The G-BBDG Tail at Brooklands Museum.
G-BBDG, c/n 202, was the third British Concorde built and was one of two production test aircraft (French Concorde F-WTSB, c/n 201, being the other). They were different in many ways from their four predecessors, making it necessary to repeat certain work to obtain certification. However, like the prototype and pre-production aircraft, Delta Golf also had flight observer's stations installed in the forward cabin. Even though 201 and 202 were called production aircraft, they never went into service because the final version of the aircraft, as specified by the airlines, was different yet again - although not in a way that affected handling or performance certification. Ultimately it was therefore these two aircraft that did the bulk of the flying that allowed the final certification of Concorde for airline service.
Delta Golf's first flight was on 13th February 1974 and was made by BAC test pilots Peter Baker and Brian Trubshaw from Filton to Fairford. The flight lasted 1hr 45 minutes and was supersonic for 12 minutes - reaching a top speed of Mach 1.4 at a height of 42,000ft. On 10th April 1974, and on its 15th flight, DG flew at Mach 2 for the first time and the following July became the first production Concorde to land at Heathrow for integration tests. In August, Delta Golf made history by becoming the first aircraft to carry 100 passengers at Mach 2. Over the next few years Delta Golf continued with an extensive flight test program for the purposes of engineering tests, CAA certifications, BA crew training and public relations and promotional work, visiting places such as South Africa, Singapore and several countries in the Middle East.