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Writer's pictureG. Rhodes

The Future of Travel


The future holds both promise and possibility as we contemplate what travel might look like years from now.

What will the future of travel look like? I don’t mean a resumption of the status quo post-pandemic. I’m thinking about how we might actually get from one place to another in 20 years’ time. There are many ideas on the drawing boards right now leading me to wish I had a crystal ball to see which ones make it from concept to reality. But not being a fortune teller means I’ll have to wait and see along with everyone else. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at several technologies holding the most promise and the most excitement. This is the third and final installment in a multi-part series that offers a glimpse into what might lie around the corner for transportation enthusiasts in the second quarter of this 21st Century.


The last Concorde flight left New York on October 24, 2003 and roared aloft with 100 very lucky passengers.

In order to look ahead, in this instance we must first look to the past. Concorde was the first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial aircraft or SST (supersonic transport), built jointly by aircraft manufacturers in Great Britain and France. The Concorde made its first transatlantic crossing on September 26, 1973, and it inaugurated the world’s first scheduled supersonic passenger service on January 21, 1976 as British Airways flew the aircraft from London to Bahrain and Air France flew it from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. Both airlines added regular service to Washington, DC in May of 1976 and to New York City in November of the following year. Other routes were added temporarily or seasonally, and the Concorde was flown on chartered flights to cities all over the world. But, only fourteen of the aircraft actually went into service. However, the aircraft’s noise and operating expense limited its practicality. Financial losses led both airlines to cut routes, eventually leaving New York City as their only regular destination. Concorde operations were finally ceased by Air France in May 2003 and by British Airways in October of that same year.


British Airways gave Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, a supersonic Concorde ride as a gift for her 85th Birthday.

The Concorde was the first major cooperative venture of European countries to design and build an aircraft. On November 29, 1962, Britain and France signed a treaty to share costs and risks in producing an SST. British Aerospace and the French firm Aérospatiale were responsible for the airframe, while Britain’s Rolls-Royce and France’s SNECMA (Société Nationale d’Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d’Aviation) developed the jet engines. The result was nothing less than a technological masterpiece resulting in the delta-wing Concorde. The aircraft had a maximum cruising speed of 1,354 miles per hour, or Mach 2.04 (more than twice the speed of sound), allowing the aircraft to reduce the flight time between London and New York to about three hours. The development costs of the Concorde were so great, however, that they could never be recovered from operations, and the aircraft was never financially profitable for either airline. Nevertheless, it proved that European governments and manufacturers could cooperate in complex ventures, and it helped to ensure that Europe would remain at the technical forefront of aerospace development. Concorde devotees loved its glamour, its look, and its celebrity cargo. Above all, they loved its speed. And if there were gripes about noise or wasting fuel . . . well, for most of the world that $12,000 round-trip (over $18,000 today) was a champagne-and-caviar-filled fantasy. Its twenty-seven year reign ended after a series of misfortunes though, including post 9/11 travel cutbacks, the Air France crash in 2002, very high fuel burn and ever-increasing maintenance costs from an aging analog design. But hope springs eternal that its needle nose will rise again. And perhaps it will.


A conceptualized version of a Boom Overture supersonic aircraft soaring into the friendly skies in the United livery.

United Airlines recently announced it will purchase up to fifty Boom Overture supersonic jets for commercial use by 2029, heralding the return of supersonic passenger flights nearly twenty years after the Concorde disappeared. If Boom’s supersonic aircraft is to succeed, it will depend on overcoming the issues that derailed Concorde. So, can it be done? Part of the United deal involves collaborative development in establishing a reliable supply of sustainable aviation fuel. This will ultimately benefit other aircraft in United’s fleet and the industry at large, which currently produces around 2.8 per cent of all global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Sustainable aviation fuels include biofuels and synthetic kerosine that are manufactured using renewable and sustainable materials. These sustainable fuels are compatible with conventional jet fuel, which means no changes to airport fueling infrastructure or engine design will be needed for them to be introduced – a critical factor in their uptake. But these fuels are very expensive, because the raw materials needed to make them aren’t available at scale. Boom is optimistic that it can overcome fuel efficiency challenges by the time its aircraft begins carrying fare-paying passengers in 2029. Those fares look set to be high, with the company anticipating a fare of $5,000 for a round trip from New York to London. While considerably lower than the Concorde’s ticket price, the Boom Overture also looks to be aimed at the upscale market – beyond the reach of most travelers. It’s likely to be frequented only by those who currently travel via private jet and who may also be enticed by Boom’s claims to be a sustainable aircraft manufacturer.


