Holidaymakers could soon be jetting across the skies at incredible speeds as supersonic commercial flights look set to return. A US-based company is working on designs for a new generation of aircraft capable of travelling faster than the speed of sound after an over 20-year wait.
The new aircraft aims to take passengers from London to New York in a plane which has been called the “son of Concorde”, which first broke ground in September 1973 when it made its first transatlantic crossing at the incredible speed of 1,354 mph. The iconic pointed-nose jet became synonymous with celebrities and was known for its somewhat controversial sonic boom. In July 2000, 109 people on board the supersonic jet were killed in a crash and it was eventually retired from service in October 2003. However, jetsetters may not have to wait long for the chance to once again travel at a similar speed.
A Colorado-based firm is developing plans to revive the supersonic age via its Boom Overture airliner. The supersonic airliner is designed to cruise at Mach 1.7, or 1,122 mph – twice that of today’s passenger planes – and is expected to carry 64 to 80 passengers and have a range of 4,250 nautical miles.
At these speeds, passengers can travel from Newark to London in three and a half hours and from Newark to Frankfurt in four hours. Currently, transpacific flights require a refuelling stop, meaning a trip from San Francisco to Tokyo would take about six hours.
Boom aims to introduce the Overture aircraft in 2029, projecting a market for up to 1,000 planes and capable of carrying 80 passengers at a time, serving 500 viable routes, with fares comparable to business class.
The Overture, which features a delta wing design similar to Concorde’s, is expected to be constructed using composite materials.
When flying over land, Overture can fly significantly faster than subsonic commercial jets, about Mach 0.94, according to a Boom spokesperson. The “sonic boom” was one of the biggest controversies surrounding Concorde, which led to bans and restrictions on flights due to the potential for noise pollution, property damage and even hearing damage.
Boom Supersonic has already carried out three test flights of its prototype aircraft – the XB1. Last August, developers watched closely as it flew over the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. It flew for around 15 minutes and reached an altitude of 10,400 feet, travelling at 277 miles per hour. Then, in January of this year, the prototype successfully broke the sound barrier, having reached a speed of Mach 1.1 (844 mph) at an altitude of 35,000ft.
The team will need to perform another 10 tests before achieving supersonic status. These tests will help determine the feasibility of fuel consumption, speeds, and flight characteristics. The XB-1 plane currently being used in test flights will then be swapped for the actual aircraft, Overture, which will be used by future passengers.