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When Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time, he set off a race around the world to do the same thing with a plane full of paying passengers. The US, Russia, UK, and France all wanted a piece of the inevitable fortune to be made building aircraft to cross oceans faster than sound itself.

In the end, though, only one design flew passengers in significant numbers, the Anglo-French Concorde. Why? Let’s figure out what allowed the British and French to succeed where others failed. Along the way, we’ll learn a little about compromise and constraints and a lot about success itself.

Nickolas Means
Nickolas Means loves nothing more than a story of engineering triumph (except maybe a story of engineering disaster). When he's not stuck in a Wikipedia loop reading about plane crashes, he spends his days as a Director of Engineering at GitHub. He works remotely from Austin, TX, and spends most of his spare time hanging out with his wife and kids, going for a run, or trying to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

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This video titled "Mach 2.0 at Scale" features Nickolas Means speaking at RubyConf 2020, where he explores the story of the Concorde, the only supersonic passenger aircraft that successfully flew commercially. The talk begins by setting the stage with Chuck Yeager's historic achievement of breaking the sound barrier in 1947, which ignited global interest in developing commercial supersonic transport.

Key points of the presentation include:  
- Early experiments with supersonic flight, highlighted by the Bell X-1, which faced significant challenges such as drag and control issues, defining the problems ahead for commercial aircraft.  
- Innovations in wing design, particularly the delta wing and slender delta concepts, led to the British and French governments funding the Concorde project.  
- The collaboration between British Aircraft Corporation and Sud Aviation culminated in the design strategy named Concorde, symbolizing peace and unity between the two nations.  
- The unique design features of Concorde, including its droop nose for better visibility during takeoff and landing, heat management systems, and ability to supercruise efficiently.  
- The competitive landscape during the 1960s with America and the Soviet Union also pursuing supersonic airliners, including the disastrous Tupolev Tu-144, which lacked comfort and reliability compared to Concorde.  
- Ultimately, Concorde entered commercial service in 1976 but faced constraints due to fuel inefficiency, sonic boom restrictions, and limited market routes, leading to a perception of failure despite its iconic status.

In conclusion, Means emphasizes that while the short-term metrics may portray Concorde as a failure due to cost overruns and limited sales, its long-term legacy, technological achievements, and impact on national pride reflect a different story. The talk encourages reflection on the nature of success and encourages viewers to adopt a broader perspective on achievements, considering longer-term impacts rather than immediate outcomes.

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