THE MASERATI OF JETS

摘要

It is perhaps ironic that in March 2001, Boeing announced plans for its 'Sonic Cruiser,' a revolutionary long-range jetliner with Mach .95 cruising speed. The events of September llth that followed just six months later put a damper on the airline business in general, but what is equally ironic is that the Sonic Cruiser was going to burn even more fuel than conventional jets. Would travelers pay more money just to spend one hour less in the air on a trans-Atlantic flight? Further adding to the irony was the fact that this concept, which was ultimately shelved by the manufacturer, had been tried more than 40 years earlier.