Soaring Supersonic
Our clients in need of air travel might be excited about recent news of a resurgence in Supersonic Transportation. That means traveling overseas at nearly twice the speed and altitude of current airline options.
A new Denver startup by the name of Boom Technology plans to take a more realistic approach to the previous era of supersonic transport. The idea of its founder, Blake Scholl, is "...for a plane that goes faster than any other passenger plane built before, but for the same price as business class." Travelling at Mach 2.2 could turn a 7 hour flight to London into 3.5 hours!
The technology is not necessarily new. The Bell X-1, in 1947, was the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight as a product of post-WWII experimental planes (or X-planes). Lockheed's Cold War-era SR-71 or "Blackbird" (one of which just moved from the Virginia Aviation Museum to the Science Museum of Virginia's "Speed" exhibit) was the famous reconnaissance aircraft that could outrun missiles and tear through the skies at nearly 2,500 mph! Following these incredible advances was the iconic Concorde as a result of French and British joint development. This first class supersonic vessel was introduced in 1976 for commercial flights with seating up to 128 passengers. While being an an engineering marvel, its grand scope and questionable economic viability saw its retirement as the crown of commercial aviation in 2003.
Now with a team of dedicated specialists from industry giants (such as NASA, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and others) in their corner, Boom Technology intends to revive this super industry by utilizing the many technological advances of our age to create their superior soaring experience. Be on the lookout for their tremendous take-off in the near future and remember to listen for the sonic boom!
