Interesting and Innovative Approach to Travel at Supersonic Speeds!

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319163811.htm

 

[treitz3]

I love articles like this! Thank you. I believe that the only way to get this up and running is to have wings that change based upon the speed.

 

[vinylphilemag]

Very cool! I was once lucky enough to travel at Mach 2 in Concorde; an amazing experience...

 

[amirm]

Really cool. Having flown on 10+ hour flights at least a 100 times, this kind of plane have saved me half of my life .

United used to pass around surveys on their transatlantic flights on desirability of such planes. My boss and I would always game the system by voting for outrageous ticket prices! We figured they wouldn't build it anyway. Seems like too many people were truthful.

 

[FrantzM]

I Hate those 10+ hours flights.. I have always rooted for Supersonic travel .. I was one of those sad to see the SST project killed by the Nixon (?) administration, I was a big plane fan then .. Still am at heart.. great article.
The problem with the Aeronautical Industry is the pace of innovation ... we are sill flying planes that were developed in the 1960s (Boeing 747 for example)..At that rate most of us will be 100 years old before plane like this one comes to commercial operation

 

[vinylphilemag]

Following on from Frantz's point, it's a shame that we aren't putting more effort into {super,ultra}sonic transport. Look at what Concorde achieved, given that it was designed (relatively) in the stone age! What could we achieve today if we applied a similar amount of effort?

I guess the next big thing will be Virgin Galactic's low-earth orbit stuff. Now THAT would be neat!

 

[mep]

The problem with the Aeronautical Industry is the pace of innovation ... we are sill flying planes that were developed in the 1960s (Boeing 747 for example)..At that rate most of us will be 100 years old before plane like this one comes to commercial operation

The Air Force is still flying planes designed in the 1950s. We still have the B-52 bomber and the U-2 flying missions.

 

[MylesBAstor]

The Air Force is still flying planes designed in the 1950s. We still have the B-52 bomber and the U-2 flying missions.

Didn't they try and retire the U2 and were forced to bring it back into service?

Of course the B52 is up to what designation now? H????

 

[mep]

Myles-Right on both counts. The AF retired the SR-71 which was one of the fastest planes in existence because it was too expensive to operate. That left them with the U-2 and they have nothing to replace it with yet which is why the AF was forced by Congress to keep it in service. As for the B-52, none of them have an original piece of sheet metal left or an original rivet.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Myles-Right on both counts. The AF retired the SR-71 which was one of the fastest planes in existence because it was too expensive to operate. That left them with the U-2 and they have nothing to replace it with yet which is why the AF was forced by Congress to keep it in service. As for the B-52, none of them have an original piece of sheet metal left or an original rivet.

Yes and interestingly as good as satellite imagery is, the pics by the spy planes are reportedly better. I would think though nowadays that UAV will eventually replace the U2.

 

[mep]

Yes and interestingly as good as satellite imagery is, the pics by the spy planes are reportedly better. I would think though nowadays that UAV will eventually replace the U2.

I think that is the plan, but the technology isn't there yet. Weight and prime power is a bitch.