The limit on Ian’s vision is our FAA flight controllers (availability) and system architecture. Having a great many more planes leaving from many new uncontrolled fields would be a disaster. So while Ian works out his Uber plane trip idea, someone needs to address the global air traffic control system.
Someone has addressed it. It's called Free Flight and the idea is that aircraft will dynamically separate themselves using advanced technology. It's been kicked around for a while now.
The idea has been keenly welcomed by all existing air traffic control authorities. (Not).
My seatmate and I grew hoarse talking because it was noisy.
When I walked back to the galley, I discovered how hot the plane’s skin was. The stewardesses were sweating. I asked if they got extra pay - they laughed.
What was amazing was when the plan accelerated to supersonic speed over the ocean. It was very smooth.
One thing Henry Ford did was ruthlessly look for ways to reduce the cost of the Model T. One thing he did was send people to junkyards to look for worn-out Model T's, and see where they failed. He'd use that information to beef up the failure points--and also take cost out where perhaps they were overbuilt or over-engineered. He'd use those savings to reduce the price tag.
Yes, for the first time, innovation in big ticket items like supersonic aircraft is becoming more and more a reality. Big things like supersonic aircraft used to be very expensive to design, develop,, and bring to market. However, the combination of better and better engineering and manufacturing tools, more and more wealthy people, and more and more capital available, means that the previously unreachable is now attainable. SpaceX is a perfect example of this. A commercial space company spearheaded by a single individual and privately financed. Tesla, a privately funded competitor to the Big 3 American auto manufacturers is another example. There are similar other examples today, such as nuclear reactors. There are many examples of small teams, getting investments of hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.
One other thing to consider: the Concorde came around at a time when people first started getting concerned about fossil fuel consumption en masse and wanted to Do Something About It. It's no coincidence the discredited 55 mph speed limit happened at the same time. Subsonic speeds were "fast enough".
I'm thinking the way forward is to mine the atmosphere for CO2 and make hydrocarbons from it and water. It's doable, just needs to be scaled, and requires abundant carbon-free electricity (coughnukescough). Basically recycling the waste product from hydrocarbon combustion.
I think they were commenting on the noise level rather than the size of the cabin. I've been in one of the prototypes (at Duxford?) and I would have thought that it was about the same size a a Piccadilly tube train, but I may be mistaken!
One of your best posts EVER... yet the atrocious apostrophe in "It’s breakthrough" -- one short phrase in a long, otherwise-wonderful post! -- TOTALLY spoils it for us readers who are pedants for how to spell English (I'd bet we're a minority, but far from a tiny one -- caring most deeply about spelling, I believe, correlates with miindsets that make one a "rational optimist").
PLEASE use something a wee bit more advanced than a spelling checker to vet your text BEFORE you post it -- "it's" and "its" are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER -- a typical spelling checker doesn't get enough context to point that out, but if the best you can do is use one of those, you're signaling you're yoked to obsolete tech, which seriously hurts your believability in musing about the tech of the near future!-(
I sincerely enjoy reading all of your posts. Very encouraging stuff. Bad news sells; therefore, good news is lost. I am very happy to hear that the Antarctic is going through a growth cycle. As a former "back seater" in the Marine Corps, I have always been fascinated with aviation development. The idea of a new jet engine is amazing. I am concerned about how long it will take to build an airframe that can take those stresses of resisting the atmosphere and the heat generated. Flying higher to reduce the effects of the sonic boom will also be interesting. I fully expect that there is some innovative person out there who will find the answer soon. Keep up the fight for optimism!
I am a fan of the HBO series "NewsRoom" for several reasons. One in particular is how they defined "The Greater Fool" (Sloan Sabbith's message to Will McAvoy character). "This whole country is made by Greater Fools". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KDSyLT9qKc
As I read your fascinating stories I cannot help but think that you are reporting on the next crop of Greater Fools (in the spirit of above) that our country and world needs.
The limit on Ian’s vision is our FAA flight controllers (availability) and system architecture. Having a great many more planes leaving from many new uncontrolled fields would be a disaster. So while Ian works out his Uber plane trip idea, someone needs to address the global air traffic control system.
