Boeing’s killed Sonic Cruiser likely to get a second life

Are you someone who was saddened to hear of Boeing’s cancellation of its Sonic Cruiser airliner project? Then, it is time for you to cheer up and to wait for a second life for the Sonic Cruiser with some positive design changes. Yes, nine years after the killing of the high-profile airliner project, some sources indicate that Boeing is to give a new life for the supersonic aircraft. A recent patent application from Boeing for a high-subsonic cruising flight has kicked in the new gossips.

Sonic Cruiser

Of course, there is a new patent application from Boeing, which was publicized on April 19. But a patent application and its acceptance do never mean that the applicant is to develop the product anytime soon. However, in case of Boeing, there is a possibility for the revival of the project, which was cancelled for the fuel-efficient 7E7 or 787 Dreamliner.

The major reason for the cancellation of Sonic Cruiser was the high production cost. Airliner operators often prefer low cost to the speed. As of now, things have changed a lot; technology has further advanced and gone affordable. So, there is an impending chance that the airline maker may produce the old project with the new advances in aircraft engineering and facilities.

Sonic Cruiser design old and new

As per the patent application, it looks quite clear that someone at Boeing is really working to revitalize the flop project. Different from the old project, the new design will place the engines over the wings. Moreover, the wings will get vertical stabilizers and the engines will have variable geometry chevrons (see the image above for the comparison). Anyway, the entire flight will have many changes in design and engineering.

Via: Gizmodo/FlightBlogger