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Humanity holds supersonic technology, epitomized by fighter jets surpassing the speed of sound (1236 km/h). So, why not integrate this technology into a multitude of commercial airplanes for swifter travel?What happens when achieving supersonic speedsEver imagined that the faster you drive, the harder it is to control the steering wheel due to ground contact? Airplanes face a similar challenge, but instead of the ground, it's the air. The faster they go, the tougher it is to maneuver. Why does air become an obstacle?
That's aerodynamics. At normal speeds, air flows smoothly around us, but at higher speeds, it compresses, creating a barrier. Breaking this barrier produces a loud sonic boom. At such speeds, friction with air can heat the aircraft's nose to 300 degrees Celsius.
Why can military aircraft fly faster than the speed of sound?Supersonic technology has now become a reality. Military aircraft resemble arrows with sharp, straight edges, unlike civilian airplanes with smooth contours that allow them to fly faster and withstand high aerodynamic pressure.
Can civilian airplanes achieve supersonic speeds?The answer is yes! There have been two supersonic civilian airplanes used for commercial purposes: the Concorde of British-French origin and the Tupolev TU-144 of the Soviet Union. With their sleek design, they could reach speeds of 2500 km/h at an altitude of 20,000m. At this altitude, the air is thinner, making the aircraft easier to control. However, there are many reasons why these two types of aircraft are no longer operational.
The TU-144 was operational for 3 years from 1975-1978 and experienced 2 accidents, leading to the termination of the project. Meanwhile, the Concorde operated longer, from 1976 to 2003, and could transport passengers from London to New York in just 3 hours, whereas the Boeing 747 would take 7 hours for the same distance.So why weren't they widely adopted?
In terms of economics, the Concorde had prohibitively high production costs and delivered poorer transportation efficiency. It could only accommodate 100 passengers compared to the Boeing 747's 500, yet consumed more fuel. Additionally, the first-class seats on the Concorde were less comfortable than the first-class lie-flat seats on the Boeing 747, so passengers preferred comfort over paying a hefty price just to save 4 hours. Currently, engineers consider the ideal flying speed to be 900 km/h, but who knows what the future holds, right?Source: BRIGHT SIDE
