Get Inspired / USA / Mainland USA Watch out, World. Concorde JNR’s Coming for You! Share on email Print this article Share on Facebook Get Inspired / USA / Mainland USA Watch out, World. Concorde JNR’s Coming for You! story by: Anna Sarjeant Hot off the press, Airbus have been granted US approval for a new patented supersonic jet, or rather an "ultra-rapid air vehicle". It’s a jet that could potentially fly from London to NYC in less than one hour. Or Tokyo to Los Angeles in approximately 3.5 hours, rather than twelve. But don’t start smashing your piggy bank just yet, the project alone is a long way from getting off the ground, never mind the runway. But hey, once upon a time the humble car looked like an unfathomable dream. Let’s take a closer look at the super-craft already deemed Concorde’s slicker, speedier and sexier offspring: Great heights & breaking barriers To get some feeling for the sheer capacity of Airbus’ most recent proposal, we need to compare it to papa Concorde. A jet which flew at 60,000 feet above the ground (the average aircraft cruises at 35,000) at speeds of over 2090km/h, compared to the 920km/h of a Boeing 747. Concorde’s deluxe Rolls-Royce engines broke the sound barrier and passengers could get from London to New York in little more than three hours. Effectively, you could land in NYC before you’d even taken off from England. Impressive? Well yes, but with this new ‘air vehicle’, you could be in the USA a mere hour after departing the UK; you’ll pretty much be going back to the future. Bigger & better Here’s the thing, Concorde JNR will travel at four times the speed of sound (that’s twice faster than dad) at a mind-blowing 4000km/h. To reduce the colossal sound pollution caused by a sonic boom, it will be required to cruise at 100,000 feet. The world will look like little more than a distant curve – why? Because at that height you’ll be flirting with the edges of space. The technical bit Now for the techy bit. The craft is going to be small and streamlined, much more so than Concorde. It’ll carry just 20 passengers – Concorde could pack in between 100 and 120. To get off the ground, it’ll use three different engines; a rocket motor powered by hydrogen and oxygen, ramjets and a conventional airplane jet (how pedestrian!) In other words, it’s rocket-based technology. And that’s about as detailed as it gets at this point. But will it happen? Unsurprisingly, rather than a passenger jet, the new proposal has sparked interest from the military but as yet we can neither confirm nor deny that this is a project that will ever take form. Cynics don't believe Concorde’s flashier heir will ever be built… but as the saying goes, ‘they laughed at Galileo’. Enquire Now First name* Last name* Email* Phone How can we help? My preferred House of Travel Store* Select Outlet Auckland Albany: Auckland North Botany Junction: Auckland South Browns Bay: Auckland North Devonport: Auckland North Ellerslie: Auckland Central Hobsonville: Auckland West Howick: Auckland East Milford: Auckland North New Lynn: LynnMall Auckland West Newmarket: Auckland Central Orewa: Auckland North Parnell: Auckland Central Ponsonby: Auckland Central Remuera: Auckland Central St Heliers: Auckland East Takanini: Auckland South Takapuna: Auckland North Whangaparaoa: Auckland North Bay of Plenty Mt Maunganui Papamoa Rotorua Taupo Tauranga CBD the Crossing Canterbury Ashburton Barrington: Christchurch South Christchurch City: Christchurch Central Ferrymead: Christchurch East High Street Lanes: Christchurch Central Hornby: Christchurch West Merivale: Christchurch Central Northlands: Papanui Christchurch North Rangiora Riccarton: Christchurch Central Shirley: Christchurch North Timaru Upper Riccarton: Christchurch West Hawke's Bay / Gisborne Havelock North Jenny Nilsson: Hastings Nelson / Marlborough Blenheim Motueka Nelson Richmond Northland Kerikeri: Northland Whangarei: Northland Otago / Southland Alexandra Balclutha Dunedin Lakers Gore Lakers Invercargill Oamaru Wanaka Taranaki / Manawatu Broadway: Palmerston North New Plymouth Stephen Parsons: Palmerston North Wanganui Waikato Calder & Lawson: Hamilton East Cambridge Coromandel: Whangamata Hamilton: Hamilton Central Matamata Morrinsville Taupo Te Awamutu Wellington / Wairarapa Featherston Street CBD: Wellington City Hunter St CBD: Wellington City Johnsonville: Wellington North Kapiti Coast: Paraparaumu Lower Hutt: Wellington North Masterton West Coast Greymouth Hokitika Westport I would like to receive email updates on the latest HOT holiday deals HOT Privacy Statement * required fields Similar Journeys Add or remove from Wishlist Inspire - August 2018 Read more Add or remove from Wishlist Inspire - October 2017 Read more Done this? Tell your friends about it.