Someone has addressed it. It's called Free Flight and the idea is that aircraft will dynamically separate themselves using advanced technology. It's been kicked around for a while now.
The idea has been keenly welcomed by all existing air traffic control authorities. (Not).
My seatmate and I grew hoarse talking because it was noisy.
When I walked back to the galley, I discovered how hot the plane’s skin was. The stewardesses were sweating. I asked if they got extra pay - they laughed.
What was amazing was when the plan accelerated to supersonic speed over the ocean. It was very smooth.
One thing Henry Ford did was ruthlessly look for ways to reduce the cost of the Model T. One thing he did was send people to junkyards to look for worn-out Model T's, and see where they failed. He'd use that information to beef up the failure points--and also take cost out where perhaps they were overbuilt or over-engineered. He'd use those savings to reduce the price tag.
“In one fell swoop, we have shrunken the earth.” – Juan Trippe
Yes, for the first time, innovation in big ticket items like supersonic aircraft is becoming more and more a reality. Big things like supersonic aircraft used to be very expensive to design, develop,, and bring to market. However, the combination of better and better engineering and manufacturing tools, more and more wealthy people, and more and more capital available, means that the previously unreachable is now attainable. SpaceX is a perfect example of this. A commercial space company spearheaded by a single individual and privately financed. Tesla, a privately funded competitor to the Big 3 American auto manufacturers is another example. There are similar other examples today, such as nuclear reactors. There are many examples of small teams, getting investments of hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.
One other thing to consider: the Concorde came around at a time when people first started getting concerned about fossil fuel consumption en masse and wanted to Do Something About It. It's no coincidence the discredited 55 mph speed limit happened at the same time. Subsonic speeds were "fast enough".
I'm thinking the way forward is to mine the atmosphere for CO2 and make hydrocarbons from it and water. It's doable, just needs to be scaled, and requires abundant carbon-free electricity (coughnukescough). Basically recycling the waste product from hydrocarbon combustion.
anyone know how I might invest in this company as a non-accredited investor?
Engines don't burn CO2.
Correct. I intended to comment on the second bullet that stated burning 30% more CO2 but you beat me to it.
Did you ever fly the Concord? It was noisy and warm, but it got you across the ocean in a hurry.
I never did, but I heard someone describe it as a very fast tube train 🙂
Not even that big. It was roughly the same cross section as a Fokker Friendship or Dash Eight.
I think they were commenting on the noise level rather than the size of the cabin. I've been in one of the prototypes (at Duxford?) and I would have thought that it was about the same size a a Piccadilly tube train, but I may be mistaken!
One of your best posts EVER... yet the atrocious apostrophe in "It’s breakthrough" -- one short phrase in a long, otherwise-wonderful post! -- TOTALLY spoils it for us readers who are pedants for how to spell English (I'd bet we're a minority, but far from a tiny one -- caring most deeply about spelling, I believe, correlates with miindsets that make one a "rational optimist").
PLEASE use something a wee bit more advanced than a spelling checker to vet your text BEFORE you post it -- "it's" and "its" are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER -- a typical spelling checker doesn't get enough context to point that out, but if the best you can do is use one of those, you're signaling you're yoked to obsolete tech, which seriously hurts your believability in musing about the tech of the near future!-(
Regulators didn’t clip wings because of Boeing not having its act together. It was noise complaints about sonic booms.
I sincerely enjoy reading all of your posts. Very encouraging stuff. Bad news sells; therefore, good news is lost. I am very happy to hear that the Antarctic is going through a growth cycle. As a former "back seater" in the Marine Corps, I have always been fascinated with aviation development. The idea of a new jet engine is amazing. I am concerned about how long it will take to build an airframe that can take those stresses of resisting the atmosphere and the heat generated. Flying higher to reduce the effects of the sonic boom will also be interesting. I fully expect that there is some innovative person out there who will find the answer soon. Keep up the fight for optimism!
I am a fan of the HBO series "NewsRoom" for several reasons. One in particular is how they defined "The Greater Fool" (Sloan Sabbith's message to Will McAvoy character). "This whole country is made by Greater Fools". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KDSyLT9qKc
As I read your fascinating stories I cannot help but think that you are reporting on the next crop of Greater Fools (in the spirit of above) that our country and world needs.