From October 7 to 10, 2025, an extraordinary cleaning campaign will take place at the Technik Museum Sinsheim . For the first time, the outer skin of the supersonic legend Concorde will be cleaned not by crane and work basket, but using state-of-the-art drone technology .

The innovative measure is being carried out by the Heidelberg-based company KTV Working Drone Germany GmbH . The team was already in Sinsheim at the beginning of September and conducted initial test runs on the Concorde. After subsequent fine-tuning and technical adjustments, KTV will now return in October to complete the complete cleaning.

During the work, Concorde will be closed for several hours each day. However, you are cordially invited to follow the process up close—and thus take advantage of the rare opportunity to witness the precision and efficiency of this innovative method firsthand.

The Sinsheim Speyer Technology Museums are supported by a non-profit association that now has over 7,000 members worldwide. A member established contact between the museum and KTV, making this project possible.

The technology was used for the first time in spring 2025: At that time, the Boeing 747 and the Dassault Mercure 100 were cleaned of traces of weathering at the Speyer Technology Museum – the world's first drone cleaning of aircraft.

With its specially developed KTV PowerCleaner, the company is also committed to sustainability: The battery-operated high-pressure cleaner is 100% electric, uses a pure water system, and reduces the use of chemicals to a minimum.

Until now, KTV Working Drone has primarily cleaned facades, glass fronts, and other smooth surfaces in demanding environments. Aircraft present a new challenge: Due to curved surfaces and hard-to-reach areas such as engine casings or the underside of wings, the drones must be adjusted and controlled with particular precision.

This technology represents a potential breakthrough for the museum: Until now, employees had to be lifted up to 30 meters high in narrow work baskets to clean the aircraft with high-pressure steam cleaners – a process that requires utmost concentration, a head for heights, and trust in the crane operator.

The drone solution reduces accident risks, speeds up the process, and simultaneously protects the environment. "We see this as a great opportunity to carry out the cleaning work not only faster and more efficiently, but also significantly more safely. For us, this is an important step into the future. This method also enables us to maintain the Concorde gently and sustainably," explains Michael Stiller , Technical Director of the Technik Museen Sinsheim Speyer.

Learn more:  https://sinsheim.technik-museum.de/