Turkish students win international competition for designing eco-friendly supersonic engine

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish university students won an international competition on Thursday for designing an environmentally friendly and economical supersonic engine for the Concorde aircraft.

The ETU-Phoenix Team, founded by TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB ETU) mechanical engineering department students, won the "Let's Re-Engine Concorde," competition that was organized by the American Aviation and Space Institute (AIAA).

Students designed a turbofan engine that can perform in an environmentally friendly manner by consuming less fuel, is quieter, and without a sonic boom during take-off, according to a statement by the university.

The engine, which can complete a flight between London and New York in 3.5 hours at two times the speed of sound at 2,100 kilometers per hour, (1,305 miles per hour) at an altitude of 16,000 meters (10 miles), reduces total fuel consumption by 44% with a savings of $44,000 per flight compared to the Concorde's original engine.

The legendary aircraft is a British–French turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner that was operated from 1976 until 2003.

The Concorde was retired three years after the Air France Flight 4590 crash killed everyone on board.