<P> On 1 October 1956 the Ministry of Supply asked Morgan to form a new study group, the Supersonic Transport Advisory Committee (STAC), with the explicit goal of developing a practical SST design and finding industry partners to build it . At the very first meeting, on 5 November 1956, the decision was made to fund the development of a test bed aircraft to examine the low - speed performance of the slender delta, a contract that eventually produced the Handley Page HP. 115 . This aircraft would ultimately demonstrate safe control at speeds as low as 69 mph, about 1⁄3 that of the F - 104 Starfighter . </P> <P> STAC stated that an SST would have economic performance similar to existing subsonic types . Although they would burn more fuel in cruise, they would be able to fly more sorties in a given period of time, so fewer aircraft would be needed to service a particular route . This would remain economically advantageous as long as fuel represented a small percentage of operational costs, as it did at the time . </P> <P> STAC suggested that two designs naturally fell out of their work, a transatlantic model flying at about Mach 2, and a shorter - range version flying at perhaps Mach 1.2 . Morgan suggested that a 150 - passenger transatlantic SST would cost about £ 75 to £ 90 million to develop, and be in service in 1970 . The smaller 100 passenger short - range version would cost perhaps £ 50 to £ 80 million, and be ready for service in 1968 . To meet this schedule, development would need to begin in 1960, with production contracts let in 1962 . Morgan strongly suggested that the US was already involved in a similar project, and that if the UK failed to respond it would be locked out of an airliner market that he believed would be dominated by SST aircraft . </P> <P> In 1959, a study contract was awarded to Hawker Siddeley and Bristol for preliminary designs based on the slender delta concept, which developed as the HSA. 1000 and Bristol 198 . Armstrong Whitworth also responded with an internal design, the M - Wing, for the lower - speed shorter - range category . Even at this early time, both the STAC group and the government were looking for partners to develop the designs . In September 1959, Hawker approached Lockheed, and after the creation of British Aircraft Corporation in 1960, the former Bristol team immediately started talks with Boeing, General Dynamics, Douglas Aircraft and Sud Aviation . </P>

How long was a flight on the concorde