Acta Aeronautica Sinica magazine reported that the Chinese company COMAC is working on a project to develop a supersonic passenger aircraft with low noise levels.
According to the magazine, the new C949 will be slower than the legendary Concorde, but it will be approximately 20 times quieter. This will avoid the main problem of supersonic aircraft, and the aircraft will be able to fly over populated areas without disturbing people.
COMAC experts indicated that the supersonic aircraft will not enter service soon, but rather by 2049. They explained that the aircraft's fuselage will feature an elongated nose and a specially designed midsection, which will be able to absorb shock waves when exceeding the sound barrier. Consequently, the aircraft will emit less noise when flying at high speeds.
In addition to all of the above, the aircraft will feature artificial intelligence-based technologies that enable it to maintain stability during flight. It will also be equipped with seven fuel tanks with a capacity of 42 tons. These tanks will be equipped with a special system that continuously replenishes the remaining fuel to maintain the aircraft's center of gravity.
According to available information, the plane will be capable of flying at speeds of up to Mach 1.7 (1,805 km/h), which is slower than the Concorde, which flew at approximately Mach 2, but the new plane will have a 50% greater range - it will be able to fly from Shanghai to Los Angeles non-stop in just 5 hours.
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china
china digital times
military aircraft
passengers plane
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supersonic aircraft
technology