The history of supersonic passenger aircraft could experience a new chapter nearly two decades after the retirement of the I agree. It is because the American airlines and the supersonic boom announced an agreement to purchase 20 supersonic aircraft opening, with the possibility of acquiring another 40 models in the future. In the case of the first 20 aircraft, the American has already made a non-refundable deposit to receive the flying machines.
With the new aircraft, the passenger transport is twice as fast, compared to the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft, and which brings back the era that ended with the end of the Concorde, the world’s first commercial supersonic aircraft. The idea is that travel will also become cheaper and emit less polluting gases than the precursor.
American Airlines’ future supersonic machine
Currently, the opening is designed for transportation 65 to 80 passengers per mach 1.7 (1.7 times the speed of sound in air) – twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft – with a range of 4,250 nautical miles (7,870 km). The model of supersonic boom is also designed for fly over 600 routes around the world in less than half the time it took today. Flying from Miami to London in just under five hours and from Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours are among the possibilities.
According to the airline, the opening will introduce a significant new speed advantage to the company’s fleet. Under the terms of the contract, the boom must meet industry standard operational, performance and safety requirements and other customary conditions of the American airlines before the submission of any final offers on the aircraft to be produced.
“In the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to serve our customers. We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel for both our business and our customers.
Derek Kerr – Chief Financial Officer of American Airlines
if the jets opening given boom pass inspection, are expected to launch in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry passengers by 2029. Americanthe company has an agreement for the delivery of 15 jets to the United airlines, with an option for 35 additional aircraft depending on safety testing. The startup also has contracts with Rolls Royce and the United States Air Force.
In July, the automaker unveiled its updated aircraft design. opening, which includes an additional engine, a streamlined fuselage and gull wings. In addition to the speed of mach 1.7, the opening life-size, it will be 62 meters long and will reach a cruising altitude of 60,000 feet. The jets still promise to be carbon-neutral and run on 100% sustainable aircraft fuel.
Environmental groups, however, fear that higher speeds equate to more pollution. The global aviation industry produces about 2% of all man-made CO2 emissions, but supersonic jets are known to be much more polluting. hence, the Start it will be a real challenge in the mission of providing fast and durable aircraft.
a new test
I hope the opening the job is to cheer for the future of global aviation. About two decades ago, supersonic jets were phased out after the failure of the I agree, a supersonic aircraft that forever changed aviation as we know it today. Produced by the consortium formed by the British British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and the French aerospace, the Concorde became the symbol of an era in which every goal seemed achievable by man. If it were possible to walk on the moon, why not fly at twice the speed of sound and cross the Atlantic Ocean in less than three hours?
This supersonic aircraft could fly at twice the speed of sound, which is around 2,179 km / h. As a result, the initial journey from Paris to Rio de Janeiro, also via Dakar, took only six hours, half the time of a regular commercial jet. Its ultra-powerful fuselage and engine were also special, making the Anglo-French supersonic capable of flying at an altitude of 18,300 meters, or 60,000 feet, enough to see the curvature of the Earth in all its glory.
Behind this wonderful story there have been years and years of many tests and a lot of technology has been involved. The extraordinary performance of the Concorde was also due to its differentiated aerodynamics, as it had a more pointed design and delta wings to facilitate landing, as it had no spoiler (moving parts that help reduce wing lift to stabilize the aircraft on the ground) like conventional aircraft.
But maintaining all of this was expensive, very expensive! In addition to general aircraft maintenance, fast travel with onboard luxury was expensive for airlines. both British Airways as for Air France suffered enormous losses in the operation of their Concordes. As a result, the operations of these supersonic aircraft became shorter and shorter.
The high cost of airline tickets also became a problem, as not everyone could afford such a price. To give you an idea, a standard ticket from London to New York costs US $ 10,000, five times more than a classic flight ticket. Even with these high costs, companies like it British Airways And Air France he has always insisted on the use of airplanes. But towards the turn of the century, a fatal crash contributed to the turn of the century for one of the most iconic aircraft in the world.
On 25 July 2000, a Concorde crashed into a hotel near the airport. Charles de Gaullein Paris, killing 109 people on board and four others on the ground. It is true that the cause of the crash had no direct connection with the plane, because it was found that the cause of the crash was a piece of titanium on the runway, detached from a Continental DC-10 that had taken off before Concorde. and ended up puncturing one of the supersonic tires during take off. Tire debris damaged the fuel tank, which quickly caught fire.
About a year later, corrections were made, with the plane getting a booster in its fuel tank with the addition of Kevlar plates. However, the operations with the plane did not last long, thanks to people’s fear of flying caused by the 9/11 attack and also due to the accident that occurred a year earlier.
Thus, the Concorde made its last flight British Airways on 24 October 2003. His last flight (BA002) left the airport John F. Kennedy in New York, landing at the airport of Heathrow in London to the applause of a crowd that had gathered to greet the Concorde.
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Last year, the Brazilian Objective announced the purchase of electric aircraft to operate commercial flights in Brazil. Activities are expected to start in 2025.
Sources: The Verge, CNN, US News.