The dream: Every flight in the world will exceed the speed of sound, cutting flight times in half.
The reality: A new generation of supersonic planes is now on the drawing board, and backers hope better designs, lighter materials and slightly slower speeds can make these planes a success where the Concorde failed.
But the roll out will be slow. They'll likely appear first in the private jet market, where money isn't as much of an issue. If successful, airlines may offer supersonic flight on a limited number of routes, but it would probably still be a costly ticket.
Only several decades down the road, and allowing for more advances in materials and engines, may supersonic flight be widely available and affordable.
