Boeing Sonic Cruiser
The Boeing Sonic Cruiser was a concept by Boeing to build a fast airliner. He was distinguished by a radical new design with delta wings, duck wings as elevators and two vertical stabilizers.
History
Development began on 29 March 2001. The company wanted to work as before with their successful "working -together " principle, ie, the development should with interested airlines, potential customers are closely coordinated. The concept was 200-250 passengers over a distance of 11,000 to max. To transport 16.6 thousand kilometers. The cruising speed of Mach should be 0.95-0.98, which is 15 % faster than normal commercial aircraft, resulting in a time savings of approximately one hour at a distance of 5,000 km. As a cruising altitude about 45,000 feet were provided ( 13,000 m). The concept was to fly with a relatively small aircraft directly from one city to another to avoid the time-consuming transfer at a hub.
The Sonic Cruiser should meet the noise control of the Chapter 4. In addition, the consumption should be at the level of the Boeing 767.
Criticism, questioning, from a scientific point of view
Boeing announced to want to push forward with the Sonic Cruiser in the supersonic region near. Given the fact that > 0.90 tremendous problems with local supersonic flows and consequently compressions occur in areas at Mach flow around the body, it is from today's perspective, rather than marketing attempt for review as a serious aircraft design. Boeing was as Airbus A380 tackled in a tight spot. The A380 follows the hub -spoke principle, whereas Boeing uses the peer -to-peer principle.
Future
Because of the lack of interest of the airlines at the Sonic Cruiser after the attacks of 11 September 2001, the project in the fall of 2002 was canceled. The rationale for this was: " The economics of an aircraft type is for the airlines more important than the time savings achieved by him." Instead of the Sonic Cruiser Boeing builds the 787 now, used to be called 7E7. This will consume 15-20 % less fuel than comparable previous models and has the normal commercial aircraft cruising speed of Mach 0.85. The future of fast transport aircraft is questionable.