The heirs of the Concorde

Many planes want to inherit from the legendary Concorde. But where are the projects? And they are as realistic? An overview.

It is the dream of many frequent flyers: morning break from one continent, at midday thousands of kilometres away do business meetings and in the evening back to sleep in your own bed. That promise high supersonic passenger aircraft. From New York to London in just three and a half hours. Several projects and large air and aerospace corporations work to the bet because, again to allow such flights by 2020. But how realistic is this wishful thinking? And is there a market for it at all?

This future was ever a reality. The British French Concorde flew faster than the sound from 1976, cross managed the route across the Atlantic of in three and a half hours at an altitude of around 16000 meters. Who flew with her, often still raves about this experience. The record between New York and London is available since 1996 with a flight time of just under three hours. But the Concorde flight operations ceased in 2003.

Differently far developed several projects,

The Concorde was simply too expensive for a line pilot, tickets cost nearly 20 percent more than normal First-Class flights (up to 10,000 euros) on average, the airline flew only rarely in profit. In 2000, then a crash with 113 deaths.

Also, the Concorde was very restricted in their routes, because at supersonic speeds, it was allowed to fly just above the sea. On land routes, the resulting blast would have been too loud. Since then, there's no excess passenger supersonic aircraft more. The currently fastest subsonic commercial aircraft on the route New York-London is the Airbus A380 with about 5 hours 53 flight duration.

But given up hope fans and hobbyists don't have yet. Current plans, to succeed the Concorde with new jets of excess noise, sound partly fantastic. You are aged differently far - an overview:

Boom

Boom, a startup from the United States Colorado, with the financial help of Virgin Galactic, promises a «supersonic everyone can afford». Around $2500 per route, flight time: 3 hours and 15 minutes, 2.2 times as fast as the sound - the Concorde was 2 times as fast as sound. The boom-Jet to can carry 45 passengers (at the Concorde were between 92 and 128), consist of lighter and heat-resistant materials, and have a third drive in the rear of the aircraft.

In the coming year, a prototype in size by one-third of the actual aircraft, to be tested called «XB-1» or «Barry». The developers on their website with approximately $ 200 million put the price for its large Aviator - Virgin Galactic should have secured the option to ten aircraft. But a problem remains: with regard to the noise of future boom planes but could have the same problems as the Concorde, cited the trade publication «Aviation Week» the developer. As we continue with the Start-Up, will depend decisively 2017 of the test flights.

AS2

A competitor is Aerions AS2, supported by the aviation giant Airbus and the Texas billionaire Robert bass. The flyer should be traveling with 1.1 to 1.4 times speed of sound, and thus slightly slower than the Concorde and the ambitions of the boom - but also quieter. To create the London - New York flight here in 4 hours. From 2021, there will be the first flight of the Jet, the project phase in a regular operation going over from 2023. The number of passengers is designed according to the current plans but only 12 people and would remain so even with a fast realization for most Sonic fans unaffordable luxury.

NASA-X-plane

Also the NASA comes the noise problem of the excess sound pilot. She is working on a plane called X-plane

, which should be on the road much quieter than previous models - with a new aerodynamic design and new drive if also slightly slower than the planned aviation boom. This project could remain a hope for many developers because, supersonic without a solution to the issue of noise currently only the routes across the world's oceans.

Charles Bombardier antipode

But with these projects, the greed is yet long not breastfed for ever faster travel. Other Sonic fans want to achieve a lot more. All of which has so far mentioned in comparison with the plans of Canadian product designer Charles Bombardier as a slow train next to a Transrapid. In only eleven minutes wants Bombardier passengers a day from New York to London transport. His project called the antipode to the lunch trip make possible to New York City a travel 24facher speed of sound.

A fast travel speed is then no more supersonic but Hypersonic. At the start, kerosene rocket should be detonated later dropped. Retropackage should be used when landing in turn. The overheating (the most criticized problem of by Bombardier previously presented project Skreemr) is using the so-called «long penetration fashion» be reduced, a cooling system via one contrary to the direction of flight-oriented air jet. Nevertheless, nuts materials and solutions for the extreme centrifugal force would have to be invented yet so that people on this plane can travel. Bombardier itself admits: by a realization of his plans were very far away. Rather, it is a concept that should stimulate to discuss.

1300 excess sound jets are needed

Interest on new supersonic anyway, are there on the market, claiming at least a study of the consulting group «Boyd international strategic aviation solution». Therefore, there is estimated demand for approximately 1300 aircraft worth $ 260 billion across by all airlines.

As long as the plans for new supersonic flights are not yet implemented, many Überschallbegeisterte keep but rather on what once was reality: even the legendary Concorde could eventually theoretically withdraw - at least when it comes to their fans. The «Concorde Club» collects money to buy old machines and one day to refloat to make - and that quite successfully.

A first step is now achieved, it says on the Club's website. A London Bank have donated around 30 million pounds to 2017 to convict an old Concorde to England and to rebuild as exhibit and restaurant for fans. It is in discussions with various museums, it says. At least this experience would be affordable for all excess sound fans actually

Please refer to Überschallflügen here:

Boeing and NASA: Son of Concorde. Airbus (Zehst): The bio-Concorde. Virgin: Branson wants to build Super-Concorde. Massachusetts Institute of technology MIT: the better Concorde. Skylon: With Mach 5 to the world.

Impressions of the Concorde flight:

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