In the Wake of the Concorde Myth, Supersonic Flights to be Proposed by 2023
After the retirement of the Concorde, an aviation legend, supersonic flight may be resurrected.
From its first flight in 1969, the Concorde was the fastest plane in the world. However, with few seats, expensive tickets and a very high fuel consumption, the flights ended in 2003, But not the myth.
According to Blake Scholl, the Boom Technology company CEO, a new supersonic flight will resurrect the legend by 2023. The company is currently developing a supersonic plane named the XB-1, also known as “Baby Boom”. The aircraft, powered by three turbojet engines, will be faster than any current plane. Today, a flight from San Fransisco to Tokyo lasts 11 hours. Thanks to the new technology, the journey will be cut to 5 hours. The price will be “fair” says the company. For instance, a one-way ticket from London to New York will cost $2,500.
For a purchase price of $200 million for a plane, the project already has the backing of two airlines – Virgin (10 ordered) and Japan Airlines (20 ordered).
However, remembering the Concorde problems, there are still concerns about the financial viability and environmental impact. “Concorde was a gas guzzler,” the CEO said. “But since then there has been huge progress in engine design and materials.”
The XB-1 demonstrator was scheduled to achieve first flight in late 2017, but that time line was delayed a year ago to later in 2018. Finally, first flight was delayed again to 2019.
By Antoine Dewaest
Photo: Boom Technology