Latest news with #C949
Euronews
03-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
What we know about China's plans for a new supersonic jet that can fly 50% further than Concorde
ADVERTISEMENT China has entered the race to usher in a new golden age of supersonic air travel with plans to build an airliner that will rival the Concorde, according to local media. As per reporting by the South China Morning Post, China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has revealed blueprints for the C949 - a 1.6-Mach jet that could fly further and more quickly than the Concorde - in a recent academic paper. The paper said the project looked to achieve a 50 per cent range boost over the Concorde and is designed to make the plane fly as quietly as the noise level of a hairdryer. It will do this with a curved plane body that will weaken shockwaves to delay violent booms that could come from the aircraft, the SCMP report continued. Related New York to London in just over 3 hours: Is this net zero supersonic jet the future of air travel? Reducing the noise levels is a way for the plane to try and bypass regulatory barriers that ban supersonic flights, SCMP continued. Euronews Next is trying to independently verify these claims by reaching out to the academic journal that published the findings as well as COMAC but has not received any replies at the time of publication. Concorde flew just under 50,000 flights for carrier British Airline during its 26-year career. Dave Caulin/AP Other supersonic crafts in the works The Concorde, an Anglo-French supersonic airliner that first took to the skies on a test flight in 1969, made just under 50,000 flights for carrier British Airways during its 26-year career. The craft, with a maximum cruising speed of Mach 2.04 (around 2,180 km/h), boasted a flight time from London to New York of less than 3.5 hours instead of the regular 8 hours for a subsonic flight. There hasn't been a non-military supersonic aircraft in service since Concorde's retirement in 2003 but there are other supersonic projects now in the works, like the X-59, a joint venture between the US Space Agency, NASA, and US-based manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Related The 'quiet' jet from NASA that could usher in a new era of supersonic air travel Revealed last year, the aircraft flies at 55,000 feet (over 16,700 m) and produces sound equivalent to a car door closing, according to the jet's designers. The X-59 is designed to travel at speeds of Mach 1.4 (around 1,730 km/h), slower than Concorde and the proposed Chinese C949. In March, NASA announced that the X-59 successfully passed an engine speed hold, or cruise control test, a last step before a first flight that should happen later this year. A mock-up of Boom's Overture aircraft in commercial service at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, France. Boom Supersonic "We needed to verify that speed hold worked not just within the engine itself but as part of the entire aircraft system," Paul Dees, NASA's X-59 deputy propulsion lead at the agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center, said in a statement. "This test confirmed that all components – software, mechanical linkages, and control laws – work together as intended". Related Bombardier unveils 'fastest passenger jet since the Concorde' following supersonic test Private company Boom Supersonic wants to launch its supersonic jet, the Overture, before the end of the decade. ADVERTISEMENT In test craft XB-1's first test flight in January , the aircraft flew up to 1,207 km/h to an altitude of over 35,000 feet (10,600 m) and was able to land without a sonic boom, the company said. There has already been commercial interest in the Overture, with Boom having already signed deals with United Airlines , American Airlines, and Japan Airlines to deliver the aircraft once it meets the required safety standards. The European Commission funded several projects to study noise reduction and the environmental impacts of supersonic flights, like the 2022 RUMBLE project, the 2020 SENECA project, and the ongoing MORE AND LESS project.
Al Bawaba
03-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
China develops first silent supersonic passenger plane
Published April 3rd, 2025 - 06:47 GMT ALBAWABA – The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturing company, is developing the first silent supersonic passenger plane. Also Read China successfully launches new data transmission satellite New C949 supersonic passenger plane According to Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, a Chinese monthly journal, COMAC, a Chinese state-owned company, is currently developing a supersonic passenger aircraft with low noise levels. The company is working on its new C949 supersonic passenger plane, which will be slower than the legendary Concorde, but it will be 20 times quieter, allowing it to fly over populated areas with minimal disturbance. C949 aircraft will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help maintain stability during flight. (Comac) Other sources revealed that the new C949 aircraft could be launched by 2049. The new supersonic passenger plane will feature an elongated nose and a specially designed midsection to absorb shock waves. As a result, the aircraft will emit less noise when flying at high the C949 aircraft will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help maintain stability during flight. The aircraft will also feature approximately seven fuel tanks with a total capacity of 42 tons. According to the company, the C949 will be able to fly at speeds of up to Mach 1.7 (1,805 km/h), slower than the Concorde, which previously flew at approximately Mach 2. However, the new aircraft will have a 50% greater range—capable of flying from Shanghai to Los Angeles in just five hours. Also Read China's Manus AI can generate a 'Zelensky-White House Debate' game © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US is 'ahead' of China in supersonic jet aircraft, says Boom Supersonic CEO
America currently remains ahead of China when it comes to airplanes that can fly faster than the speed of sound, according to Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl. "I think aviation has always been seen as a symbol of technological superiority," Scholl said Tuesday during a "Mornings with Maria" appearance. "Just like the chip, the airplane was invented in America, and China wants to surpass America as a leader in technology, so of course, they're pursuing supersonic. It is the next step in aviation." The South China Morning Post reported over the weekend that the Chinese state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is working on a supersonic jet called the C949. Boom Supersonic Says Xb-1 Aircraft Flew Over Mach 1 With No Audible Sonic Boom On The Ground Below The aircraft, detailed in blueprints in a recent academic paper, is meant to reach Mach 1.6 and have a barely audible sonic boom when the project comes to fruition, according to the outlet. The jet design is reportedly supposed to have a range 50% longer than the Concorde. Comac has previously said it wants to bring the supersonic C949 to market by 2049, the South China Morning Post reported. Read On The Fox Business App Scholl told host Maria Bartiromo that the "good news" is that right now, the U.S. is "ahead" of China in supersonic jets. "We've got the only operational, non-military supersonic jet in the world," he said. "That's the XB-1 prototype. We've demonstrated we can do it without a sonic boom." Scholl's company, Boom Supersonic, is the Denver-based firm behind the XB-1. Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator aircraft broke the sound barrier for its first time ever in late January. During that highly-anticipated test flight, the jet went above Mach 1 several times "without generating a sonic boom that reached the ground," the company said. Scholl went on to tell Bartiromo that the "problem is right now" that the U.S. is "in our own way with outloaded regulations." According to the Federal Aviation Administration website, U.S. regulations bar civilian flights from exceeding Mach 1 while traveling over land in America. "From the 1970s, we have a ban on fast flights in the U.S.," he explained. "It's really ridiculous. It should have been a ban on sonic booms, or at least bad sonic booms, but instead, that regulation's been on the books for more than 50 years, and it's prevented U.S. companies from building the next generation of faster jets." Stricter supersonic regulations in the U.S. have implications for the country competing with China, according to the Boom Supersonic CEO. "I think it's really, one, it's soft power, a symbol of technological superiority. It's something that the rest of the world is going to watch," he said. "But it's important to national security and economic security." "Right now, Boeing is the number one U.S. exporter, but they haven't invented a new plane in more than 20 years. At the same time, a quarter of all Air Force airplanes are actually modified commercial airplanes. This is where we get out tankers, our transports, even many of our spy planes are modified commercial planes. So if we don't have next generation commercial transports, that means we don't have next generation military transports. I find that really scary. We can't let that happen." Scholl wants the U.S. to change its regulations related to commercial supersonic flights. "It's a really simple, easy change. Right now, we literally have a regulation that says 'thou shalt not exceed Mach 1' and what it should say is 'thou shalt not make bad noises,'" he said during the "Mornings with Maria" appearance. "If a supersonic flight is possible with no sonic boom on the ground, then obviously it should be allowed." Boom Supersonic has said it aims to "bring supersonic to everyone." Boom Supersonic Xb-1 Breaks Sound Barrier During Test Flight Its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft "provides the foundation" for Overture, a larger jet it is creating for commercial supersonic flight, according to the company. Overture is supposed to have the capacity for 64 to 80 passengers. Boom Supersonic has also said that the jet is supposed to reach speeds twice as fast as current planes over water and 50% quicker over article source: US is 'ahead' of China in supersonic jet aircraft, says Boom Supersonic CEO
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China joins supersonic race with plans for Concorde-beating jet
