This is a presentation on 'How the Concorde aircraft was an Engineering Triumph, but a commercial disaster?'.

1. The Concorde Project:
A Technical and Engineering
Triumph, but a Commercial
Disaster
PRESENTED BY:
ASIM KULKARNI

2. Introduction to the case
Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee (STAC), established in the year 1956.
Committee made to study about building the supersonic airliner.
Four companies assigned to built the aircraft.
In 1967, the first prototype of supersonic jet was rolled out and the first aircraft was
named Concorde 001.
Objective or criteria for this project was to have a supersonic commercial plane.
Speed was an important factor.

3. Challenges
There was no break clause to the treaty, no performance requirements, and no
financial limits.
The management structure and program schedule were proposed in the treaty, but
in a imprecise manner.
There was no clearly identified owner organization i.e. no owner and no person in
charge.
Economy and price critical parameters were sidelined. And emphasis was on speed.
High cost of fuel and the inability to obtain authorization to fly it supersonically over
land .
Cost escalation and schedule delay were huge.

4. Concorde aircraft
The Concorde aircraft had a good run, from January 1976 to October 2003.
It was an engineering triumph cutting down travel speed from New York to London
from 7 hours to 3.5 hours.
The Concorde represented class, style, and miracle of engineering.
It flew at Mach 2 speed (2146 kmph), faster than the earth’s spin (1674 kmph).
The technological race of late 50s and early 60s, combined with cold war
competition, and breaking of sound barrier by Chuck Yeager in 1947 gave birth to
Concorde aircraft.
Americans, Russians, British and French invested billions of dollars in to supersonic
R&D.

5. Engineering Triumph
Concorde was a marvel of a design.
It wasn’t made with help of computers, but rather with help of physics, trial and error.
Plane had to be long and narrow to achieve supersonic speed.
Paint had to twice as reflect to compensate for the heat (at Mach 2 heat outside
would be 105oC approx.)
It had Ogival Delta Wings which helped Concorde during take off, landing and
limited the drag during flight.
It had droop snoot for pilot to be visible during the landing and take off.

7. Failure….Why?
Environment Feasibility
Uneconomic and carried only 120 passengers (price per seat went as high as
$12,000).
Cost In-efficient
One air-craft had to stay at the airport ready in case of emergency adding the
opportunity cost.
Commercial Impact
Lack of co-ordination of activities.
The innovation was way ahead of its time.
TIME TRAVELLING CAR

8. Success criteria
Project efficiency
Impact on customers
Business & direct success
Preparing for the future

9. Basic Mistakes and Shutting point
Delay in completion leading to increase in cost significantly.
No clearly defined owner.
Overlooked the project management aspects such as raw materials, resources and
technology.
It couldn’t be commercial because the Minimum Efficient Scale of production was not
achieved.
High speed and world class service were the USPs of the aircraft.
Sonic blast after take, meant that the aircraft could only be allowed to fly over sea water.
High fuel consumption (Oil embargo of 1974).
July 2000, Concorde punctured a tire during take off for Air France

10. Basic Mistakes and Shutting point
July 2000, Concorde punctured a tire during take off for Air France Flight 4590. 113
people died.
The plane was grounded till November 2001.
September 9/11 attacks had depressed the airlines industry.
Concorde’s high flight pattern was threat to the ozone layer, due to its exhaust gas
release.
High fuel consumption coupled with specialist flight crew and maintenance crew.
Concorde was losing money. If a technology doesn’t make money either it isappears
or the company.

11. Two government approach
There was no break clause to the treaty, no performance requirements, and no
financial limits.
The management structure and program schedule were proposed in the treaty, but
in a imprecise manner.
The project couldn’t have been terminated though at a point British counterpart felt
the need.
British and France had won the race to supersonic aircraft due to the design. But
failed to evaluate the future in specifying key roles to each other and delegating
proper task according to resource and technology.

12. Key Learnings
Project should have specific start and end date.
It should be within the budget.
Should have a clear objective.
Accountability and responsibility should be allotted.
Should have followed Agile Project Management rather than Traditional Project
Management.

13. • Companies such as BOOM SUPERSONICS, SPIKE
AEROSPACE, NASA AEROSPACE and BOEING (Mach 5) are
trying to revive commercial supersonic air travel in the future.

14. THANK YOU