Japan makes better planes than Concorde

The Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAEA) said in the next six years it will build a passenger airliner that will be quieter and less fuel-efficient than the previous British-French Concorde.

Japan's new supersonic aircraft (Photo: AP)

The JAEA said the aircraft would cost $ 171.7 million, to be completed in early 2013 and put into commercial operation in 2020.

The engine was tested at Mach 5,5, or five times the speed of sound, which allowed the aircraft to fly from Tokyo to Los Angeles in just three hours.

The aircraft has overcome two disadvantages of the Concorde, which is a reduction of engine noise by more than 50% compared to Concorde, fuel savings and landing easier. Japan wants to use this supersonic aircraft to boost its aviation status, which lags far behind the US, Russia and France.

NTDA