The QSST, A Concorde For The Next Generation

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 30th 2006 at 9:06AM

The Concorde may be gone but supersonic flight is far from forgotten. Lockheed's Skunk Works is hard at work on the QSST (Quiet Supersonic Travel). The jet is designed to travel from New York to Los Angeles in two hours. The jet travels at speeds up to Mach 1.8. The unique design curbs the sonic boom making it friendly for U.S. skies. The QSST will sell for an astounding $80 million and could be ready as soon as 2013.

[via Aero-News Network]

Tags: concorde, flight, planes, sonic, super sonic

Filed under: Wings

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

DJ Aug 30th 2006 1:17PM

Even at $80 million, you have to figure that there's a worldwide market for at least 100 of them, both through outright ownership and fractional. Oprah, Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Michael Dell, every oil sheik, a handful of small country dictators, etc. Personally, I'd love to see SST commercial travel return along with it.

Hal Sep 4th 2006 2:16PM

The Concorde was terrific to fly. Sin me up for the maiden flight of Concorde 2!

Barbara Sep 4th 2006 2:32PM

Its a great idea if your in a hurry and can afford the money!! I just think the world is always in to much of a hurry to do everything!!

Larry Sep 4th 2006 2:44PM

Terriffic!! I can barely wait till it's available and affordable for commertial flights. It means we'll be one step closer to orbital flights.

Charlie Sep 4th 2006 2:43PM

If it is for real and it can be flow faster for us all it would be great but Im not holding my breath it proabaly for famous people people with money if its for us all then great!

Jay S Sep 4th 2006 2:49PM

$80 million is not that much. That's about what one of the big new Airbuses cost, isn't it? If this thing holds 1/10 the capacity of the A380, and they charge ten times as much, the economics come out even ... actually better for the QSST, as it can make more flights in a given day.

So if you can go to Europe for $129 on an Airbus, then $1290 NY-LA is reasonable for those with money to burn and no time to waste.

Of course, they still need 2 hours to get through the airport!

Sondra Sep 4th 2006 2:55PM

AT WHAT ALTITUDE WILL THIS PLANE TRAVEL IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE TURBULANCE? WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT WILL THE THE MACH 1.8 SPEED HAVE ON THE HUMAN BODY?

Tip Pace Sep 5th 2006 3:49PM

I think it's great! Those that can afford it will use it and those of us left will have more room on the SLOW jets. We now wait 2 hours to board, one hour on push back and ramp time, then get the car and drive to the house, which means ANY flight takes 4 hours NONFLY time plus the AIR time, so we've opted to drive most places under 8 hours just because the time works about the same for a whole lot less dollars. This is especially true when 3 or more are traveling!

Herb Sep 4th 2006 3:03PM

The raw engine power to fly over Mach I has been around for decades, the problem is the sonic boom, which is prohibited over the continental US, so I would assume that it will use the same technology as the F-22 fighter jet, which is useing convergent/divergent exhaust nozzle flaps and noise supression liners that were developed for the
HSCT ( high speed civil transport) that allow the airplane to cruise at Mach speeds without running on after burner, greatly reducing fuel consumption and the noise.
Good Luck

Al Berger Sep 4th 2006 4:47PM

To answer Sondra, no, Mach 1.8 will have no effect on the human body. Acceleration affects the body; speed per se has no effect. The aircraft is moving at Mach 1.8, but you are part of that system. Relative to the airplane, you're sitting still; your relative velocity is zero.
Al

Preston Sep 4th 2006 3:14PM

I find it interesting that the Concorde can get from New York to LA in 2 hours. Now how come the Uniteds, Northwests, American Airlines, low-priced Southwests and others can take 3 to 4 hours to get across the country? It took me 3 hours and 50 minutes to fly from Raleigh-Durham Int'l to Salt Lake City last year. Maybe the QSST has a faster engine (Mach 1.8) and quieter sound than the noisy airplanes.

Paul D. Sep 4th 2006 7:06PM

I still kick myself for not flying on the Concorde at least once. :-( This will be great if it comes to pass, you know the LA to Australia/Hawaii/Japan runs will benefit. NY to London/Paris will too.
As for Sondra's question: that's the same thing they feared with trains, that the human heart would explode if the body reached the phenomenal speed of 60 M.P.H. The passengers will be fine, it's not going to be doing combat manuevers. :-)

Del Andreini Sep 4th 2006 3:23PM

I'd rather we put our time and energy into Low Earth Orbit transportation, small transportation vehicles like this are great if you are a Billionair, it will have no effect on improving transportation for most of us. The other problem with our current methods are in the terminal environment. Getting there faster is great but we need to improve onground movements so we can get through the terminals as fast.

Richard Sep 4th 2006 4:02PM

I sure would like to know how this supersonic QSST aircraft avoids making a sonic boom when it surpassess the speed of sound? How does convergent/divergent exhaust nozzle flaps and noise supression liners eliminate or reduce the noise of a sonic boom?

jimmy mccrohan Nov 11th 2006 3:12PM

why would you need this in america?use that money toward's research of better fuels/ in the world.e the china,worst offender's of ecology,and ways to stop or control the green house effects in america and other countries.especially china.they are by far offenders of pollution,violations of sea life and ocean ecology.
not to mention they eat dogs.

John Sep 4th 2006 3:40PM

HP engine technology (hydrogen hyper pulse drive) divergent laminar control surfaces and a ceiling near angels 150. The trip up to altitude and descent will take fifteen minutes each. This bird floats so high there's more surface friction at takeoff. The artists concept is just for the papers. This aircraft is right out of sci-fi

Alex Sep 4th 2006 3:36PM

To Preston of comment number 9. What, are you stupid? The reason united and american and all the others cant make the trip in two hours is because they DONT OWN CONCORDE'S yet. Mainly because they are not available to buy. Read the article again. This will be great if it becomes available for commercial use in the future. I agree with Hal of comment 2. SIGN ME UP BABY. The original was great!

Jeff Sep 4th 2006 3:35PM

Three words: Time is money.

David Olin Sep 4th 2006 3:39PM

For those of us who live in the New York City area, it still will take us two hours to get to the airports (any one of the 3 major airports), 2hours to get through security, and another two hours in flight. If I wanted to go from New York to Los Angeles for a business trip, I'd rather use video telephony - easier on the body, less time-consuming and less costly.

JP Marat Sep 20th 2006 10:20AM

This is just another way for the rich and powerful to cut in line and not have to share time or space with the masses. True that they need to get from one coast to the other so they can set up schemes to steal more money to buy faster aircrafts to get there even faster to steal more money to get there even faster... Pick up a phone it's instantaneous!!

In the meantime we as a nation are living on ding dongs getting fatter and dying faster. We are killing one another on the highways and killing people in the middle east for oil. People are not getting proper medical attention in the richest nation on earth but we can get our holy cows across the nation in less time than it takes to see a doctor in the ER. You wanna bet that PARIS HILTON is on the first flight? What a wonderful contribution she is to world.

Turn off the TV...

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