China’s supersonic jet C949 targets 50% range increase over Concorde, 95% less sound

Extending the supersonic jet range while cutting noise

Led by Wu Dawei, Comac’s award-winning aerodynamicist, a team outlined in a March 14 paper in Acta Aeronautica Sinica their goal to achieve a 50% increase in range over the Concorde, from 4,500 miles to 6,800 miles. The project also aims to reduce sonic booms to 83.9 perceived level in decibels (PLdB), roughly equivalent to the sound of a hairdryer, the South China Morning Post reports.

By reducing noise to just one-twentieth of the Concorde’s thunderous boom, this advancement aims to overcome regulatory barriers that have historically prohibited overland supersonic flights. The C949 will compete with similar projects from organizations like NASA and Lockheed Martin, including the X-59, with researchers suggesting that the winner could redefine global aviation.

Furthermore, the C949’s design includes a shape-shifting fuselage with a curved “reverse-camber” midsection that reduces shock waves, preventing them from turning into disruptive booms. A long, needle-like nose extension splits the leading shock wave into three softer pulses, while aerodynamic bulges near the engines help scatter exhaust turbulence, thereby muffling the trailing boom.

According to Wu and his colleagues, the aircraft would require an artificial intelligence-powered fly-by-wire system with full control access to manage extreme aerodynamic non-linearity and counteract stability loss at high sideslip angles. Additionally, the design includes several key adjustments, such as a moving fuel system that dynamically shifts 93,000 pounds of fuel between seven tanks to maintain balance and optimize the center of gravity during flight.

C949 targets 45 million supersonic passengers

While NASA’s X-59 QueSST targets 75 PLdB by 2027, and startups like Boom Supersonic focus on niche markets, the C949 is designed for mainstream viability. Industrial estimates suggest that supersonic travel could reach 45 million passengers annually, or about 1% of total global air passengers per year.

The team has designed the C949 to accommodate between 28 and 48 passengers in a business-class-style cabin, significantly leaner than Concorde’s 100-seat capacity. With its extended range, the jet could fly nonstop from Shanghai to Los Angeles in approximately five hours. Initially, the airliner will focus on trans-Pacific routes over ocean corridors to minimize noise complaints.

In an ambitious timeline revealed last year, Comac outlined its plans for several key projects. The company aims to launch the twin-aisle C929 to rival Boeing’s 787 by 2027, introduce the 400-seat C939, a 300-tonne aircraft targeting the Boeing 777X market, by 2039, and have the C949 enter service by 2049 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic. 

The timeline also includes plans for “space-air hybrid vehicles,” as the Chinese company aims to explore new possibilities in both air and space travel.