The Quest to Restore Supersonic‘s Glory – A Historical Journey Culminating in 5 Companies Racing to Claim Concorde‘s Mantle

Imagine boarding a flight to London at 10 AM in New York and arriving by 1 PM local time – just in time for an early dinner before a West End musical. Or conducting business meetings in both San Francisco and Tokyo within the same day. Such rapid mobility between global hubs once existed during the brief reign of supersonic Concorde jets. And after a 20 year hiatus, a handful of innovative companies now seek to restore those travel capabilities using advanced technologies.

Supersonic Flight: A Pursuit Spanning 75 Years

When Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager first exceeded the sound barrier in 1947 aboard the Bell X-1 rocket plane, it marked a major aviation milestone. In the decades that followed, planes continued pushing into ever higher Mach regimes. By the 1960s, sustained supersonic flight emerged via programs like the legendary Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane and Soviet MiG-25 interceptor.

But the dream was always to translate such performance from military contexts into the commercial realm. The Anglo-French Concorde airliner, able to cross the Atlantic in under 3.5 hours at Mach 2, demonstrated that supersonic transports (SSTs) could greatly shrink travel times. Concorde commenced trans-Atlantic service in 1976 – heralding in a new age of rapid flight for elite business travelers and wealthy leisure passengers.

Concorde in commercial service

Yet economically, Concorde struggled to sustain itself. High fuel consumption, noise complaints, and a fatal crash in 2000 ultimately forced Britain and France to retire Concorde in 2003 after only 27 years. But its feats left an enduring legacy spurring today‘s attempts to overcome its shortcomings.

So what happened in the intervening years on the supersonic transport front? This article chronicles recent military advancements together with 5 key corporate efforts striving to make civilian supersonic flight commercially viable once again. Developments in engine efficiency, noise reduction, advanced materials and computing may finally redeem supersonic‘s promise.

Let‘s survey the major players leading this charge!

Mach 2+ Abilities Standard for Modern Military Aircraft

Although banned over land, supersonic flight remains a common requirement for latest generation military jets. Let‘s examine two standouts in detail revealing the extreme engineering undertaken to achieve such extreme velocities.

MiG-31 Foxhound Interceptor

This Soviet-era aircraft first flew in 1975 with the fastest top speed among production jets to this day. Built for a specialized high altitude interception role, the MiG-31 remains a highly formidable presence defending Russia‘s borders.

The twin-engine, two seater can sprint at Mach 2.83 thanks to powerful turbofan engines generating 31,000 lb of combined thrust. The arrowhead wing design with large leading edge root extensions aid performance and maneuverability issues sometimes plaguing earlier MiG jets.

Impressively, the Foxhound achieves "supercruise" ability – allowing continuous flight above Mach 2 without requiring fuel-gulping afterburners. Such capabilities demand extreme metals like titanium along with intensive pilot training to master its unforgiving flight characteristics.

Over 500 units serve Russia and Kazakhstan, recently upgraded with advanced radars and long range missiles. The MiG-31 looks poised to continue its air defense duties for years ahead.

Eurofighter Typhoon Multirole Fighter

Entering service in 2003, the Eurofighter Typhoon has become the backbone fighter jet for multiple European air forces. Combining swing-role versatility with cutting edge avionics and sensor fusion capabilities, its impressive flight performance places it among the current global top-tier fighter echelon.

The twin turbofan engine Typhoon can break the sound barrier and achieve Mach 1.8+ under afterburner power. Leading edge flaperons and 3D thrust vectoring nozzles enable exceptional maneuverability both subsonic and supersonic.

Pilots praise Typhoon‘s agility particularly at high altitude, along with integrated helmet cueing systems allowing advanced missile targeting. Ongoing updates look to further expand multirole tasks from the interceptor mission orientation originally envisioned. At €90+ million apiece, the 4.5 generation Typhoon does not come cheap however!

This glimpse into 2 supersonic-capable jets reveals extreme environments routinely surpassed by leading air forces today. Next let‘s survey ambitious efforts to translate such capabilities towards civilian applications once again.

5 Companies Chasing the Supersonic Commercial Travel Dream

Despite Concorde‘s early demise, interest remains strong to leverage advanced aviation technologies for faster business travel. Hypersonic jets could connect distant city pairs in a fraction of current times enabling new levels of productivity and convenience.

We profile the 5 major players working to turn this goal into reality:

1. Boom Supersonic

Denver startup Boom Supersonic makes a supersonic liner revival the centerpiece of its core mission. Founded in 2014, Boom aims to fly a brand new generation of economically sustainable faster-than-sound passenger aircraft.

Dubbed Overture, Boom‘s flagship transport targets carrying 65-88 passengers at cruising speeds of Mach 1.7 (1,300 mph). For reference, typical conventional jets fly around Mach 0.85. If realized, Overture could connect faraway city pairs like San Francisco to Tokyo in just 6 hours or New York to London in only 3.5 hours gate-to-gate.

To aid Overture‘s development, Boom has attracted financial and technical support from aviation heavyweights Japan Airlines, American Airlines and Northrup Grumman. Combining optimized aerodynamics with specially designed engines, the company projects dramatically lower operating costs on a per seat-mile basis.

Boom broke ground in 2022 on a factory sized for mass Overture production, with rollout of the first test aircraft slated for 2025. The ambitious roadmap calls for entry into commercial service by 2029 if demanding safety and regulatory milestones are achieved.

