Sonic cruiser 2012
 

Boeing files for patents that imply it may be working on top secret 'Sonic Cruiser' plane.

PUBLISHED: 16:24 GMT, 2 May 2012

When the Concorde went to that great big scrapheap in the sky, the world lost the fastest public transport it had ever known.

With luck, a patent filed by Boeing implies the next leap in aviation technology is not far off, with a 'Sonic Cruiser' perhaps on the cards.

The plane was first mooted in 2001, but was shelved a few years later and plane enthusiasts assumed it would never see the light of day.


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The Boeing Super Jet: A patent applied for by Boeing implies the jet may soon become a reality


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signatures, and engines installed on top of the fuselage rather than un
Old and new: The 2003 Sonic Cruiser patent design versus the 2012 patent

According to Flight Global

the new designs pick up on the previous Sonic Cruiser, with improvements made to reduce the plane's noise and heat der the wings.

The original Sonic Cruiser was expected to fly at Mach 0.95, or about 630mph - keeping it just under the sonic boom level. It was expected to have a range of up to 10,000 miles, but was scrapped as airlines favoured lower operating costs and more capacity.
Several differences to improve the plane's aerodynamics have been spotted when comparing diagrams of the 2003 patent to the April 2012 filing.

Whether the craft is a serious venture by Boeing, or just some experiments by a group of engineers, remains unknown.

The plane also bears similarities to the U.S. Air Force bombing jets - the Valykrie. This Mach 3 bomber was tested through-out the sixties but was only used for test flights due to some technical difficulties.


As gadget site Gizmodo said: 'This doesn't mean that Boeing is going to build the Sonic Cruiser anytime soon. But it's nice to know that someone is working on making it possible one day.'


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The plane seems to bear similarities to the The North American Aviation Valkyrie military plane - which itself started as a joint defence project between Boeing and the U.S. airforce

Read more: Boeing files for patents that imply it may be working on top secret 'Sonic Cruiser' plane | Mail Online


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It's not April 1

With gasoline prices at an all time high and predicted to increase, the thought of a high energy pax aircraft operating in increasingly congested airspace/airport beggars belief.

Then again, as the site says, just because their applying for a patent does not mean they are going to build it.

Jets use gasoline?:ugh:

As far as I am concerned Gasoline is but one of a variety of fossil fuels that power internal combustion engines or some form of turbine that power aircraft in general - call it what you will.

I hope you don't order fuel for any airline! Big difference

Have not ordered fuel for any airline, but have had to order all sorts of appropriate fuels for different ADF and allies aircraft types in very unique circumstances.

You may order F34 + FSII (JP 4) but they will only hear 'gas' in remote O/S areas.

Gasoline is a universal expression to non English speaking people when you require some of what they have and do have the luxury or desire to engage in mindless terminology debates.

Enough.

Fair enough... Order gas but get jet and see what happens. Your call

The 787 test a/c 'cruised' everywhere at about M0.94 apparently. :eek:

Can't see this coming to fruition in our lifetime.
I think mankind has rung out almost every ounce of the current aviation thinking.It's only gains in efficiency of current technology that we can expect to see over the next few decades.
Cost,the current poor world economy, current infrastructure,availability of GAS to power these flying machines & the madness that it would take someone to start such a program is not doable in the foreseeable future I believe.
What mankind needs to do is embark on an adventure that doesn't involve a machine that requires lift to get it from one place to another.
Gravity is the single biggest challenge in moving humans about the planet, that's where our future lies for transportation modifying gravity but sorcery may be brought back & burning at the stake if anyone comes up with an idea to short circuit what keeps us on the planet!:)
Sounds fanciful doesn't it? So did flight as we know it not that long ago:ok:

Now where's my medication?:E

Wmk2

The wing looks like the "cranked arrow" version of the F-16 called the F-16XL that had two prototypes built back in the late 70's.

Interestingly, the XL was used in the SCAMP project which was a research project to find ways of making transport aircraft supersonic. According to Wikipedia the design achieved supercruise during testing. M 1.2 at full dry thrust.