Since the retirement of the Concorde, a retired turbojet-powered supersonic passenger plane, jet travel hasn't gotten any faster. For most travelers, it's gotten less pleasant.
But there are those who haven't given up on the dream of supersonic flights that cross continents and oceans in half the time it takes today.
Some of these aircraft are only renderings, others are already embarking on test flights. But they all prove that the future of travel is supersonic.
First, let's look at the Concorde
The Concorde, cooperatively built by France and Britain, is the most successful commercial jet to travel at supersonic speeds. The sonic boom it produced led to bans of supersonic flight over land, limiting its economic potential.
The crash of Flight 4590 in 2000 that killed all 100 passengers, nine crew members, and four people on the ground further hurt the aircraft's reputation.
In 2003, Air France and British Airways announced the retirement of the Concorde, citing economic losses.
And don't forget Russia's Tupolev Tu-144
The Soviets had their own supersonic plane: the Tupolev Tu-144. It was the only other commercial aircraft to fly at more than Mach 1.
While its first flight took place in December 1968, three months before that of its Franco-British counterpart, the Tu-144 was the lesser aircraft. Nicknamed the "Konkordski" by the Western media, it was plagued by test flight crashes and poor performance.
It was retired in 1983, after only seven years of service and 103 passenger flights.
Now the future: A concept plane from Lockheed Martin
NASA's research mission on supersonic flight solicited this concept, submitted by Lockheed Martin. The engines are placed on top of the plane to reduce the noise that reaches the ground.
The inverted-V at the tail is meant to reduce the effect of the sonic boom by altering the flow of air over the plane. It has not been tested.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider