Comac Unveils Supersonic Jet: The Quiet Challenger With Twice the Range of Concorde

As global supersonic air travel looks set to begin its second act, China could be quietly leading the boom

The first details of C949, a supersonic airliner project, have been quietly unveiled by Chinese state-owned aerospace large Comac, signaling its aspirations to lead the way in aviation with the innovative new aircraft that has the potential to reshape international air travel.

In a recently published academic article, Comac engineers unveiled plans for a 1.6-Mach airliner engineered to travel longer distances with significantly reduced noise levels compared to the discontinued Concorde, which might place China as a leader in a new era of supersonic aviation during the 21st century.

A group headed by Wu Dawei, who is an award-winning member of Comac, aerodynamicist stated in an article dated March 14, published in the journal Acta Aeronautica Sinica, that the objective of this project was to accomplish what aerospace engineers have pursued for decades: increasing the range by 50% compared to the Concorde’s distance (boosting from 7,200 km or 4,500 miles to 11,000 km or 6,800 miles). Additionally, they aim to reduce sonic booms significantly down to just 83.9 PLdB, which is as quiet as the sound produced by a hair dryer.

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This decrease in noise levels has been reduced to one-twentieth of the original. Concorde's thunderclap-like boom by intensity, aims to bypass regulatory barriers that have long banned overland supersonic flights.

The C949 will compete with similar projects from other countries, such as Nasa and Lockheed Martin's X-59, with the winner rewriting the rules of global aviation, according to the researchers.

The C949 incorporates a shape-changing body with a rounded "reverse-camber" center section designed to reduce shockwaves, postponing them from turning into destructive forces. booms .

A long, needle-like nose protrusion splits the leading shock wave into three gentler pulses, while aerodynamic bulges near the engines scatter exhaust turbulence, which muffles the trailing boom.

The aircraft would require artificial intelligence-powered , fly-by-wire system "with full control access" to battle extreme aerodynamic non-linearity while compensating for stability loss at high sideslip angles, according to Wu and his colleagues.

Several minor yet crucial design adjustments have been made, including a system that relocates 42,000 kg (93,000 pounds) of fuel among seven tanks during flight. This dynamic movement helps maintain optimal center of gravity for better aircraft balancing.

The jet is propelled by two adaptive-cycle turbofan engines, designed to adjust their bypass ratios for efficient operation during Mach 1.6 "low-boom" cruise mode as well as Mach 1.7 "eco" mode flights at an elevation of 16,000 meters (approximately 52,000 feet). Comac asserts that its departure sound complies with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Chapter 14 standards, crucial for city center airfields.

As tensions between the United States and China over technology continue to rise, Comac has unveiled more information about their project. Whereas NASA’s X-59 QueSST aims to achieve noise levels of 75 PLdB by 2027, and companies such as Boom Supersonic focus on specialized market segments, the C949 is geared towards broader commercial success.

"The potential number of supersonic Passengers might hit 45 million," which would account for roughly 1 percent of all global air travelers annually, according to Wu's group, referencing major industry projections.

The team created seats for anywhere from 28 to 48 passengers in a business-class-like cabin, significantly more streamlined compared to Concorde’s 100-seat configuration.

Thanks to its increased range, the aircraft can make the trip from Shanghai to Los Angeles without stopping in approximately five hours.

At first, the airliner aimed to focus on trans-Pacific routes across oceanic pathways to reduce noise complaints.

However, the initiative still faces several hurdles. Decreasing the noise levels is only part of the challenge, as past studies have indicated. For example, fuel expenses would continue to be exorbitant unless the engines can significantly surpass current efficiency standards. Concorde's Olympus 593.

Last year, Comac unveiled an ambitious schedule for several initiatives. They stated their intention to introduce the twin-aisle C929, designed to compete with Boeing’s 787, by 2027; unveil the 400-seater C939—a massive aircraft weighing around 300 tonnes—aimed at challenging the Boeing 777X, slated for 2039; and they aimed to have the C949 operational by 2049 as part of celebrations marking the centennial of the People's Republic, alongside concepts involving “hybrid space-aircraft.”

However, the C949 might face its biggest challenge on a psychological level, say certain aviation specialists.

The Concorde's 2000 Paris crash The incident where 113 people lost their lives continues to haunt aviation history. COMAC needs to assure both airlines and passengers that the next chapter of supersonic travel won’t replicate its somber past—a challenge that demands not only exceptional engineering prowess but also a deep understanding of economic factors and building public confidence, experts noted.

This might clarify why, in the competition to resurrect supersonic travel, China has made the most significant move so far—almost unnoticed.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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