MAKERS of a supersonic plane have revealed there are more than 600 global routes where Concorde-style speedy flights could slash flying times by as much as half.
And a 3.5 hour trip between the UK and US is “absolutely” possible, the company told The Sun.
2
2
Boom Technology has been testing its XB-1 test jet which managed to fly faster than the speed of sound in January.
One of the hurdles they’ve overcome from supersonic flying is the sound.
The firm’s jet, aptly dubbed the “Son of Concorde”, has no audible sonic boom.
A number of orders from the likes of American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines have already been made for Boom Technology’s passenger jet model, Overture.
President Trump recently signed an executive order effectively lifting a 52-year ban on civil supersonic flight over land in the US.
“While Boom is pleased to see the regulatory pathways to supersonic flight clearing, Boom’s business case has never been predicated on regulatory change,” a spokesperson for Boom told The Sun.
“There are over 600 global routes that are economically viable for supersonic flight—even without going supersonic over land.
“Now that rules are being updated to allow boomless supersonic flight over land in the US, additional routes will benefit from speedups.
“Boom’s supersonic airliner, Overture, will fly transatlantic routes, such as New York to London, at its full cruising speed of Mach 1.7 over water – about twice as fast as today’s conventional airliners.”
“Boomless Cruise enables Overture to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.3 over land without an audible boom – up to 50% faster than subsonic jets – reducing US coast-to-coast flight times by up to 90 minutes.
“International routes with overland segments can also benefit from increased speeds.”
The company also revealed that Overture “remains on target” to get certification from relevant bodies including the FAA by the end of the decade so it can carry passengers.
Bosses are aiming to roll out the first Overture in three years, and be flight testing in four.
To accomplish that, they expect production of the first aircraft in the “Superfactory” to start next year.
WHY DID CONCORDE FAIL?
CONCORDE was the supersonic passenger jet considered the ultimate luxury in air travel.
Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleet of Concorde planes on April 10, 2003.
The plane had its first commercial flight on January 21, 1976, so was retired after 27 years of service and 50,000 flights.
Several reasons led to the decision to retire Concorde.
Air France and British Airways cited low passenger numbers and high maintenance costs.
By the early noughties, the planes were outdated and expensive to run, despite being incredibly advanced when they were first introduced almost three decades previously.
The 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001 majorly impacted passenger numbers, as people opted not to fly.
Passenger numbers also fell after an Air France Concorde crashed just minutes after taking off from Paris in July 2000.
The disaster killed all 109 people on board and four others on the ground.
The plane ran over a small piece of metal on the runway, which burst a tyre and caused an engine to ignite.
It was also the only aircraft in the British Airways fleet that required a flight engineer.
Image credit: Alamy
By the end of this year, they expect to produce thrust during fully-operational engine core tests for Overture’s bespoke engine, Symphony.
“Boom’s current order book accounts for the first five years of production at the Overture Superfactory in North Carolina,” the spokesperson added.
“Airlines have been very receptive to Overture and the competitive advantages of supersonic travel.
“In fact, the passenger research we have conducted indicates that 87% of passengers are willing to switch from their preferred airline in order to gain access to supersonic travel.”
THE RISE OF SUPERSONIC AND HYPERSONIC
There are several types of hypersonic and supersonic jets. A breakdown of what’s been happening in the industry and what’s expected in the coming years.
Talon-A
- Built by Stratolaunch
- Reported speeds of Mach 5
- The first test flight conducted in 2024
X-59 Quesst
- Built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 1.4
- The first test flight in 2024 – but subject to delays
Venus Stargazer M4
- Built by Venus Aerospace and Velontra
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
- First test flight in 2025
Quarterhorse MKII
- Built by Hermeus
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 2.5
- First test flight in 2026
Halcyon
- Built by Hermeus
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 5
- First test flight by 2030
Nanqiang No 1
- Built by China’s hypersonic plane programme
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 6
- First test flight in 2025
DART
- Built by Hypersonix Launch Systems
- Predicted max speeds of Mach 7
- First test flight in 2025
