The Concorde was the only supersonic civil aircraft. Though, it was a harsh failure of public spending on science and technology. The cost of production was much more than the estimated one. This cost of course was financed by taxpayers money. Around twenty Concorde planes were manufactured. They were sold at a big discount to British and French airliners. The project’s net present value was deemed negative. Concorde was banned from many airports, because it was too noisy. The other problem was that Concorde could not have been used in regional flights.
The last Concorde was retired in 2003. However, we may see a revival for supersonic civil aviation in the coming years. GE Aerospace, one of the biggest manufacturers of jet engines, recently announced that it is working on a new type of engine called Rotating Detonation Engine (IDE). Jet engines are working through combustion, that is a subsonic process. Concorde and military jets use afterburners to reach supersonic speeds. Then the exhaust gas passess from the engine, the fuel is injected again and burns. Creating extra propulsion. This process is very noisy and efficient in fuel consumption. IDE engines on the other hand work through detonation, that is a supersonic phenomenon. The structure of the motor is also simpler than jet engines. Thanks to the innovations in metallurgy, we are equipped with specific alloys that withstand extra hot temperatures created through the detonation process.
Boo, an American firm, is preparing to test a new supersonic airplane. Its name is Overture and it is 80 passenger aircraft. Although the plane is still using jet engines and afterburners, the manufacturer claims that the noise is nothing like Concorde, due to its sophisticated inlet and exhaust design and structure.
Source: Economist
