> respective governments footed the bill for development
I just looked up development costs on Wiki: "£12–16.7 billion in 2025". Yikes. And "the market forecast was 350 aircraft", but only 20 were built. What a waste.
Yeah. But to be fair, it was the first supersonic airliner, so they were feeling around a bit in the dark when it came to estimating demand. They would have all looked like geniuses if enough demand to build 700 air frames had materialized.
I remember when the aircraft first went into service. Everybody thought subsonic air travel, at least over the ocean, would become a thing of the past.
I remember when the aircraft first went into service. Everybody thought subsonic air travel, at least over the ocean, would become a thing of the past.