For the first time, a privately developed aircraft has flown faster than sound

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/for-the-first-time-a-privately-developed-aircraft-has-flown-faster-than-sound/

4 points · 8 comments · view on lemmy.world

8 Comments

drolex@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 1y (7 replies)

* for the second time

reddig33@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y (6 replies)

When was the first time?

drolex@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 1y (5 replies)

The Concorde

mholiv@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y (4 replies)

But that was a publicly funded joint venture. The governments of the UK and France basically paid for development.

drolex@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 1y (3 replies)

Concorde : private companies funded by public money from France and UK -> Not privately developed

XB1 : private company funded by public money from Saudi Arabia -> privately developed

mholiv@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y (2 replies)

To be fair. There is a meaningful difference between venture capital and joint ventures.

Like the concord was amazing for its time. But we have to acknowledge the accomplishment here.

drolex@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Absolutely. It's technically very impressive.

But I wonder why the PR insists on the 'first private' thingy. I am not sure how it's relevant, seeing how the funding for these projects have changed in all these years.

mholiv@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

I think it’s because they reallly want to say “first!!” But have to add an adjective to be able to truthfully say it.