Supersonic travel has failed to gain a foothold in civil aviation in the past. With the help of modern airlines and the Pentagon, it looks like the landscape is about to change.
Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747-200B, can reach a top speed of Mach 0.84, or about 645 mph. But the Pentagon wants the presidential plane to travel much faster than that.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract to Exosonic to design a presidential aircraft that can travel at supersonic speeds — over Mach 1, or 767 mph. The $1 million award will fund work to modify Exosonic's existing designs for supersonic commercial jets into a proposal for a presidential aircraft .
“Exosonic will develop a supersonic transport aircraft that will allow people and teams in key positions to travel around the world in half the time it takes now!” the Air Force said in a Twitter last week.
The airline will focus on “reconfiguring the aircraft cabin to include the required accommodations, communications equipment and security measures that allow U.S. leaders and their guests to work and rest on the aircraft.”.
“The future of global high-speed passenger travel is supersonic flight at low frequencies. Low frequencies allow travelers to fly at supersonic speeds without creating disruptions to those on the ground,” said Exosonic CEO Norris Tie in a press release announcing the Pentagon contract .“Exosonic is excited to win this contract, as it represents not only commercial but also government use for supersonic travel.”
Once upon a time, there was a plane that could fly at twice the speed of sound, 1,354 mph. But that plane, the Concorde, has been out of service for nearly two decades. Since then, no aircraft manufacturer has built a supersonic jet to replace it.
Some airlines are returning to this quest. A new plane called the Boom Overture – which can fly even faster than the speed of sound: Mach 2.2, or 1,688 mph – is in development for a test version known as the Baby Boom XB-1 and will soon make its first flight.
Boom Technology announced in July that Overture's test aircraft, the XB-1, will roll out in October and then be flight at California's Mojave Air and Space Port in 2021. The tests will hopefully have Overture ready for flight by the mid-2020s. The XB-1, with carbon fiber construction, will be one-third the size of the Overture and powered by triple GE Aviation J85-15 engines.
The XB-1 won't carry passengers. In fact, it only has room for a single pilot. But if it's successful, the company will move forward with the development of the Boom Overture, a passenger aircraft that can carry 55 to 75 passengers on supersonic journeys.
"On October 7, 2020, you will witness the historic flight of the XB-1. The world's first independently developed supersonic jet, it will pave the way for the return of supersonic travel," Boom Technology said.
