Boeing in race to replace the Concorde
Jun 25, 2012, 10:11 AM | Updated: 12:51 pm
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Gulfstream are all preparing to unveil prototypes for the next generation of supersonic passenger planes. Pictured: The Concorde lands in Seattle. (AP file photo)
(AP file photo)
There hasn’t been a supersonic passenger plane in service
since the last Concorde flew in 2003, but Boeing and several
other aerospace companies are reportedly close to unveiling
possible successors.
The Sunday Times reports Boeing, Lockheed
Martin, and
Gulfstream are all heading to the Farnborough International
Airshow
outside London next month with prototypes for the next
generation of supersonic passenger planes.
The word is they would be made out of lighter composite
materials allowing for speeds of 2,400 miles an hour, which
is nearly twice the speed of the Concorde. It could
turn a 12 hour flight from London to Sydney to just four
hours.
The biggest hurdle is whether the companies can get rid of
the sonic booms that plagued the Concorde and some
engineers say they have been successful.