2. NASA X-59 QueSST Demonstrator

In addition to private sector efforts on new faster-than-sound transports, public aerospace giant NASA has notable supersonic initiatives as well.

The agency is collaborating with Lockheed Martin on a unique demonstrator jet called the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Transport (QueSST). Distinct from projects targeting outright passenger service, X-59 aims to redefine rules governing supersonic flight over land.

How so? When any aircraft exceeds the sound barrier, it produces abrupt pressure waves perceived on the ground as a startling "sonic boom". Fearing public disturbance and potential damage, aviation regulators globally have long banned supersonic flight over land.

X-59 utilizes a specially shaped airframe resulting in milder "quiet thump" sonic booms rather than full-fledged sharp cracks. Following its first flight in 2023, X-59 will conduct test missions over select US towns documenting human reactions to its diminished noise signature.

Researchers will furnish collected data to US and global regulatory bodies, seeking to rewrite rules that stunted prior supersonic airliner attempts. By clearing this obstacle, NASA aims to catalyze follow-on commercial efforts to realize faster intercontinental mobility once again.

3. Spike Aerospace S-512 Luxury Jet

Shifting gears, Boston firm Spike Aerospace is charting its own supersonic course with the S-512. Billed as the "world‘s fastest jet" when released, this 12-18 passenger aircraft is positioned squarely at the elite end of the mobility spectrum.

By limiting capacity to levels common for top-end business jets today,Spike intends to tap unmet demand for exclusive three-hour trans-oceanic flights. The S-512 expects to cruise at Mach 1.6 powered by modified medium-bypass turbofans. Lamdba wings help reduce sonic booms allowing unrestricted routing options.

Absent traditional oval windows, the S-512 passenger cabin opts for giant wrap-around 4K displays. These vivid screens seamlessly synthesize external camera feeds into panoramic views or alternatively support entertainment streaming. Such innovations may preview supersonic airliner cabins of tomorrow focused on maximizing speed not sightseeing.

Spike remains secretive on expected S-512 pricing but baseline Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft in this category sell for $60-70+ million apiece. Market projections estimate a slice between 500-2000 luxury supersonic jets could sell over the next 20 years.

S-512 Cabin Mockup

4. Exosonic Passenger Airliner

Further along the commercialization spectrum, supersonic startup Exosonic completed initial conceptual design in 2021 of a 70-seat Mach 1.8 capable transport. Receiving early funding courtesy of US Air Force contracts, the team combines aerospace veterans with racing yacht designers versed in managing drag and stability at high velocities.

Using computer-optimized shaping, Exosonic is engineering its aircraft to mitigate sonic boom intensity from the outset rather than retrofitting noise reduction. Besides a 70 passenger variant, plans call for scaling up and down to support global cargo and private travel segments too.

While only founded in 2018, Exosonic‘s leadership believes it can achieve regulatory certification by 2029 for its clean-sheet supersonic aircraft. This assumes ongoing access to financing and cleared technological milestones around propulsion, materials and flight controls.

Exosonic 70 Passenger Concept

5. Aerion AS2 – Project Cancelled Prematurely

The final entry underscores supersonic‘s ongoing development risk, even with sizeable financial backing. Aerion Corporation spent 15 years methodically realizing its vision for a 12-passenger business jet exceeding Mach 1. Although not targeting the same mainstream routes, Aerion intended to reinvigorate demand for exclusive rapid long-haul transport.

The AS2 aims featured canard wings mated to a slender fuselage for crossing oceans or continents below 3 hours. Aerion promised a "boomless" aircraft – staying under Mach 1 during takeoff/landing while reducing noise elsewhere. The AS2 expected a 2027 entry-into-service with a backlog of $4 billion.

Fatefully, in 2021 Aerion abruptly shuttered its entire operation. Despite involvement from Boeing, GE, and Honeywell, the firm cited insurmountable financial hurdles in securing additional multi-billion investment required to complete AS2 manufacturing facilities.

Aerion‘s shock demise spotlights this capital-intensive, high-risk industry. Of course veterans like Boeing have abandoned prior supersonic projects as well. But Aerion‘s failure combined with COVID‘s demand swoon leaves this niche sector on shakier ground.

Aerion AS2 Scale Model

The Bumpy Road Ahead to Supersonic‘s Return

As outlined above, renewed momentum exists across both military and commercial aviation focused on hypersonic flight‘s tremendous point-to-point potential. Yet significant barriers around funding, regulations, noise/emissions rules, and safety certification must still be negotiated before Mach 2 passenger aircraft resume routine operations.

Industry experts estimate a $15-20 billion investment remains necessary to shepherd one of these supersonic designs through to commercialization. And not just any aircraft – the selected platform must convincingly eclipse Concorde‘s financial woes and fleet deficiencies which sparked its premature grounding.

Future progress also hinges on evolving noise policies as groups like NASA gather supersonic sound research. Streamlined certification frameworks must also emerge better tailored for unique SST engineering constraints. Assistance on both fronts looks probable based on regulatory interest in spurring innovation.

And with billionaire personalities like Elon Musk eyeing hypersonic ventures, no shortage exists of capital and talent keen to push boundaries. Indeed, 2023 may one day mark the low point if industry momentum continues building behind current projects led by Boom, Spike and their peers.

The extreme operating regimes, materials science and computing tools needed for sustained Mach 2 cruising are closer than ever. Who then seizes Concorde‘s long vacant mantle – speeding global business travelers to their destinations under 3 hours for years ahead? Exciting times doubtless lie ahead!

Let me know if any section warranted additional detail or if you have any other feedback!