders evaporating, it made economic sense to cease production.

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