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To: sukhoi-30mki

Talk about a wowser, the thought is interesting but being that the -25 was an INTERCEPTOR and was much of a design to counter the USAF B-72 as a very high altitude supersonic bomber. As such its range was short with a max at low altitude of <800 miles while high altitude with combat load was a mere 185 miles or so. So this was a thought experiment and an interesting concept as such.

That great race to a viable Supersonic Transport (SST) that produced the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 as well as Boeing’s never built SST, is, almost certainly, a step too soon taken in the late 1960s. The technology and research produced noisy, expensive and uncomfortable aircraft that could not sustain their promise. The only reason that the 2 types were built is that government prestige and careers got caught in the mix.

Today it would be possible to build a much more civilized and minimized ‘boomer’ airplane and I expect such to be built within twenty years. There is a business need even with tele-conferencing and other alternatives. The trans-pacific and trans-atlantic routes are the obvious ones if the range can be accomodated.


9 posted on 04/03/2014 5:39:49 AM PDT by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: SES1066
was much of a design to counter the USAF B-72

I think you mean the B-70. Still you recollection of the purpose of design is commendable.

11 posted on 04/03/2014 6:10:54 AM PDT by pfflier
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