The end of jet-lag? Supersonic jet dubbed ‘Son of Concorde’ travels at 1,300mph and aims to get you anywhere in the world in four hours
- The Overture, made by Boom Supersonic, can reach speeds of 1,300mph
- Flying time between Miami and London could be slashed to just five hours
- New York and London trip could go from six-and-a-half to three-and-a half hours
- Concorde, launched in 1976 was last supersonic airliner, ending in late 2003
Supersonic travel is on its way back, with the airline boss behind ‘Son of Concorde’ saying his ultimate goal is to get anyone anywhere in the world in four hours.
The Overture, made by Boom Supersonic, can reach speeds of 1,300mph – more than double that of the fastest commercial jets.
It would mean the flying time between Miami and London could be slashed from eight hours and 45 minutes to five, and between New York and London from six-and-a-half hours to three-and-a-half.
Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, also claimed it would mean jet-lag is confined to history – because passengers can beat any time difference.
He said: ‘If a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo is cut from 12 hours to six, you can leave a whole day later.
If you leave Sunday morning, you’ll get there Sunday afternoon which is Monday morning Japan time, do a day of meetings and arrive back home 24 hours after you left without any jet-lag.’
Travelling in the Overture could see the flying time between Miami and London slashed from eight hours and 45 minutes to five, and between New York and London from six-and-a-half hours to three-and-a-half
American Airlines on Tuesday agreed to buy up to 20 Overture jets (above) from aircraft maker Boom Supersonic, vowing to cut the time of long-haul flights over water nearly in half
American Airlines last week agreed to buy up to 20 Overture jets and keep a further 40 on hold.
Boom Supersonic claims to have $6 billion worth of pre-orders, with Virgin Atlantic requesting up to ten aircraft in 2016 and United Airlines 15 last year.
Concorde was the last supersonic airliner, launching in 1976 and ending service in late 2003.
The Overture is expected to carry 65 to 80 passengers, with all seating arranged business class-style, meaning middle rows will be a thing of the past.
A single ticket to New York will cost about £1,750.
Boom Overture key specifications
Cruise speed: Mach 1.7 supersonic, Mach 0.94 subsonic
Range: 4,250 miles with full payload
Passengers: 65–80
Exterior Dimensions: Length – 201 feet, Wingspan – 106 feet, Height – 36 feet
Wing: Gull with digital leading and trailing edge flap control
Flight controls: 4x redundant digital fly-by-wire on 2 LRUs
Powerplant: 4x medium-bypass 100% SAF-compatible turbofan
Sustainability: Net zero carbon, flying on 100% SAF
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