Boom's XB1 demonstrator aircraft is powered by a pair of GE J85 engines and features some high-tech composites.

Opinion is mixed on the feasibility of supersonic commercial flight in the near future. But one of the concept’s biggest boosters, Boom's CEO, Blake Scholl, insists the goal is achievable. “We get as much speed as possible, for as many people as possible, to as many places as possible, as quickly as possible,” he told Robb Report. Scholl is enthusiastic because they’ve already been there. Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, the XB1, and its bigger sibling the commercial jetliner Overture, are leveraging technology from the days of the Concorde, “rather than starting from scratch,” he said. If there is to be a new generation of supersonic jetliners, success is inextricably tied to how well their creators can navigate through the obstacles that plagued the Concorde. These include the sonic boom, the noise created at the speed of sound threshold (Mach 1.0 or 767 mph) which prevented supersonic flights over land. Then there is the copious fuel consumption and carbon emissions of supersonic flight. When weight is everything, the limited passenger-carrying capacity and scaled-down cabin interior could make it difficult to sell enough tickets to make SST flights profitable. Finally, there is the need for regulatory approval using standards that do not yet exist, from dozens of governments.


Spike Aerospace says it will neutralize the sonic boom on its 18-passenger S512 business jet so it can overfly land.

These issues populate the to-do lists of the SST engineers. Boom, with its plans for a 40- to 50-passenger airliner, touts its planned use of biofuels, as does California’s Exosonic, with its 70-passenger jetliner. Boston-based Spike Aerospace is focusing on an 18-passenger business jet with a proprietary technology it claims will keep the sonic boom at the level of a vacuum cleaner. It recently received FAA approval for limited testing of its design over land. Norris Tie, CEO of Exosonic, says before his company produces its airliner, it will move incrementally towards refining its technology with a small research contract it has with the U.S. Air Force. It recently announced plans to develop an Air Force Two, a supersonic jetliner for the Vice President and cabinet-level officials. “That helped put our company on the map for supersonic aviation and benefited us by letting us grow, hire people and do wind-tunnel testing that’s been really helpful,” he said of the work being done on a supersonic government personnel aircraft.


An artist's rendering of Virgin Galactic's supersonic jet which the company claims will fly at speeds up to Mach 3.

Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company, has revealed the first designs of a Mach 3 supersonic passenger jet and announced a collaboration with Rolls-Royce to develop engine propulsion technology for the high-speed commercial aircraft. Although still in the early concept stages, the jet is intended to reach speeds of around 2,300mph - three times the speed of sound. As CNBC reports, the Virgin Galactic jet’s supersonic speed could see flights between London and New York take just ninety minutes, while trips from London to Sydney could be completed in only five hours. George Whitesides, chief space officer at Virgin Galactic, said, “We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high-speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivaled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high-speed travel.” Virgin Galactic says the Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft will fly at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet. It will have capacity for between nine and nineteen passengers, and custom cabin layouts will be incorporated, including business or first class seating. No word yet on ticket prices but they’re likely to be exorbitant.


Our fascination with supersonic aircraft has not faded in the years since the Concorde's decommissioning in 2003. While there are many outstanding issues to be resolved, we may yet be flying again at breakneck speeds twelve miles above the Earth with wonderful views of its curvature.


Until next time...safe travels.



















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Peter Rees
Peter Rees
12 dic 2021

London to New York in 5 hours! Better start saving ... 😁

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