Japan Plans Test of 'New Concorde'

This sounds pretty cool, a new 'Concorde' capable of twice the speed of sound. Now with the speed of sound being 761MPH (at sea level) that's approximately somewhere above 1,522MPH again at sea level. A regular 747 flies around 585MPH (at sea level). Now the old Concorde set a transatlantic crossing record of 2hours and 52minutes (New York to London) although it's regular crossing time was about 3 and a half hours. Interestingly Concorde flew at Mach 2.04 (Considered the 'sweet spot' due to fuel conservation) that is 1 348.37549MPH at 60,000 feet or 1,522MPH at sea level! So obviously they are looking to replicate the originals performance, but perhaps this aircraft will be larger and carry more passengers or have a greater operating distance or possibly both! Wonder if the price for a transatlantic return ticket will still be around $18,000!

In addition to the news feed below I came across the following excerpt from a page detailing some history behind the Concorde:

"In November 2003, European aviation company European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS, the company behind Airbus) announced that it was considering working with Japanese companies to develop a larger, faster replacement for Concorde [1]. However, recent news reports suggest only $1m is being invested every year into research, much less than the $1bn needed for the development of a viable airliner." - Sounds like this is linked to the new news feed below possibly?!?

Kinda interesting I'm sure! :)

Japan Plans Test of 'New Concorde' - Steve Nixon writes "Japan's space agency plans to launch an arrow-shaped airplane at twice the speed of sound high over the Australian outback as early as next month in a crucial test of the country's push to develop a supersonic successor to the retired Concorde."