What_does_this_button_do?
7th Dec 2000, 16:54
<A HREF="http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/status/r90-40" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/status/r90-40</A>
Just stumbled on this. It's amazing to think that 10 years ago they thought we might be travelling faster than Concorde..
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Mary Sandy
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. March 13, 1990
H. Keith Henry
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
RELEASE 90-40
HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORT ACCEPTANCE LINKED TO TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS
Results from the first 2 years of high-speed civil
transport studies suggest that technological advances will
determine the environmental compatibility, marketability and
public acceptance of a next-generation supersonic commercial
airliner.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, and Douglas Aircraft
Co., Long Beach, Calif., recently published reports covering the
first phase of studies commissioned by NASA. Based on
projections for significant increases in transoceanic air travel,
both companies concluded that there will be a market for
commercial transports flying at two to three times the speed of
sound (1350-2000 mph) between the years 2000 and 2015. According
to the studies, transpacific air travel should increase four-fold
by the year 2000, while transatlantic passenger trips are
expected to double.
Trip times aboard a high-speed civil transport would shrink
dramatically compared to flights on today's wide-bodied subsonic
airliners. A trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo, for example, would
be reduced from just over 10 hours to a little over 4 hours. A
next-generation supersonic airliner could carry up to three times
the passenger load of the current Anglo-French Concorde at less
than one-seventh the cost per passenger mile and with about twice
the Concorde's range.
The Boeing and Douglas studies determined that substantial
demand for an advanced supersonic transport will materialize only
if the aircraft meets allowable standards of airport noise, has
no harmful effects on the atmosphere and is economically
competitive with future long-haul subsonic airliners. The
plane's economic practicality would be enhanced if it meets
acceptable overland sonic boom noise levels.
- more -
- 2 -
The reports pointed out that technology to build a high-
speed civil transport satisfying these requirements is not yet
available. They identified significant advances that should be
possible by the early 21st Century, however, such as variable-
cycle engines, newer composite and metallic materials combined
with new structural designs, supersonic laminar air flow and
fully integrated flight and engine controls. These technology
developments would permit supersonic airliners to be more
efficient, in turn allowing supersonic fares to compete with
subsonic fares.
Each company focused on a different class of aircraft.
Douglas studied a Mach 3.2 (approx. 2,150 mph) design sized to
carry approximately 300 passengers a distance of 7,500 statute
miles. Boeing's Mach 2.4 (approx. 1,600 mph) concept, which
could be developed more quickly, was sized to carry 250
passengers a distance of 5,800 statute miles.
Boeing considered an aircraft certification date of 2000,
and assumed a 65 percent passenger load factor and a 50 percent
flight-time savings. Using these standards, the company
concluded that a Mach 2.4 transport could capture more than 50
percent of the long-haul international aircraft market, as many
as 750 supersonic airliners.
The same analysis indicates that a high-speed civil
transport using current technology would snare only about one-
third that amount of business, making capital investment far
riskier. Furthermore, if two manufacturers competed for a share
of today's supersonic market, economic viability would be even
more reduced.
The study results have encouraged NASA, Boeing and Douglas
to conduct additional research on a second-generation supersonic
airliner. In late 1989, NASA initiated the government-industry
High Speed Research Program to tackle the technical and economic
challenges of making a high-speed civil transport an
"environmental good neighbor." The effort will continue through
the mid-1990's.
NASA officials caution that the High-Speed Research Program
does not imply commitment to a supersonic civil transport
aircraft. If the program shows sufficient promise and further
studies confirm that such an aircraft is environmentally sound as
well as important to the transportation system and the national
economy, a cooperative NASA-industry focused vehicle technology
development effort could be considered as a next step.
Ultimately, the decision to develop and produce a high-speed
civil transport will rest with the nation's aerospace industry.
- end -
- 3 -
NOTE: Photos are available to illustrate this release by calling
202/453-8375.
Color B&W
Boeing artist's concept 90-HC-138 90-H-146
Douglas artist's concept 90-HC-139 90-H-147
Beginning March 15, 1990, NASA news releases and other
information will be available electronically on CompuServe and
GEnie, the General Electric Network for Information Exchange. On
the same date, NASA news releases and other information on the
Dialcom electronic service will be discontinued. For information
on CompuServe, call 1-800/848-8199 and ask for representative
176. For information on GEnie, call 1-800/638-9636. </font>
Just stumbled on this. It's amazing to think that 10 years ago they thought we might be travelling faster than Concorde..
