Richard Branson has unveiled Concorde II a supersonic passenger jet prototype.
25th July 2017
NASA has started work to build a new supersonic passenger jet.
The space agency aims to develop planes that do not make a thunderous sonic boom, which halted further development after Concorde was retired.
Technology has already been tested in a wind tunnel on a small scale and bids from manufacturers for large-scale tests will be taken from August.
In November 2016 Sir Richard Branson also announced plans to launch a new supersonic passenger jet, dubbed Concorde II, that would be able to race between London and New York in just three-and-a-half hours.
Sir Richard Branson is working with American startup Boom to develop the XB-1 supersonic aircraft, set to be the “fastest civil aircraft ever made” with a top speed of 1,451MPH.
What was the Concorde flight time to New York?
A typical flight from London to New York would take Concorde about three-and-a-half hours.
The aircraft had a top speed of 1,353MPH while regular passenger planes travel at between 500 and 600MPH.
It takes a normal passenger plane about eight hours to make the crossing.
Concorde was retired from service in 2003
Why did Concorde stop?
On April 10 2003 Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleets of Concorde aircraft.
Air France made its final flight on June 27 2003 while British Airways retired its fleet on October 24 2003, after a farewell tour.
Both carriers blamed low passenger numbers and rising maintenance costs for the fleets’ retirement.
Passenger numbers took a hit after a Concorde aircraft crashed just minutes after taking off from a Paris airport, in July 2000.
All 109 people on board and four on the ground were killed after the plane ran over a piece of titanium during take off, which burst the tyre and caused the fuel tank to ignite.
Numbers fell again following the 9/11 atrocities in 2001, which had an immediate impact on the number of people choosing to fly.
The operators also blamed rising maintenance costs. Although advanced when it was launched, 30 years on the planes were outdated.
25th July 2017
NASA has started work to build a new supersonic passenger jet.
The space agency aims to develop planes that do not make a thunderous sonic boom, which halted further development after Concorde was retired.
Technology has already been tested in a wind tunnel on a small scale and bids from manufacturers for large-scale tests will be taken from August.
In November 2016 Sir Richard Branson also announced plans to launch a new supersonic passenger jet, dubbed Concorde II, that would be able to race between London and New York in just three-and-a-half hours.
Sir Richard Branson is working with American startup Boom to develop the XB-1 supersonic aircraft, set to be the “fastest civil aircraft ever made” with a top speed of 1,451MPH.
What was the Concorde flight time to New York?
A typical flight from London to New York would take Concorde about three-and-a-half hours.
The aircraft had a top speed of 1,353MPH while regular passenger planes travel at between 500 and 600MPH.
It takes a normal passenger plane about eight hours to make the crossing.
Concorde was retired from service in 2003
Why did Concorde stop?
On April 10 2003 Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleets of Concorde aircraft.
Air France made its final flight on June 27 2003 while British Airways retired its fleet on October 24 2003, after a farewell tour.
Both carriers blamed low passenger numbers and rising maintenance costs for the fleets’ retirement.
Passenger numbers took a hit after a Concorde aircraft crashed just minutes after taking off from a Paris airport, in July 2000.
All 109 people on board and four on the ground were killed after the plane ran over a piece of titanium during take off, which burst the tyre and caused the fuel tank to ignite.
Numbers fell again following the 9/11 atrocities in 2001, which had an immediate impact on the number of people choosing to fly.
The operators also blamed rising maintenance costs. Although advanced when it was launched, 30 years on the planes were outdated.
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