British Contribution to Concord Production in France

This is a tale of entente cordiale. It describes initially how the Anglo‐French agreement to produce the Concord supersonic transport introduced a number of production problems associated with the advanced design of the aircraft. It tells how Sud‐Aviation, having accepted responsibility for 60 per cent of the airframe construction, are using a British aluminium alloy (Hiduminium‐RR.SS or AU2GN by High Duty Alloys Ltd.), stress relieved on a British plate stretching machine (by Fielding and Platt Ltd.), and machined on a British sculpture milling machine (by Cramic Engineering Ltd.) utilizing a British numerical control system (a Mk. IV continuous path system by Ferranti Ltd.) for Concord components. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of the French decision to adopt British materials, processes and machine tools, in terms of export sales and technological leadership. Here is proof positive that British industry can negotiate the barriers of language, engineering units, price, efficiency, delivery date, distance, Common Market preferences and cut‐throat competition to win export orders. We stand on the threshold of a new era of international collaboration, an era in which those British companies with the highest standards of engineering knowledge and ability, plus the all‐important sales drive, stand to reap rich rewards in the export market and particularly in Continental Europe.