Slashdot Mirror
France and Japan Planning New Supersonic Jet
jonerik writes "According to this article from the Associated Press, Japan and France are cooperating on research to produce a supersonic passenger plane that would be able to carry 300 passengers (three times as many as the Concorde) and fly from New York City to Tokyo in a mere six hours. Current plans are for the plane to be able to cruise at mach 2.4 while reducing the noise and high fuel consumption associated with the Concorde during its years of service. Although Japan had previously done extensive research towards building a 250-person mach 1.6 passenger jet, the agreement with France - announced at the annual Paris Air Show on Tuesday - represents a interesting shift in technological alliances given the Japanese aviation industry's longstanding ties to the United States. 'To research closely in this area with the Europeans does represent something new,' said Yoshio Watanabe, an official with The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies, which is heading the new initiative on the Japanese side."
The only people that will be able to fit in the seats will be the Japanese, without cameras.
I'm so sure that France's experience with Concorde are much use from an engineering perspective. Most of the people who designed Concorde have retired. Even the politicians who worked with the British are mostly gone too. What the French are good at is spending tax payers money on national prestige projects... and the Japanese know this.
Actually Seppo is the preferred term.
Seppo is short for septic, short for septic tank, rhymes with Yank.
So I hope that improves Australian-American relations.
And you are right, 90% of the world does not know, or indeed care, about which USAns should be called Yanks.