Important Innovations

US Company Building Supersonic Jets for Mainstream Travel Source:  Boom Artist Concept Boom and the Supersonic Jet Race The supersonic jet travel race is getting hot.  There are a number of global, startups building jets that fly faster than the speed of sound or 767 mph.  Some companies are targeting 1000 mph and even 3000 mph.  Hermeus, based in Atlanta, GA, is targeting Mach 3 or 3000 mph.  That would take you from New York to London in just 90 minutes.  Another company of note is Boom. Supersonic Flights for All of Us A very interesting supersonic play comes from Boom Technology, which is Denver, CO based and has significant capital behind it.  It is focusing on building 55-seat passenger jets that fly at Mach 2 plus or 2300 mph.  It wants to start pricing seats, when it gets ready for takeoff in upcoming years, at the rate of business class fares.  Additionally, it plans to sell its supersonic jets to traditional airlines and ...

Mako Shark's Speed Inspires Potential New Aircraft Designs The Mako shark is known as the Cheetah of the Ocean, accelerating up to 80 mph.  A team of aeronautical engineers at the University of Alabama have discovered the mechanism behind the speed.  It's the shark's scales that angle up to 40 degrees and prevent any  drag. If your hand were to go across the shark's skin from nose to tail, the skin is smooth.  If you go from tail to nose, there are scales that go up at an angle. That natural acceleration mechanism has the potential for new designs for faster aircraft. For a great news blog on this go to Important Innovations Collection: Aircraft Innovation from Mako Sharks : Shark Scales Inspire Faster Planes Shortfin Mako - "Cheetah of the Ocean" Mako - Cheetah of the Ocean A team from the Unive...

No Wheels, No Engine, No Noise, No Pollution, No Problem Maglev Train So Why Aren't They at a Train Station Near You? They're green, clean, fast, quiet.  No wheels, one track. Maglev stands for magnetic levitation.  They glide on a cushion of air.  Because of the way Maglev works, there's now little chance of derailment.  The higher the train gets from the track, the stronger the magnetic force pushing it back.  It's a greener transit solution.  One problem - they're very expensive. Magnetic Levitation Travel  The tech uses magnetic fields to lift the train a small distance above the track and make it move. It's much faster than a regular train.  A Maglev in Japan has broken a world record at 600 mph. A trip from Toronto to Vancouver is forecast to take 3 hours on Maglev by 2035. All Aboard in Asia Only a handful of commercially viable systems have been built.  Only 3 survive - all in Asia.  China likes the system so much i...