Re "Boeing wavers on Sonic Cruiser" (Flight International, 12-18 November). I recently took the 23h flight from London to Sydney. Many of the people I spoke to in Sydney said they would like to visit London, but were put off by the length of the flight. Fifteen hours seemed to be the limit that most people would contemplate.
I suggest that the Sonic Cruiser concept should be revamped to a four-engine 747 capacity equivalent, cruising at M0.98 over land and low supersonic (M1.2 to 1.4) over sea, using technology from the quiet supersonic strike study.
Imagine how many more passengers there would be if flight times were cut to 15h. America would doubtless find many new routes for an aircraft with this range and speed.
John A. Hartley Woking, UK
Source: Flight International
