Airlines still plan to go supersonic - Car Rental News
Airlines still plan to go supersonic
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Car Rental News - 22/06/2009
Plans for commercial supersonic flight might be realised in 2015
Not so long ago there was a lot of buzz about supersonic air travel, which was set to be the next big thing. Air France and British Airways launched the maiden voyage of Concorde some forty years ago to much acclaim.
Offering flight times of less than four hours from London to New York, Concorde flew at 60,000 feet and was an impressive sight as it soared across the sky.
However, one of the main problems with supersonic flight is the sonic boom it creates, making it simply unsuitable for passing overhead residential areas.
"It's no secret that there are still some rather daunting challenges for supersonic flight," Peter Coen, principal investigator for NASA's supersonic fundamental aeronautics program announced in a recent CNN interview. "[But] we have certainly made some significant progress since the Concorde. I really do feel that we're at a point where you could have a sonic boom that, in city noise environments, would probably be inaudible to most people and would have at least the possibility of being widely acceptable."
For those who relish the idea of crossing continents in mere minutes and travelling at the speed of sound, those days could soon be upon us. However, this type of travel is quite costly, so start saving now.
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