The first details of C949, a supersonic airliner project, have been quietly unveiled by Chinese state-owned aerospace giant Comac, signalling its ambitions to dominate the skies with the radical new jet that could redefine global air travel.
In a recent academic paper, Comac engineers revealed the blueprint of a 1.6-Mach airliner designed to fly further and much more quietly than the retired Concorde – a feat that could position China at the forefront of a 21st century supersonic renaissance.
A team led by Wu Dawei, Comac’s award-winning aerodynamicist, said in a March 14 paper published in the journal Acta Aeronautica Sinica that the project aimed to achieve what engineers have chased for decades: a 50 per cent range boost over the Concorde (11,000km or 6,800 miles vs 7,200km or 4,500 miles) while slashing sonic booms to 83.9 perceived level in decibels (PLdB), comparable to the noise level of a hairdryer.
This reduction in noise, down to one-twentieth of the Concorde’s thunderclap-like boom by intensity, aims to bypass regulatory barriers that have long banned overland supersonic flights.
The C949 will compete with similar projects from other countries, such as Nasa and Lockheed Martin’s X-59, with the winner rewriting the rules of global aviation, according to the researchers.
The C949’s design features a shape-shifting fuselage with a curved “reverse-camber” midsection that weakens shock waves, delaying their transition into violent booms.
Rockboxatx on
China is killing the rest of the world in engineering. Isn’t surprising since they focus on education and respect engineers. Their IP laws are less restrictive so they can innovate without being constrained by patent trolls.
fufa_fafu on
Before anyone yaps about how Concorde is 50 year technology already: if they can fit this shit on passenger planes, imagine what they can fit on their *military* planes. China currently has the world’s sole functioning 6th generation fighter aircraft prototype (the J-36). Our own F-47 (so named after Felon ’47 the disgrace who currently sits the white house) is a fucking rendering.
Bring on the downvotes. Ya’ll copers are too afraid to debate someone when facts shatter your worldview.
CivQhore on
Going 747+2 for the marketing meme is one hell of a drug
ILoveSpankingDwarves on
More Chinese propaganda.
They have designs on paper. Nothing else.
Stop posting clickbait propaganda.
Orjigagd on
Cool, they even turned reflections on in the render
LapsedVerneGagKnee on
50% longer range, but also probably just as loud which is part of the reason Concorde’s were retired and a lot of airports refused to allow them.
draconicmoniker on
Nice! Of course China would have competition for Boom Aero’s XB1
FreeNumber49 on
Does the plane fall apart in 30 days like everything else I buy from China?
9 Comments
Submission Statement:
The first details of C949, a supersonic airliner project, have been quietly unveiled by Chinese state-owned aerospace giant Comac, signalling its ambitions to dominate the skies with the radical new jet that could redefine global air travel.
In a recent academic paper, Comac engineers revealed the blueprint of a 1.6-Mach airliner designed to fly further and much more quietly than the retired Concorde – a feat that could position China at the forefront of a 21st century supersonic renaissance.
A team led by Wu Dawei, Comac’s award-winning aerodynamicist, said in a March 14 paper published in the journal Acta Aeronautica Sinica that the project aimed to achieve what engineers have chased for decades: a 50 per cent range boost over the Concorde (11,000km or 6,800 miles vs 7,200km or 4,500 miles) while slashing sonic booms to 83.9 perceived level in decibels (PLdB), comparable to the noise level of a hairdryer.
This reduction in noise, down to one-twentieth of the Concorde’s thunderclap-like boom by intensity, aims to bypass regulatory barriers that have long banned overland supersonic flights.
The C949 will compete with similar projects from other countries, such as Nasa and Lockheed Martin’s X-59, with the winner rewriting the rules of global aviation, according to the researchers.
The C949’s design features a shape-shifting fuselage with a curved “reverse-camber” midsection that weakens shock waves, delaying their transition into violent booms.
China is killing the rest of the world in engineering. Isn’t surprising since they focus on education and respect engineers. Their IP laws are less restrictive so they can innovate without being constrained by patent trolls.
Before anyone yaps about how Concorde is 50 year technology already: if they can fit this shit on passenger planes, imagine what they can fit on their *military* planes. China currently has the world’s sole functioning 6th generation fighter aircraft prototype (the J-36). Our own F-47 (so named after Felon ’47 the disgrace who currently sits the white house) is a fucking rendering.
Bring on the downvotes. Ya’ll copers are too afraid to debate someone when facts shatter your worldview.
Going 747+2 for the marketing meme is one hell of a drug
More Chinese propaganda.
They have designs on paper. Nothing else.
Stop posting clickbait propaganda.
Cool, they even turned reflections on in the render
50% longer range, but also probably just as loud which is part of the reason Concorde’s were retired and a lot of airports refused to allow them.
Nice! Of course China would have competition for Boom Aero’s XB1
Does the plane fall apart in 30 days like everything else I buy from China?