China has revealed plans for its own supersonic successor to Concorde, launching an aerospace race with the United States. Engineers from the country's state-owned aircraft manufacturer, Comac, revealed blueprints for the new plane in an academic paper published earlier this month. The aircraft will be able to fly 1.6 times faster than the speed of sound and travel distances of up to 11,000km, or 6,800 miles, at a time. The range would allow the plane to fly from Britain to Malaysia non-stop, and is well above Concorde's maximum range of around 4,500 miles. China's C949 jet is also set to be much quieter than Concorde, with sonic booms of 89.3 decibels compared to the Anglo-French jet's thunderous 105. The shape of C949's 'reverse-camber' fuselage is set to dampen the shock waves caused by the surrounding air travelling faster than the speed of sound, which creates loud booms that can be heard nearby. Concorde's own sonic booms saw it blocked from taking overland flights following noise complaints. The Chinese craft is designed to hold 168 passengers, more than the 128 maximum capacity of the Concorde. C949 will be slower than its predecessor, however. Concorde reached top speeds of Mach-2.2, equivalent to 2,154 km per hour or 1,338 miles per hour, meaning it could fly from London to New York in less than three hours. C949's top speed will be Mach 1.6. The Chinese plans are part of a wave of interest in reviving commercial supersonic air travel, which ended with the retirement of the Concorde in 2003 following a catastrophic crash at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport three years earlier that killed 113 people. Several start-ups are vying for the title of 'heir to the Concorde', with most based in the US. Boom Supersonic, which is based in Denver, Colorado, successfully launched a test flight of its prototype XB-1 supersonic passenger jet in January. The plane successfully broke the sound barrier, reaching speeds of 850 miles per hour during three separate flights over the Mojave Desert. Spike Aerospace, which is based in Boston, Massachusetts, is separately working on plans for its own 1.6-Mach passenger plane that it also expects will be quieter than Concorde. Meanwhile, Nasa and Lockheed Martin have joined forces to develop a one-person jet that is capable of travelling 1.4-Mach while making a sonic boom of just 75 decibels. Blake Scholl, Boom Supersonic's chief executive, said in a tweet over the weekend: 'A'ight folks, it's no surprise, but China has now officially entered the supersonic race. Game on. Let's beat 'em.' Beijing's pursuit of supersonic jet technology is likely to raise concerns about the potential for dual-use of the technology for military purposes. Comac was first started by the Chinese government in 2008. It is currently subject to sanctions from the US government over its links to the People's Liberation Army. In January, Beijing-based Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology outlined plans for a supersonic drone able to travel at Mach-4, equivalent to 4,900km per hour, or 3,045 miles per hour. The Chinese drone is set to be called Cuantianhou, a name given to the Monkey King in Chinese mythology. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
30-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
China joins supersonic race with plans for Concorde-beating jet
China is developing a supersonic jet to rival the US, unveiling plans for a plane able to fly faster than the speed of sound and travel 50pc further than Concorde. Engineers from the country's state-owned aircraft manufacturer, Comac, revealed blueprints for the new plane in an academic paper published earlier this month. The aircraft will be able to fly 1.6 times faster than the speed of sound and travel distances of up to 11,000km, or 6,800 miles, at a time. The range would allow the plane to fly from Britain to Malaysia non-stop, and is well above Concorde's maximum range of around 4,500 miles. China's C949 jet is also set to be much quieter than Concorde, with sonic booms of 89.3 decibels compared to the Anglo-French jet's thunderous 105. The shape of C949's 'reverse-camber' fuselage is set to dampen the shock waves caused by the surrounding air travelling faster than the speed of sound, which creates loud booms that can be heard nearby. Concorde's own sonic booms saw it blocked from taking overland flights following noise complaints. The Chinese craft is designed to hold 168 passengers, more than the 128 maximum capacity of the Concorde. C949 will be slower than its predecessor, however. Concorde reached top speeds of Mach-2.2, equivalent to 2,154 km per hour or 1,338 miles per hour, meaning it could fly from London to New York in less than three hours. C949's top speed will be Mach 1.6. The Chinese plans are part of a wave of interest in reviving commercial supersonic air travel, which ended with the retirement of the Concorde in 2003 following a catastrophic crash at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport three years earlier that killed 113 people. Several start-ups are vying for the title of 'heir to the Concorde', with most based in the US. Boom Supersonic, which is based in Denver, Colorado, successfully launched a test flight of its prototype XB-1 supersonic passenger jet in January. The plane successfully broke the sound barrier, reaching speeds of 850 miles per hour during three separate flights over the Mojave Desert. Spike Aerospace, which is based in Boston, Massachusetts, is separately working on plans for its own 1.6-Mach passenger plane that it also expects will be quieter than Concorde. Meanwhile, Nasa and Lockheed Martin have joined forces to develop a one-person jet that is capable of travelling 1.4-Mach while making a sonic boom of just 75 decibels. Black Scholl, Boom Supersonic's chief executive, said in a tweet over the weekend: 'A'ight folks, it's no surprise, but China has now officially entered the supersonic race. Game on. Let's beat 'em.' Beijing's pursuit of supersonic jet technology is likely to raise concerns about the potential for dual-use of the technology for military purposes. Comac was first started by the Chinese government in 2008. It is currently subject to sanctions from the US government over its links to the People's Liberation Army. In January, Beijing-based Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology outlined plans for a supersonic drone able to travel at Mach-4, equivalent to 4,900km per hour, or 3,045 miles per hour. The Chinese drone is set to be called Cuantianhou, a name given to the Monkey King in Chinese mythology.
