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