Cars / Jets

Nasa joins race to build new supersonic passenger jet

A prototype of the “Son of Concorde,” a supersonic jet, is set to be revealed next month at the Farnborough International Airshow in England.

Jul 03, 2012 | By Luxuo

Fastest Supersonic Jet

A prototype of the “Son of Concorde,” a supersonic jet being designed in a collaborative effort between Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream and NASA is set to be revealed next month at the Farnborough International Airshow in England.

The plane would fly more than 2,485 mile per hour, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

Currently, the fastest subsonic executive jet, Gulfstream’s new G650 can fly 646 miles per hour and has a top speed of just 704 miles per hour.

The biggest obstacle designers are working to overcome is the sonic boom that was produced by the Concorde.

The boom was one of the principal reasons that Concorde was restricted to non-land routes and was retired in 2003 after proving commercially unviable.

A Gulfstream engineer described the sound the new jet will make as “closer to a puff or plop,” reports the Mail.

The jet, codenamed X-54, wouldn’t be available as a full-sized jet until 2030, assuming the new technology is reliable and successful

Via Foxnews


 
Back to top