G-AXDN was the first Concorde to be fitted with the iconic droop nose and glass visor that became standard on all subsequent production aircraft. This pre-production Concorde could lower its nose by 17.5°, compared with 12.5° on production models. It is also the fastest Concorde ever recorded, reaching Mach 2.23 at 63,700 ft during testing in March 1974. Concorde needed a drooping nose because its delta wing was highly efficient at supersonic speeds but generated less lift at low speeds. This meant Concorde had to maintain a high angle of attack during landing, pitching the nose upward and severely restricting the pilots' forward visibility. The droop nose solved that problem, lowering the cockpit's line of sight during takeoff and landing while allowing the aircraft to maintain the high angle of attack needed for lift. That high-speed, low-speed compromise also contributed to Concorde's high takeoff speeds and the need for afterburners during departure. Today, G-AXDN is preserved at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge,UK. 📹: Spartan_exr