Air Travel

[Chabsy]

Ok maybe 1.5 would be a push but 700 - 750 mph would be possible, that would cut just under 2 hours off an 8 hour flight, or just about the amount of extra time you need to spend getting through security at Heathrow now

 

[Chabsy]

yes you could with modern engines, things like ram jets. modern materials huge advances in aerodynamics and controls. You could make something much better than the concord. But the money just isn't there.

Maybe even 2 stage engines efficient jets up to 400mph and the ramjets take over.

It just saddens me that the world has been taken over by bean counters.

Just imagine we were all stuck with pentium 166s and 2 meg video even if they did only cost 4p to buy

 

[Berserker]

yes you could with modern engines, things like ram jets. modern materials huge advances in aerodynamics and controls. You could make something much better than the concord. But the money just isn't there.

Yeah, I suppose in that sense you're correct. Modern materials and technology do appear to make things easier, but you still have the same design problems that Concorde's designers had to deal with - and in particular, aerodynamics. Sure, the supersonic private jet has made some good advances there, but how well would they scale up? Could Boeing's decision to use carbon fibre in the Dreamliner be applied to something supersonic, or would we have to go back to older - heavier - materials. How well does a ram jet work at low altitudes, etc.

I'm not suggesting it can't be done because of course it could (if there was a will to do so - which as you rightly point out, there isn't), but maybe it isn't quite so straightforward as a lot of people would like to think.

 

[Glaucus]

Could Boeing's decision to use carbon fibre in the Dreamliner be applied to something supersonic, or would we have to go back to older - heavier - materials. How well does a ram jet work at low altitudes, etc.

I expect modern composites would suite supersonic flight much better than older materials. There far more predicatbale and lighter, whilst being stronger.

It would have to be a two step system. conventional jet engines to take of and obtain cruise hight. then a ram jet could take over.

The thing is with computer modelling and wind tunnels. It is so much easier to solve aerodynamic problems. Than it was when the concord was built.

The blackbird goes one step further. It's fuel tanks leak when it's not cruising. That's how much everything expands.

 

[Tefal]

yes you could with modern engines, things like ram jets. modern materials huge advances in aerodynamics and controls. You could make something much better than the concord. But the money just isn't there.

thought they'd only just got to the testing of unmanned (essentially missiles) with ramjets?

 

[Chabsy]

Speed is the most important thing about ramjets you really need to be going over 400mph for them to work and iirc the colder the air the more efficient they are

 

[Glaucus]

thought they'd only just got to the testing of unmanned (essentially missiles) with ramjets?

they have test flights with one man ramjets, which have worked well. But they have been piggy backed up to launch height and speed. The only reason there so simple is because there still testing the engines it's self.