§ Mr. J. Edenasked the Minister of Supply whether he has now received the report of the research study group investigating the economics of supersonic air liners; and when he will make public its recommendations.
§ Mr. Aubrey JonesI have recently received the Report of the Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee, which was set up in November, 1956, to initiate and monitor a programme of research designed to pave the way for a possible supersonic transport aircraft. It recommends that a stage has now been reached when detailed design work should be undertaken by industry on two first generation supersonic aircraft:
- (i) an aeroplane carrying 150 passengers on the non-stop London—New York route, cruising at about twice the speed of sound; and
56 - (ii) a smaller aeroplane, carrying 100 passengers, for stage lengths of up to 1,500 statute miles cruising at 1.2 times the speed of sound.
These recommendations are being carefully studied.