http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/7539.html Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:27:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/7539.html/comment-page-1#comment-342112 P.M.Lawrence Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:47:22 +0000 http://www.murdoconline.net/?p=7539#comment-342112 Actually, the main reason Concorde was not a commercial success (once development costs had been written off) was that the USA, lacking an equivalent, did not provide SSTs with the necessary landing priorities. Concordes were forced to fly slowly in landing patterns at some cost in time and great cost in fuel consumption. Yet the whole design was predicated on the idea that flights wouldn't do that. Of course, it still wouldn't have succeeded if it had had to cover all its development costs - but the same can be said of just about any jet airliner. Actually, the main reason Concorde was not a commercial success (once development costs had been written off) was that the USA, lacking an equivalent, did not provide SSTs with the necessary landing priorities. Concordes were forced to fly slowly in landing patterns at some cost in time and great cost in fuel consumption. Yet the whole design was predicated on the idea that flights wouldn’t do that. Of course, it still wouldn’t have succeeded if it had had to cover all its development costs – but the same can be said of just about any jet airliner.

]]> http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/7539.html/comment-page-1#comment-342077 AFSarge Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:53:44 +0000 http://www.murdoconline.net/?p=7539#comment-342077 Problem is, surface area induced drag increased. The shape of the aircraft, i.e., area ruled, does increase/decrease the speed attainable by an aircraft, but a boat shaped hull presents all sorts of other problems to surmount. Besides, a sonic boom comes from the shockwave detaching from the airframe. I don't see how a different shape can alleviate that. Then again, I protected planes in the Air Force, not flew them. Problem is, surface area induced drag increased. The shape of the aircraft, i.e., area ruled, does increase/decrease the speed attainable by an aircraft, but a boat shaped hull presents all sorts of other problems to surmount. Besides, a sonic boom comes from the shockwave detaching from the airframe. I don’t see how a different shape can alleviate that. Then again, I protected planes in the Air Force, not flew them.

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