Is Concorde faster than sound?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: March 2026

Expert Answer

The world-famous Concorde was developed in the 70s as a very high-speed passenger plane to do just this, able to fly from London to New York, faster than the speed of sound, in just under 4 hours! It's one of those moments in the history of physics that stands out!



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Could the Concorde travel more than _________ the speed of sound?

The Concorde had a maximum cruising speed of 2,179 km (1,354 miles) per hour, or Mach 2.04 (more than twice the speed of sound), allowing the aircraft to reduce the flight time between London and New York to about three hours.

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What is faster than Concorde?

According to Venus, the jet is being developed to fly at Mach 9, or nine times the speed of sound. That equates to about 8,000km/h (5,000mph). By comparison, the Concorde flew at about Mach 2, Overture is being built for Mach 1.7, and Hermus and Destinus are designing their hypersonic planes for Mach 5.

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Why did Concorde fail?

The Concorde's retirement was due to a number of factors. The supersonic aircraft was noisy and extremely expensive to operate, which restricted flight availability. The operating costs required fare pricing that was prohibitively high for many consumers.

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Will the Concorde ever fly again?

Technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles make a return to the skies extremely unlikely. Concorde is an aircraft that captures the imagination and is instantly recognizable even to non-aviation fanatics.

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Why was Concorde so quick?

Concorde used the most powerful pure jet engines flying commercially. The Aircraft's four engines took advantage of what is known as 'reheat' technology, adding fuel to the final stage of the engine, which produced the extra power required for take-off and the transition to supersonic flight.

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Is the Concorde faster than a fighter jet?

So, to answer the question, yes, some fighter jets are faster than the Concorde. However, it is important to note that the Concorde was primarily designed for passenger travel, not for combat or aerial maneuvers.

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How many Concordes are left?

Concorde is sadly no longer flying, but it is still possible to visit some of the remaining 18 airframes, there are others not open to the public but you can still see them.

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Has a 747 ever broken the sound barrier?

Aircraft are put through extreme testing during their certification, but such limits are never intended to be actually faced. The 747 -100, for instance, was tested up to Mach 0.99, almost breaking the sound barrier. Other 747s, such as Air Force One, have approached the sound barrier but never crossed it.

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Did Concorde have afterburners?

Afterburning was added to Concorde for take-off to cope with weight increases that came after the initial design. It was also used to accelerate through the high-drag transonic speed range, not because the extra thrust was required, but because it was available and improved the operating economics.

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What is the highest Mach ever reached by a human?

Number 1: North American X-15 This aircraft has the current world record for the fastest manned aircraft. Its maximum speed was Mach 6.70 (about 7,200 km/h) which it attained on the 3rd of October 1967 thanks to its pilot William J. “Pete” Knight.

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