Boom Technology XB-1 - også kendt som "Baby Boom". (Foto: Boom Technology)
Qatar Airways vil have supersoniske fly
Supersoniske fly har vakt interessen hos Qatar Airways, og det mellemøstlige flyselskab skal endda være klar til at være lanceringskunde.
Supersoniske passagerfly kan efterhånden anes i horisonten, selv om der efter al sandsynlighed fortsat går en håndfuld år, før sådanne fly kan komme i kommerciel drift.
Hos Qatar Airways er man imidlertid bevidst om udviklingen inden for supersoniske fly, og det store flyselskab melder sig nu klar til selv at stifte bekendtskab med disse typer fly.
Koncernchef i Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, sagde for nyligt, at flyselskabet var ”meget interesseret” i supersonisk flyvning. Han omtalte blandt andet de private forsøg, der er på at udvikle og producere et supersonisk fly.
”Qatar ville være meget interesseret i at se på et sådant projekt. Vi ville ikke tøve med at være en lanceringskunde,” udtalte han ifølge FlightGlobal i forbindelse med den første levering af en Airbus A350-1000 tidligere på ugen.
Akbar al-Baker understregede dog, at hvis Qatar Airways vil forpligtige sig i et supersonisk flyprojekt, afhænger det af yderligere analyser af udviklingspotentialet – især inden for elproduktion. Han påpegede desuden, at der endnu ikke er fundet en fabrikant af motorer. Når disse oplysninger foreligger, vil flyselskabet være interesseret i et lille antal fly.
“Baby Boom” på vej i horisonten
Ovenstående udtalelser fra Baker al-Baker kommer i relation til Boom Technology, der er en privat udvikler af supersoniske fly. Her har man i nogle år arbejdet på at udvikle et lille fly ved navn XB-1 med plads til cirka 45 passagerer, og som skal kunne opnå en marchhastighed på Mach 2,2 (2.335 kilometer i timen, red.).
Ovenstående udtalelser fra Baker al-Baker kommer i relation til Boom Technology, der er en privat udvikler af supersoniske fly. Her har man i nogle år arbejdet på at udvikle et lille fly ved navn XB-1 med plads til cirka 45 passagerer, og som skal kunne opnå en marchhastighed på Mach 2,2 (2.335 kilometer i timen, red.).
Boom Technology arbejder fra en hangar i Denvers Centennial Airport, og virksomheden udvikler på det supersoniske fly i samarbejde med Virgin Galactic. Flyet har allerede fået det passende tilnavn ”Baby Boom”.
Concorden kunne i sin tid flyve med Mach 2,0, mens almindelige passagerfly opererer med en marchhastighed på Mach 0,85. XB-1-flyet vil med Mach 2,2 kunne tilbagelægge strækningen fra New York til London på tre timer og 15 minutter.
Hvis alt går efter planen, vil ”Baby Boom” kunne indgå i kommerciel passagerflyvning fra 2023.
Lydsvagt supersonisk fly
Også i Boston er der aktivitet inden for udvikling af et supersonisk passagerfly. Virksomheden Spike Aerospace er således i gang med at udvikle et lydsvagt supersonisk jetfly med plads til 18 passagerer.
Også i Boston er der aktivitet inden for udvikling af et supersonisk passagerfly. Virksomheden Spike Aerospace er således i gang med at udvikle et lydsvagt supersonisk jetfly med plads til 18 passagerer.
Flyet har fået typebetegnelsen S-512 og vil kunne opnå en hastighed på Mach 1,6 – det svarer til 1.770 kilometer i timen. Rækkevidden bliver på 11.500 kilometer.
S-512 skal efter planen i produktion fra 2023, og producentetn regner med, at der potentielt vil være 700 aftagere til det nye supersoniske fly. Det bliver imidlertid en bekostelig affære; flyet vil nemlig have et prisskilt på 100 millioner dollars, hvilket svarer til cirka 600 millioner danske kroner.
