[Opinion] Supersonic Plane

The fastest aircraft ever built by humans is U.S. spy plane SR71 known as `Black Bird.` After the successful test flight in 1974, the reconnaissance plane flew over the sky of the former Soviet Union at Mach 3, three times of the speed of sound, 340m per second. It travels literally faster than a bullet. A bullet is fired at a speed of 900 to 1,000m per second and zips towards a target at 400m per second in the air against resistance. At the time of the development, Black Bird was a sum of all cutting-edge technologies available. For instance, more than 90% of its body was made up of titanium so that the aircraft stood the sheer heat generated from the monstrous speed.

▷It is said that there is a huge difference between manufacturing a supersonic and a just airplane traveling at the speed of sound. To begin with, there’s difference in the principle of designing. While a plane is normally manufactured in parts such as a body part and wings for a later assembly, a supersonic plan is taking a holistic approach. More than one million components of the high-tech aircraft must be fit into each other perfectly. 610 technologies used to build the first supersonic plane were transferred to a number of business areas, generating a far-reaching effect across a broad range of industries. Processing technology of titanium, for instance, led to breakthrough development in the field of medicine such as artificial joints.

▷We are also expected to soon join the group of supersonic builders. T50 called Golden Eagle, which successfully completed its first test in August this year, will likely break through the sound barrier before the end of this year. Its target speed is Mach1.4, or 1,700km per hour. If things go as planned, this country will be the 12th builder of a supersonic airplane in the world. Should we be able to sell the high-tech planes overseas, we will join the top five supersonic plane powerhouses, said Jang Jeong-seop, director at the Korea Aeronautics and Space Institute.

▷Scientists joining the T50 project, however, are feeling sorry that the nation’s great achievement draws little attention from the media and the public, which are apparently preoccupied with a string of news-making events and the upcoming presidential election. Yet, we appreciate the fact that there are committed scientists working hard to bring about changes for our future. They are driving force for the country’s path to prosperity. And we hope that the day the plane breaks the sound barrier, it will break the wall of indifference, too.

Song Moon-hong, Editorial Writer, songmh@donga.com