Thread: New supersonic passenger jet in the works.

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

I would not hold my breath waiting to make reservations. IMO the future of super fast air travel is sub-orbital
Forget supersonic, the future of super-fast flight is sub-orbital
​https://www.wired.co.uk/article/sub-orbital-flight-virgin-galactic-blue-origin

Those are mostly vaporware pipe dreams. Supersonic can be realistically done. Suborbital will never be certified for another 30 years minimum

Originally Posted by Backspin

Those are mostly vaporware pipe dreams. Supersonic can be realistically done. Suborbital will never be certified for another 30 years minimum

At 63n years old, I am sure I will never fly on either a supersonic or a Sup-orbital . Being stuck in the US . for now I will settle for a slow boat to china.

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

At 63n years old, I am sure I will never fly on either a supersonic or a Sup-orbital . Being stuck in the US . for now I will settle for a slow boat to china.

Supersonic civil was being done when you were 15 years old. Don't count it out. Hang in there for 10-15 years

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

Was never done economically viable for mass consumption, simply a toy for the rich , which is what this is going to be also if it ever reaches production.
But thank you for taking the time to share this, is is certainly better than talking about each other or trump.
Personally I think pushing a plane through the air at supersonic speeds for commercial purposes is a loosing proposition , even if you went straight up outside the atmosphere, and stayed there for one hour, the Earth rotating at about 1,000 miles per hr will bring you down 1,000 miles away, combine that with some forward momentum and you can see where the future in super fast transportation is. For that reason I don't think there will be a major investment in supersonic other than a toy or tool , for the rich.
Personally . this is more my speed, and only $4,000.

Cell phones were a toy for the rich at the start. Jet travel was a toy for the rich at the start too. There was jet travel in my grand parents time. But they only traveled by boat across the ocean. Its a vital step in the economic system. The rich pay big bucks and the money is used to develop the technology.

Did you know that wing drag actually starts falling, AFTER you pass the sound barrier ? You end up with reduced drag coefficients, the faster you go. This is what makes supersonic an absolute no brainer. And that is what separates it from these ridiculous ideas about rocket powered flight. Supersonic is the sweet spot. Once we go supersonic, it will never make sense to go faster.



This is partly why Boeing gave up on the Sonic Cruiser. Because it was going to fly just below the sound barrier. Where wing drag is at its highest. It just didnt make sense. You have to get past the sound barrier.

The USA originally banned the Concorde for trade reasons. They didn't want the US airlines buying Concordes. They had their own 300 seat supersonic jet in the works. But that was too ambitious and never happened. And remember. They didnt fly the Concorde for 27 years just to save face. In the 1990's, the Concorde was responsible for 20% of British Airways profit.

Concorde ticket prices were doubled to over $7,000, one way, in today’s prices. As a result, Concorde was repositioned to provide a super-elite class for bankers, the rich, and the famous. Concorde became the place to be seen.

Despite the high price, sales were very strong. For one particular day, half the tickets for its first fare-paying London-New York flight were sold out in the first two hours of booking, (source).

Concorde started making money. Lots of it. “We made about $500 million pounds in net, clear profit.”. Estimates point to $50 million pounds in profit per year. That’s significant, even for a company the size of BA.



This was the Sonic Cruiser

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

Was never done economically viable for mass consumption, simply a toy for the rich , which is what this is going to be also if it ever reaches production.

Concorde made a tidy sum for BA. They used it as a marketing tool for frequent flyers, and they estimate it bought in 30-50 million a year.

Why do you think Branson was so keen to buy it off them?