Imagine landing in Tokyo just six hours after taking off from Los Angeles.
It may seem far-fetched in this day and age, but airline passengers might soon have the option of flying across the country at nearly twice the speed of sound.
Lockheed Martin has teamed up with NASA to work on a design known as the N+2, pictured above. The 80-passenger jet would be capable of cruising at 1.7 times the speed of sound.
Naturally, Lookheed Martin and NASA are looking into ways to reduce the sound of the sonic boom brought on by breaking the sound barrier.
"To achieve revolutionary reductions in supersonic transportation airport noise, a totally new kind of propulsion system is being developed," said Michael Buonanno, Lockheed Martin manager of the NASA N+2 program. "We are also exploring new techniques for low noise jet exhaust, integrated fan noise suppression, airframe noise suppression and computer customized airport noise abatement."
For perspective, the N+2 would be 100 times quieter than the Concorde, the supersonic passenger jet that flew for more than three decades up until it was grounded in 2003. A quieter flight would allow the N+2 to fly cross-country routes.
However, it appears that Lookheed Martin will face stiff competition in their journey to create a revolutionary passenger jet.
That's because European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is working with American aerospace firm Aerion to develop a fuel-efficient plane for business travelers. The Aerion AS2 would carry a dozen passengers at a speed of 1,217 mph.
That's fast enough to fly from New York to London in three hours.
But while reducing sound is among the N+2 program's biggest challenges, improving fuel efficiency is the goal for the AS2. Newly developed wings would reduce drag on the AS2 by 20 percent.
Although each project looks promising and is sure to generate plenty of buzz among those hoping to spend less time in the air and more time at their destination, travelers will have to be patient.
The AS2 is eyeing a 2022 debut, while the N+2 hopes to reach the sky by 2025.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
