Virgin Galactic debuts design of future Mach 3 high-speed aircraft, signs deal with Rolls-Royce

[brooklynite]

Source: Tech Crunch

Virgin Galactic is making strides toward its goal of creating high-speed commercial aircraft that operates a little closer to Earth than its existing passenger spacecraft. The company revealed the initial design of the commercial passenger airplane it’s creating that’s designed to fly at speeds in excess of Mach 3 — faster than the average cruising speed of around Mach 2 that the original Concorde achieved.

This concept design comes alongside a new partnership for Virgin Galactic, by way of a memorandum of understanding that the company signed with Rolls-Royce, one of the world’s leading aircraft engine makers. Rolls-Royce is also responsible for the engine of the Concorde, one of the only supersonic commercial aircraft ever used for passenger travel.

Virgin Galactic announced in May that it would be partnering with NASA to work toward high-speed, high altitude point-to-point travel for commercial airline passengers. The plan is to eventually create an aircraft that can fly above 60,000 feet (the cruising altitude of the Concorde) and carry between 9 and 19 people per flight, with a cabin essentially set up to provide each of those passengers with either Business or First Class-style seating and service. One other key element of the design is that it can be powered by next-gen sustainable fuel for more ecological operation.



Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/03/virgin-galactic-debuts-design-of-future-mach-3-high-speed-aircraft-signs-deal-with-rolls-royce/

[Polybius]

1. Awesome, but only 9-19 people?

Tickets will likely be extremely expensive.

[Warpy]

7. The Concorde was mach 2 and carried over 100 passengers and crew

which kept it affordable for upper middle class people who saved for the trip of a lifetime.

This is not going to be affordable, at all, except by the 0.1% and by governments rushing diplomats around.

Let's hope if it ever gets off the drawing board (unlikely in the coming economy) that they pay close attention to the wheels and tires.

[yaesu]

2. another plaything for the rich elite, nt

[KS Toronado]

3. Only 9-19 passengers? Sounds like a very expensive business jet.

[Kaleva]

5. That's inside capacity 1st Class. There will 250 Econo seats on the wings.

[KS Toronado]

9. Hope they have seat belts for takeoffs and landings.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. Don't you know? We peons get to sit next to the bilge pump.

[NNadir]

4. It's so obscene, that maybe Elon Musk will get involved.

[hatrack]

6. Uh . . . . OK . . . .

Boy, talk about grappling with problems that really matter!

[brooklynite]

8. Before you complain too much...

...early technology is frequently priced high for those who can afford it. The first flat screen TV I bought was $5,000. The first Concordes flew passengers at 50% over first class fares. Once the technology is proven, the cost can be brought down through design improvements.

[Kaleva]

10. I remember it was $600 to install a tv satellite dish for my parents.

[Raine]

13. Yes, exactly. I remember how expensive the first VCRs were, toward the end

of their run they were way under a hundred dollars, same thing with microwave ovens.

[Raine]

12. Cool! 🛩 nt