Australian Aviation — January 2018

36 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

W

hile the tyranny of distance
has not dulled Australians’
love of air travel, many
approach the 24-hour trek
to Europe or the US east coast with
dread.
Whether in a lie-flat seat or one
that offers only a few precious degrees
of recline, the journey often leaves
one feeling less than their best upon
disembarkation, as the excitement
of (finally!) being on the other side
of the world is far outweighed by a
lack of sleep, jetlag and the prospect
of a stern inquisition from a grumpy
immigration officer.

The Concorde, with its supersonic

speed, was meant to change all that.

However, the iconic aircraft failed

to take off largely because it was too

expensive to operate.

Now, a Denver-based start-up

is hoping to revive the concept of

supersonic passenger flight, with

Australia a prime target market.

Boom Supersonic is the company

behind the development of the first

supersonic passenger aircraft since the

famous Concorde.

The proposed aircraft is a tri-jet

with a range of 4,500nm and capable

of reaching speeds of Mach 2.2,

compared to the Mach 0.85 or so

that today’s commercial passenger

aircraft cruise at. It would seat up

to 55 passengers in a business class

configuration.

At Mach 2.2, flying between New

York and London would take about

three hours and 15 minutes. Closer

to home, a trip from Sydney to Los

Angeles would take seven hours,

including the time required for a

refuelling stop en route.

Entry into service for the aircraft is

forecast for the mid-2020s.

In contrast to the high prices

paid by the well-heeled to travel by

‘Australia...

would benefit

most from

supersonic.’^

BLAKE SCHOLL

Speedchaser

WRITER: JORDAN CHONG

Boom and the rebirth of the supersonic airliner