Could supersonic air travel make a comeback?

  • gravitas_deficiency
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    9 months ago

    As someone with an interest in the technology involved in this stuff: it’s a LOT more viable today than it was 60 years ago. Today, you have:

    • extremely advanced composites, ceramics, and metallurgy
    • extremely advanced construction techniques, including bespoke additive, subtractive, and planar deformation
    • incredibly detailed computer simulation in various domains to enable rapid iteration and perfection of components
    • 60 years of research into jet engine energy and noise efficiency
    • 60 years of research into supercruise
    • recent advances in combined cycle, geared turbines, and rotational detonation engines - not to mention, theoretical advances in the future around electric, hydrogen, and fusion-powered concepts
    • recent flight research around suppressing noise during supersonic flight (QSST)

    There is a TON of technology and innovation that’s coming together recently to make supersonic transport an actual viable thing. For the record, it wasn’t a viable thing when the Concorde was doing it. That was basically a national pride project between the UK and France.