Giko Sehata / Yomiuri Shimbun writes:
"Japan is making progress toward developing an advanced supersonic passenger aircraft that could, for example, make a day trip between Japan and Hawaii possible.
The Supersonic Transport Team of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is aiming to reduce the thundering roar of such aircraft, a challenge that weighed on the Concorde, a civilian supersonic aircraft jointly developed by Britain and France.
At a maximum speed of Mach 2, higher than 2,100 kph, the Concorde traveled between Europe and the East Coast of the United States in less than four hours. As international travel became more common, demand for such supersonic civil transport was high.
However, fuel costs for the Concorde were more than three times higher than those for conventional jetliners. The Concorde also generated excessive noise although it flew at an altitude of 18 kilometers.
The Concorde ceased commercial service in 2003."
