Concorde's stall speed was not fixed. Learn the realistic KIAS range, why 160 knots is often mislabelled, and how weight and bank changed it.
Concorde did not have one fixed stall speed. Near its maximum landing weight, its equivalent 1g stall speed was roughly 120–125 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS); at lower weights it fell. The often-quoted 160–165 knots was normally an approach or threshold speed with safety margin, not the aerodynamic stall.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying purposes, the useful distinction is between the wing's minimum 1g speed and the scheduled speed that crews actually flew. Mass, manoeuvring load and even the precise definition of stall all matter on Concorde's delta wing.
Why did Concorde not have one fixed stall speed?
Concorde's stall speed changed chiefly with aircraft mass and load factor. Centre of gravity, surface condition and configuration could also affect the result, although Concorde had no conventional landing flaps or leading-edge slats.
At the same configuration and load factor, stall speed changes approximately with the square root of weight: VS2 = VS1 × √(W2/W1). This is why a stall figure must always be tied to defined conditions, as explained in our guide to how aircraft condition changes the meaning of a V-speed.
| Condition | Representative speed | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Near maximum landing mass, about 111 tonnes | Roughly 120–125 KIAS | Equivalent 1g stall region, not an approach target |
| Below maximum landing mass | Below 120–125 KIAS | Falls approximately with the square root of weight |
| Near maximum take-off mass, about 185 tonnes | Roughly 155–165 KIAS | Weight-scaled 1g estimate, not a take-off speed |
| Final approach or threshold at high landing mass | Typically around 160–165 KIAS | Operational reference speed with stall margin |
These are rounded contextual figures, not substitutes for the aircraft's approved mass-based speed tables. The exact operational value depended on the flight manual procedure, actual landing mass and any required wind correction.
Why is 160 knots often called Concorde's stall speed?
About 160 knots is widely quoted because it was a familiar Concorde landing or threshold speed. At a high landing mass, that figure is broadly consistent with a reference speed around 1.3 times a stall speed in the low 120s.
VREF and VAPP must not be confused with the stall itself. VREF is the mass-based landing reference; VAPP may be higher after applying the operator's wind or gust correction. Wind changes the required approach target, but it does not change the basic indicated stall speed.
There is an added trap: a weight-scaled stall estimate near Concorde's maximum take-off mass also lands in the region of 160 KIAS. That coincidence does not make 160 knots the universal answer, and it certainly does not make a landing reference speed a stall speed.
Did Concorde's delta wing stall like a normal airliner?
Concorde's delta wing could stall, but its low-speed behaviour was more progressive than the simple, sharp break associated with many straight-wing aircraft. At high angles of attack, leading-edge vortices generated extra lift; as the angle increased further, drag and sink rate rose before vortex breakdown and separated flow ultimately limited lift.
The fixed delta wing also explains Concorde's pronounced nose-up landing attitude. Its droop nose and movable visor improved the pilots' view of the runway; they were not high-lift devices and did not reduce stall speed like flaps.
What speed should a Concorde simulator use?
A Concorde simulation should use the model's mass-based VREF or approach schedule, not the lowest speed at which the virtual aircraft can remain airborne. Add-ons vary in how accurately they reproduce vortex lift, ground effect, position error and high-angle-of-attack behaviour.
- Set the correct landing mass. A single hard-coded speed cannot cover both a light aeroplane and one near maximum landing mass.
- Use the supplied performance table. Select VREF for the actual mass, then apply only the approach correction specified by that model or operating procedure.
- Fly indicated airspeed. Do not substitute true airspeed, groundspeed or Mach. Our explanation of why pilots use IAS near the stall and Mach at high altitude covers this distinction.
- Allow for manoeuvring load. Bank raises stall speed: approximately 8% at 30 degrees, 19% at 45 degrees and 41% at 60 degrees in a level turn.
A mistake we see repeatedly is forcing 160 knots into every landing and then calling any lower-speed sink a stall. Use the model's scheduled approach speed, stabilise early and remember that a delta wing can develop a severe sink rate before producing the obvious stall break expected from a conventional trainer.