Det seneste supersoniske fly var i luften helt tilbage i efteråret 2003, da Concorden gennemførte den sidste flyvning inden sin pensionering. Både Air France og British Airways ejede fly af denne type, og en strækning fra New York til London kunne klares på tre timer og 30 minutter.
CHINA ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR HYPERSONIC JET ABLE TO REACH NEW YORK FROM BEIJING IN TWO HOURS
A team of Chinese researchers has claimed to have designed a hypersonic jet that could travel at 6,000km/h, five times faster than the speed of sound.
The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the plane would be able to transport passengers and cargo from Beijing to New York in two hours - the journey currently takes an average of 13 and a half hours.
Cui Kai, who headed up the research, published a paper on the new design in this month's Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy journal, in which he said: "It will take only a couple of hours to travel from Beijing to New York at hypersonic speed".
The team said they had tested a scaled-down model of the jet in a wind tunnel, and that it reached speeds of 8,600km/h with low drag and high lift. To compare, Concorde's top speed was 2,179km/h.
The design, dubbed the I Plane, features two layers of wings to reduce turbulence and drag while creating more lift.
Talk of hypersonic travel has been ramping up of late. "It's certainly within the realm of possibility," Dr Kevin Bowcutt, senior technical fellow and chief scientist of hypersonics for Boeing Research and Technology, told NBC last month. "I think we have the technology now where we could actually do it."
Boeing has dipped its toe in the water with its X-51A WaveRider, and it is now reportedly working with Lockheed Martin to develop a jet-powered hypersonic aircraft - although both are keeping schtum about the design.
Supersonic commercial planes - those that travel faster than 1,236km/h, the speed of sound - are likely to be the precursor to hypersonic jets. Boom Supersonic, for example, plans to produce passenger aircraft that can travel at MACH 2.2, or 2,335km/h, that will enter service in 2023.
These jets could carry 50 passengers, flying from New York to London in three hours and 15 minutes. But it won't come cheap; fares are expected to cost $2,500 one way.
CHINA ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR HYPERSONIC JET ABLE TO REACH NEW YORK FROM BEIJING IN TWO HOURS
- The team's hypersonic jet design features two layers of wings / Science China Press
- A research team claimed the plane would travel at 6,000km/h
A team of Chinese researchers has claimed to have designed a hypersonic jet that could travel at 6,000km/h, five times faster than the speed of sound.
The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the plane would be able to transport passengers and cargo from Beijing to New York in two hours - the journey currently takes an average of 13 and a half hours.
Cui Kai, who headed up the research, published a paper on the new design in this month's Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy journal, in which he said: "It will take only a couple of hours to travel from Beijing to New York at hypersonic speed".
The team said they had tested a scaled-down model of the jet in a wind tunnel, and that it reached speeds of 8,600km/h with low drag and high lift. To compare, Concorde's top speed was 2,179km/h.
The design, dubbed the I Plane, features two layers of wings to reduce turbulence and drag while creating more lift.
Talk of hypersonic travel has been ramping up of late. "It's certainly within the realm of possibility," Dr Kevin Bowcutt, senior technical fellow and chief scientist of hypersonics for Boeing Research and Technology, told NBC last month. "I think we have the technology now where we could actually do it."
Boeing has dipped its toe in the water with its X-51A WaveRider, and it is now reportedly working with Lockheed Martin to develop a jet-powered hypersonic aircraft - although both are keeping schtum about the design.
Supersonic commercial planes - those that travel faster than 1,236km/h, the speed of sound - are likely to be the precursor to hypersonic jets. Boom Supersonic, for example, plans to produce passenger aircraft that can travel at MACH 2.2, or 2,335km/h, that will enter service in 2023.
These jets could carry 50 passengers, flying from New York to London in three hours and 15 minutes. But it won't come cheap; fares are expected to cost $2,500 one way.
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