The New Race for Supersonic Speed: Who Will Be the First to Bring Back the Era of Fast Flights?

February 12 2025 4 337 9

January 28 demonstrator of technologies The XB-1 of the American company Boom Supersonic has broken the supersonic barrier for the first time. This event was an important step towards the creation of the passenger supersonic aircraft Overture, which, according to the developers, will open a new era of high-speed flights. However, the race for supersonic speeds is not limited to the United States: China and Russia are also actively working on their own projects, striving to return to humanity the ability to fly faster than sound.

The history of supersonic passenger aircraft began with the Soviet Tu-144, which took to the air on December 31, 1968, ahead of the Franco-British Concorde. However, both projects proved economically unviable due to huge fuel consumption, high ticket prices and problems with noise pollution. As a result, the era of supersonic travel ended in the early 2000s, leaving behind only memories.

Today, technology has advanced. Modern materials such as carbon fiber composites make it possible to create lighter and stronger structures. Computer modeling helps reduce noise levels, and new design approaches, including eliminating cockpit windows, make production easier and cheaper. But the main problem remains: no one in the world has yet developed a suitable engine for a civilian supersonic aircraft.

At the same time, the American XB-1, despite successful tests, can only reach speeds of Mach 1,7 and only over the sea. To achieve the stated Mach 2,2, a new engine is required, the development of which has not yet been completed. Similar difficulties are experienced by China and Russia. The Chinese Yunxing project is at the engine testing stage, and our developments so far exist in the form of calculations and individual units.

However, even if supersonic passenger aircraft do not appear in the coming years, work on them is already bearing fruit. For example, research is underway in Russia in the field of plasma aerodynamics, which can significantly reduce air resistance. Developments in the field of control systems and fuel efficiency will also find application in other areas of aviation.

The race for supersonic speed is not only a desire to create a fast aircraft, but also an opportunity to develop science and technology. Past experience, including the developments on the Tu-144, shows that such projects often become catalysts for breakthroughs in other areas. Who will be the first to return supersonic flights to the world is still unknown, but one thing is clear: a new era of aviation is already on the threshold.

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Sergey Latyshev

0

12 February 2025 10: 36

In general, the once-hyped supersonic Russian business jet for Arab sheikhs and oligarchs has remained only in old promises
Vladimir Tuzakov

-1

12 February 2025 13: 44

The main issue is the safety of the flight, which rapidly decreases with the increase in high speeds. Such supersonic flights are several times more expensive (safety, etc.), which means they cannot be widespread, which was the case with the first supersonic flights. Supersonic speeds are only on long-haul flights of 5-15 thousand km. This is not relevant for the Russian Federation, because a small percentage of the rich fly on private "jets", the rest cannot afford it... Conclusion: there is no basis for investing in supersonic civil aviation, modern conventional aviation is barely "breathing", that's where the investment comes from.
sidorov

+2

12 February 2025 21: 16

If you sleep overnight in a train compartment, then such a journey is more convenient and cheaper than a flight. And you don't have to go to the airport and deal with all the stupid procedures there...
And you can save on an overnight stay in a hotel.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans even planned to lay a 2.5 m track railway across Russia and run 250 km/h trains along it.
8-9 hours of travel - and more than 2000 km! Without any super-duper technologies 80 years ago.... .
1. Vladimir Tuzakov
  
  +1
  
  14 February 2025 21: 25
  
  That's right, when the distance is 1-1,5 thousand km, when it's more, the journey takes a day or more. Another inconvenience is that the direct railway is not everywhere. For a distance of over 1 thousand km, an airplane is more preferable. Supersonic flights are just a pipe dream for the Russian Federation, we would like to resume communication to many places where there was air communication before.
Dmitry Volkov

+1

12 February 2025 21: 33

We have the Tu-160M with its wonderful NK:32 engines, it can fly from Moscow to Washington in 5 hours, at a cruising speed of 2M the question is where 5 hours are, 10 is not critical, I don’t understand why all this, people have nothing to eat, and here they fly to Mars and the Moon, and steal money, everything is as usual, nothing changes
1. sidorov
  
  +2
  
  13 February 2025 05: 52
  
  People sometimes have nothing to eat not because they are flying to the moon.
  And because they steal.
  1. Dmitry Volkov
    
    +1
    
    13 February 2025 11: 59
    
    Fakes, flights to the Moon by Pin.dos were abruptly stopped after the audit, and now I am not sure that our top people will be interested in exposing this fake, I think that by collusion with the USA no one will fly to the Moon anymore and it seems not in this century, now they will launder money on Mars
    I think when technology advances even further, some billionaire from India or China will build a rocket to the Moon, but it will be a private expedition.
anclevalico

+1

20 February 2025 07: 17

Are you serious? IMHO, our flag in this picture is definitely unnecessary. The prerequisites for success are completely absent.
Flight

+1

13 March 2025 14: 28

The Chinese Yunxing project is at the engine testing stage, and our developments still exist in the form of calculations and individual units.

You don't need to read any further. Supersonic, for us, is a wet dream with papers in hand.