Archival photo of Air France Concorde F-WTSB in level flight over Orly during the Paris Airshow, June 1975. Captured by Stuart H Bourne.
Copyright © Stuart H Bourne/ Quality Aviation Photos International
This archival aviation photograph captures Air France Concorde F-WTSB in level flight over Orly Airport during the Paris Airshow in June 1975. The aircraft is shown in its full supersonic profile, with landing gear retracted and its distinctive delta wing and pointed nose silhouetted against the sky.
F-WTSB was a French pre-production Concorde, used for final-phase testing, certification, and public demonstrations. Although it never entered commercial service, it played a vital role in proving Concorde’s airworthiness and performance capabilities. Its flypast at the Paris Airshow on 7 June 1975 was part of a broader endurance and demonstration program that included flights to Kaflavik, Shannon, Tangier, and Dakar.
Photographed by Stuart H Bourne, this image documents a rare moment in supersonic aviation history. The print is produced on gloss archival paper, ideal for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts seeking authentic visual records of Concorde’s airshow legacy.
Today, F-WTSB is preserved at the Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse, where visitors can explore its restored cockpit and learn about its role in Concorde’s development. For technical history and airframe details, see the Heritage Concorde archive.
