Supersonic Airliners "10 Years Away"

Press, Volume C, Issue 29505, 5 May 1961, Page 18

Supersonic Airliners "10 Years Away"

(A’ew Zealand Press Association)

AVCKLASD, May 3. Supersonic passenger airliners were at least 10 years away, said Mr W. F. Beall, of the Boeing Airline Company, in Auckland today. Mr Beall, who is a director and senior vice-president of the company, has spent a w’eek in Australia, and is on a tvorld tour. He said the problem was mainly an economic one. Supersonic airliners w’ere no use unless they could be operated as cheaply as present aircraft On present information, they could only be used over water because of the sonic boom problem. It was also a political prob-

lem because of national prestige. he said. One idea being studied by the Boeing Company was the use of a variable wing, which could be spread out for subsonic flight, and then retracted. This method had been found feasible in windtunnel tests. Pure jet cargo aeroplanes were being discussed with the German airline. Lufthansa. and Pan American Airways, and it was hoped to make delivery by May. 1963. said Mr Beall. The latest type of Boeing airliner ,-ould have a range of about 5000 miles. Eleven had already been sold, and delivery would start at the middle of next year, he said.