Air Force One to be supersonic?
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The U.S. Air Force has taken initial steps to begin prototyping a supersonic aircraft that could someday carry the president around the world in half the time.
Last month, the service's Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate awarded a $1 million small business innovation research (SBIR) phase II contract to Exosonic, a start-up aerospace company, to begin the design and development of a low-boom executive airlift concept.
The 24-month contract for the plane called "Air Force One" when the president is on board requires the company to create the future aircraft's specifications, to include "power, weight, dimensions, communication systems, cabin layout" and a virtual reality model of the aircraft cabin space, Air Force Materiel Command told Military.com on Tuesday.
"Low-boom allows travelers to fly at supersonic speeds without generating disruptive booms for those on the ground," said AFMC spokesman Daryl Mayer.
Separately, Exosonic is building a 70-seat passenger aircraft intended to fly at Mach 1.8 speeds "supersonically overland and overwater with a muted sonic boom," according to the company's website. A prototype roll-out for that project is expected in 2025, Mayer said.
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