By Eddie Wrenn
|
When the Concorde went to that great big scrapheap in the sky, the world lost the fastest public transport it had ever known.
With luck, a patent filed by Boeing implies the next leap in aviation technology is not far off, with a 'Sonic Cruiser' perhaps on the cards.
The plane was first mooted in 2001, but was shelved a few years later and plane enthusiasts assumed it would never see the light of day.
The Boeing Super Jet: A patent applied for by Boeing implies the jet may soon become a reality
Old and new: The 2003 Sonic Cruiser patent design versus the 2012 patent
The original Sonic Cruiser was expected to fly at Mach 0.95, or about 630mph - keeping it just under the sonic boom level. It was expected to have a range of up to 10,000 miles, but was scrapped as airlines favoured lower operating costs and more capacity.
Several differences to improve the plane's aerodynamics have been spotted when comparing diagrams of the 2003 patent to the April 2012 filing.
Whether the craft is a serious venture by Boeing, or just some experiments by a group of engineers, remains unknown.
The plane also bears similarities to the U.S. Air Force bombing jets - the Valykrie. This Mach 3 bomber was tested through-out the sixties but was only used for test flights due to some technical difficulties.
As gadget site Gizmodo said: 'This doesn't mean that Boeing is going to build the Sonic Cruiser anytime soon. But it's nice to know that someone is working on making it possible one day.'
The plane seems to bear similarities to the The North American Aviation Valkyrie military plane - which itself started as a joint defence project between Boeing and the U.S. airforce
-
Woman, 22, given two life sentences for allowing professor,... -
New Jersey mother arrested after fair-skinned daughter,... -
Mother 'made sex tape with her son, 16, and sent him naked... -
Horror in Arizona as Neo-Nazi sheriff candidate guns down... -
Is this the world's most terrifying bathroom? Toilet hangs... -
Cate Edwards leaves court in tears during story of her... -
The twin sisters who share a HUSBAND (and he’s also... -
The faces of despair: Shocking before-and-after images of... -
Young Barack Obama had great 'sexual warmth' but sharp... -
Former NFL star Junior Seau found dead after shooting... -
Levi Johnson plans to name his newborn daughter after a gun -
Mangoes in Berkshire? It’s a no-go, Queen Noor: Royal...
Share this article:
Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
- Newest
- Oldest
- Best rated
- Worst rated
I do hope we do not allow the USA to fly supersonic in are area they stopped us doing it in the USA
Report abuse
I miss Concorde! When I left school I worked at Heathrow terminal 1 airside for about 2 years and every morning at about 11 I got to see her take off. Summer was best as we would go up to the roof, tops off, grab some rays, have brunch and watch her thunder down the tar mac!! Car alarms used to ring around the airport for 5mins after with fail! ......She was an amazing machine.
Report abuse
Remarkable how much the Valkyrie looks like Concorde. The Yanks were determined never to give Concorde a chance. Remember all those protesters saying it was too noisy and damaged the environment - and yet they never protested against the Apollo rockets or the Shuttle. Concorde is still one of man's greatest achievements. Faster than many fighters and so beautiful to look at. I just wish I had had the chance to fly on it.
Report abuse
I'd like to fly from Japan to the U.S. and vice versa without it taking a whole day out of my life to do so.
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar