Sonic cruiser will get there faster for same cost - Boeing

Boeing's planned Sonic Cruiser will nudge the speed of sound but be just as fuel efficient as slower planes on similar routes - meaning passengers can reach places faster without paying more.

‘‘We are working the economics such that it does not need a fare premium,’’ said Walt Gillette, vice president and manager of the Sonic Cruiser project.

The twin engine jet is being designed to carry 200 to 250 passengers over long range and international routes of between 7,500 and 10,300 miles, he said.

The main allure for passengers will be saving time - Boeing believes the new jetliner could get from New York to Tokyo two hours faster than current averages, and beat today’s Los Angeles to New York flights by an hour.

Gillette said the Sonic Cruiser should fly at Mach .95 to Mach .98., or at up to 98% of the speed of sound - roughly 700 mph, depending on conditions.

Boeing decided to keep the speed just under the sound barrier because crossing it would put too much stress on the engines, and would not let the plane be as fuel efficient as other jets.

The futuristic-looking delta winged plane will fly about 8,000 ft higher than most jetliners, at 41,000 ft to 49,000 ft. At lower altitudes, the aircraft would probably be limited to slower speeds because of traffic from other planes, Gillette said.

The sleek new jetliner is not expected to be in service until 2008, Gillette said. But, he added, the aerospace giant has resumed in-depth talks with more than a dozen airlines about the project - most of whom suspended negotiations in the crisis that followed September 11.

‘‘The good news is that airlines are back,’’ he said.

Boeing unveiled plans to build the Sonic Cruiser nearly a year ago, at the same time it shelved plans to build a much larger version of the Boeing 747 that would compete with Airbus’ planned 550 seat A380.

The competing manufacturers have now branched into two distinct directions - Airbus believes the future of air travel is in super-jumbo aircraft that can carry many passengers long distances, while Boeing favours faster, long range planes carrying fewer passengers.

With the Sonic Cruiser, Boeing is working with more outside companies earlier in the process than ever before, on everything from what types of alloys to use in the plane to what systems will be found inside.

Three engine makers - Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric - are already working on possible engine designs, Gillette said.