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Mary Sandy
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. March 13, 1990
H. Keith Henry
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
RELEASE 90-40
HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORT ACCEPTANCE LINKED TO TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS
Results from the first 2 years of high-speed civil
transport studies suggest that technological advances will
determine the environmental compatibility, marketability and
public acceptance of a next-generation supersonic commercial
airliner.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, and Douglas Aircraft
Co., Long Beach, Calif., recently published reports covering the
first phase of studies commissioned by NASA. Based on
projections for significant increases in transoceanic air travel,
both companies concluded that there will be a market for
commercial transports flying at two to three times the speed of
sound (1350-2000 mph) between the years 2000 and 2015. According
to the studies, transpacific air travel should increase four-fold
by the year 2000, while transatlantic passenger trips are
expected to double.
Trip times aboard a high-speed civil transport would shrink
dramatically compared to flights on today's wide-bodied subsonic
airliners. A trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo, for example, would
be reduced from just over 10 hours to a little over 4 hours. A
next-generation supersonic airliner could carry up to three times
the passenger load of the current Anglo-French Concorde at less
than one-seventh the cost per passenger mile and with about twice
the Concorde's range.
The Boeing and Douglas studies determined that substantial
demand for an advanced supersonic transport will materialize only
if the aircraft meets allowable standards of airport noise, has
no harmful effects on the atmosphere and is economically
competitive with future long-haul subsonic airliners. The
plane's economic practicality would be enhanced if it meets
acceptable overland sonic boom noise levels.
- more -
- 2 -
The reports pointed out that technology to build a high-
speed civil transport satisfying these requirements is not yet
available. They identified significant advances that should be
possible by the early 21st Century, however, such as variable-
cycle engines, newer composite and metallic materials combined
with new structural designs, supersonic laminar air flow and
fully integrated flight and engine controls. These technology
developments would permit supersonic airliners to be more
efficient, in turn allowing supersonic fares to compete with
subsonic fares.
Each company focused on a different class of aircraft.
Douglas studied a Mach 3.2 (approx. 2,150 mph) design sized to
carry approximately 300 passengers a distance of 7,500 statute
miles. Boeing's Mach 2.4 (approx. 1,600 mph) concept, which
could be developed more quickly, was sized to carry 250
passengers a distance of 5,800 statute miles.
Boeing considered an aircraft certification date of 2000,
and assumed a 65 percent passenger load factor and a 50 percent
flight-time savings. Using these standards, the company
concluded that a Mach 2.4 transport could capture more than 50
percent of the long-haul international aircraft market, as many
as 750 supersonic airliners.
The same analysis indicates that a high-speed civil
transport using current technology would snare only about one-
third that amount of business, making capital investment far
riskier. Furthermore, if two manufacturers competed for a share
of today's supersonic market, economic viability would be even
more reduced.
The study results have encouraged NASA, Boeing and Douglas
to conduct additional research on a second-generation supersonic
airliner. In late 1989, NASA initiated the government-industry
High Speed Research Program to tackle the technical and economic
challenges of making a high-speed civil transport an
"environmental good neighbor." The effort will continue through
the mid-1990's.
NASA officials caution that the High-Speed Research Program
does not imply commitment to a supersonic civil transport
aircraft. If the program shows sufficient promise and further
studies confirm that such an aircraft is environmentally sound as
well as important to the transportation system and the national
economy, a cooperative NASA-industry focused vehicle technology
development effort could be considered as a next step.
Ultimately, the decision to develop and produce a high-speed
civil transport will rest with the nation's aerospace industry.
- end -
- 3 -
NOTE: Photos are available to illustrate this release by calling
202/453-8375.
Color B&W
Boeing artist's concept 90-HC-138 90-H-146
Douglas artist's concept 90-HC-139 90-H-147
Beginning March 15, 1990, NASA news releases and other
information will be available electronically on CompuServe and
GEnie, the General Electric Network for Information Exchange. On
the same date, NASA news releases and other information on the
Dialcom electronic service will be discontinued. For information
on CompuServe, call 1-800/848-8199 and ask for representative
176. For information on GEnie, call 1-800/638-9636. </font>