Boeing abandons plans for supersonic aircraft

[tycoonjack]

Boeing abandons plans for supersonic aircraft

Boeing has dropped plans to build a futuristic aircraft known as the Sonic Cruiser to concentrate on developing a conventional passenger jet.

Boeing launched the Sonic Cruiser concept early last year, saying the fast, long-range aircraft would "radically change the way airlines and passengers think about air travel".

With rear-mounted engines and two horizontal fins at the back, the Cruiser had been expected to travel close to the speed of sound, cutting travel times by about a fifth.

But airlines did not believe the time saved would justify premiums of 15 per cent or more above standard business class fares.

[dbaker]

Sad to see this plan die (for now). This would have been the closest thing to a major innovation in commercial air travel in quite some time.